New DOB Blog; Prospect List in the Works

David O'Brien posted a new blog entry yesterday, going over the situation with Tim Hudson, Mike Gonzalez, Rafael Soriano, Martin Prado, and Adam LaRoche.

He seems confident that Hudson will be back in Atlanta next season with a new multi-year deal. Hudson's agent has no worries that he and Frank Wren will sit down soon and go to work. Sounds like a deal should be worked out, especially since Hudson is willing to negotiate a lower amount. I expect Hudson to be a Brave next year.

Wren is keeping his mouth shut regarding Soriano, Gonzalez, and LaRoche, as he should since they project to be Type A or B free agents (I personally think LaRoche could go A, but O' Brien says B). I wouldn't be surprised if all three walk, but I would like to see the Braves go after at least one of them. Soriano is the most valuable and therefore the Braves probably won't be able to afford him and a power bat. Gonzalez could be brought back for a decent price and remain a setup man (hopefully, because Gonzalez should not be a closer anymore). LaRoche could be brought back for less than what he could get as a free agent, but it still may be too much for the Braves. If LaRoche doesn't return, that could put the Braves in a tough spot in replacing a late-inning reliever and a first baseman along with finding that power bat.

O' Brien points out that Peter Moylan should not be promoted due to his poor numbers against lefties, which is something I didn't realize. If it comes down to it, I wouldn't mind seeing them taking a chance on him being the setup man, but that should be the emergency option.

Wren states plainly that Prado is the starting second baseman in 2010, which is how it should be. He's proven he can last an entire season. The only thing to keep an eye on is how he responds now that he knows he's the starter for a full season.

While O'Brien didn't say much, it is interesting to mull over the different options the Braves have going into the offseason. They have some crucial decisions to make that could either make or break their upcoming season. Wren must find the perfect formula to be able to afford any combination of the above potential free agents, replacing the ones that walk with suitable players that won't lower the team's talent level, and finding that power bat which is the most important decision of all.

On another note, I'm currently in the process of writing up my top 30 Braves prospects for 2010.