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Wednesday, Jun. 10, 2009

Busy, busy week for Braves

It started June 2, when the Atlanta Braves demoted Jordan Schafer. We thought that was controversial.

But that was nothing compared to the firestorm that brewed after the release of Tom Glavine, the promotion of Tommy Hanson and the trade that brought Nate McLouth to Atlanta.

Ah, the drama. There was the mysterious meeting between Glavine, team president John Schuerholz, general manager Frank Wren and manager Bobby Cox. Then came comments from Glavine about how he was treated, coupled with statements from John Smoltz. Then on Friday, we heard the apology from Schuerholz to try to calm the storm.

Make no mistake about it: Glavine’s release had more to do with getting Hanson into the Atlanta rotation than anything else. Anyone who saw Hanson’s debut Sunday, despite his stat line, knows the potential is there. This kid is going to be the real deal. The Braves knew he was getting bored in Gwinnett and had to find room for him in the big league rotation.

Sure, the Braves didn’t want to pay Glavine because they didn’t feel he would be successful. So when he screams they didn’t want to pay him, he’s right. But that’s only because they thought he was done. Why would a team want to pay someone when they think there is someone better to do the job?

The Braves erred in the communication with Glavine when he signed. They should have made it perfectly clear that if he didn’t make his first start for the fifth starter, on April 18, it would be more difficult to get a spot. If he did make it, then fine, and he would probably stick as the fifth starter for as long as he could be healthy. But if he couldn’t go by that start, others would be available as options.

For Glavine to assume he would be handed the job, when there were other and younger candidates, was a mistake on his part. Sure, he’s a future Hall of Famer and has done so much for the community. But the fact is the Braves had to do the best thing for the organization, and there’s no doubt promoting Hanson was it.

They could have kept Glavine and put him in the bullpen, but that wasn’t going to work. And if Wren had one set of scouts telling him Hanson had to be brought up to the big leagues and another set of scouts telling him Glavine was not going to be effective, it’s a pretty easy decision. A GM has to trust his scouts.

Glavine should never have been brought back. Wren probably brought back Glavine only to ease the pain from Smoltz’s ugly departure. Wren was being careful, so the Braves wouldn’t find themselves in the same situation they were in last year, when the rotation fell apart. So he was trying to create depth, but the numbers were already there to have a very deep group of starting pitchers, both in Atlanta and in Triple-A Gwinnett.

Wren could have been more tactful in releasing Glavine. He didn’t have to come out and say so blatantly that the organization didn’t think Glavine could pitch anymore. That was insulting and in a way will only make Glavine more determined to pitch again to prove Wren wrong. But again, if it were made clear to Glavine in the first place that he would not be guaranteed anything, perhaps Glavine would have retired instead of attempting his comeback.

Then there was the peculiar Schuerholz apology Friday afternoon. We all know the organization could have handled it better and that he felt bad about how the meeting ended. But why wasn’t Wren by his side when he made this public apology? Didn’t that make Wren look bad?

The bottom line in all of this is the Braves are better with Hanson in the rotation and Glavine sitting at home. It was never going to be easy to have a clean separation with the players mainly responsible for the great deal of success the franchise had for so many years. Give Wren credit for trying to make the club better. While it could have been handled better, it simply had to be done.

And about that new center fielder ... that’s not a bad deal, huh?

The Bill Shanks Show airs weekdays from 3-6 pm on WFSM Fox Sports 1670 and online at www.foxsports1670.com.