Permit Me A Sentimental Moment (As If I Needed Your Permission, Anyways)
The drama and anxiety surrounding the Braves off season has, at times, made me lose sleep. The full knowledge of not being able to control the outcomes, while at the same time, having to come to grips with whatever decisions are made, scares me more than anything. I want to believe that John Hart will imply a stellar "Braves Way" and make the necessary choices in what is best for this ball club and its players. But then again, we as fans don't really know what he is going to do, until it happens.
So far, as it stands right now, Jason Heyward wants to stay, as I believe he should, regardless of when an extension would actually happen, even though it needs to. Justin Upton is actively naming teams that he does not want to go to, implying that he is either expecting, or desiring to be traded.
And then, there is Evan Gattis, who has not said anything public about anything regarding his future....
I very much respected that John Hart refuted the rumors that he was being actively shopped at the GM meetings in Arizona this week by calling the rumors "absolutely inaccurate." It is the first time all off season that I have heard someone in this organization come to the defense of Evan and of keeping him on the Atlanta Braves roster. I mean, this ball club and city are the ones that found him, after all. Even Fredi Gonzalez, as much as I cannot stand his coaching style, still said in a recent interview that Evan is "versatile, and can catch, play left field, and DH. We have not talked about trading him at all."
Unfortunately, none of this clears Evan out of the woods for any trading yet. And that is a situation that continues to cause me abject terror and dread. This may seem a bit extreme and morbid, but it's like the Braves front office are playing the role of doctors while Evan sits on the life support that is his future in Atlanta. Far off in the corner, I hear the whispers of them wanting to pull the plug, while I, as a true fan of his and of the Braves, assume the role of a nurse that believes he still has time left and can be saved.
But alas, I have to accept whatever transactions happen this winter. This is not at all to say that Evan will not have any success wherever he is. Far from it. We've all seen what he has done, and what he is capable of doing. He will have continued success in major league baseball, no matter what uniform he is wearing. It is just my greatest of hopes and prayers that it will continue to be here in Atlanta, where Braves Country can rejoice in the very field presence of El Oso Blanco, the White Bear, EVAN GATTIS!
So far, as it stands right now, Jason Heyward wants to stay, as I believe he should, regardless of when an extension would actually happen, even though it needs to. Justin Upton is actively naming teams that he does not want to go to, implying that he is either expecting, or desiring to be traded.
And then, there is Evan Gattis, who has not said anything public about anything regarding his future....
I very much respected that John Hart refuted the rumors that he was being actively shopped at the GM meetings in Arizona this week by calling the rumors "absolutely inaccurate." It is the first time all off season that I have heard someone in this organization come to the defense of Evan and of keeping him on the Atlanta Braves roster. I mean, this ball club and city are the ones that found him, after all. Even Fredi Gonzalez, as much as I cannot stand his coaching style, still said in a recent interview that Evan is "versatile, and can catch, play left field, and DH. We have not talked about trading him at all."
Unfortunately, none of this clears Evan out of the woods for any trading yet. And that is a situation that continues to cause me abject terror and dread. This may seem a bit extreme and morbid, but it's like the Braves front office are playing the role of doctors while Evan sits on the life support that is his future in Atlanta. Far off in the corner, I hear the whispers of them wanting to pull the plug, while I, as a true fan of his and of the Braves, assume the role of a nurse that believes he still has time left and can be saved.
But alas, I have to accept whatever transactions happen this winter. This is not at all to say that Evan will not have any success wherever he is. Far from it. We've all seen what he has done, and what he is capable of doing. He will have continued success in major league baseball, no matter what uniform he is wearing. It is just my greatest of hopes and prayers that it will continue to be here in Atlanta, where Braves Country can rejoice in the very field presence of El Oso Blanco, the White Bear, EVAN GATTIS!
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| Evan will find this to be a bold statement, but even heroes need saving every now and again. If I won't, who will?! |
P.S. - If he is traded, I am crossing my fingers for the Tampa Bay Rays. Not only could they use his bat, but it's the only AL team with the beat writers stumping the hardest to get him. Moreover, it is my birth town....so, there's that, too!
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