David O'Brien of the AJC caught up with GM Frank Wren after today's press conference, and here were a few of the highlights.
On Chipper Jones and his recovering knee:
"Right now, talking to the trainers, he should not have any restrictions coming into spring training."
This really is great news for the Braves and their fans. I'm not sure if there's a player who'll have a bigger impact on 2011 than Jones, and we'll need his knee ready. Every precaution should be taken with Chipper, even if he has to miss a few games or workouts at Lake Buena Vista. Fortunately, it sounds like his recovery is coming along very smoothly and he should be ready to go in a little more than a month.
On Kenshin Kawakami:
(We) won't just dump Kawakami, and (we have) turned down offers from MLB teams willing to pay over $2 mill of $6.7 mill he's owed
Good. If someone is going to take Kawakami away from us, they should have to pay a fair share of his contract. O'Brien also said, "It sounds as if Braves feel confident they will be able to trade Kawakami by Opening Day," which is also good news for the team. We just don't have any need for his services. I really think we'll see a deal get done once guys like Carl Pavano and Doug Davis find a job.
On Jordan Schafer:
Asked who'd be the backup CF if the #Braves played tomorrow, Wren said Jordan Schafer.
That's very interesting. Now the question was, "If they played tomorrow...", so it's not like Wren would have time to make a move, but it is worth noting that they feel Schafer is ready after missing nearly two years. Schafer has all of the talent in the world and he has the tools to be our starting center fielder for a long time. We need a solid backup plan for McLouth if he continues to struggle, and Schafer is probably the man for the job. The kid was unbelievable before he busted his wrist in April of 2009.