No, I'm told he's same -- day-to-day.
Advisor. Sits in on big meetings, has opinion/advice on wide range of matters whenever the Braves ask, etc.
I wish I could take a long vacation. Our staff is smaller than ever, don't have a full-time backup for beat anymore, so vacation time in offseason is difficult now, especially with a team that stays as busy as Braves have this past 11 months and presumably will again this winter (though not quite as busy as they were last winter, which was all-time level busy).
I didn't know Dimitroff was a biker. But anyway, since Braves offseason is middle of their season, that's kind of a ridiculous question. But thanks. Hopefully it made your morning.
Doubt that's high on the worry list right now, since there are plenty of questions about many of them as to whether they'll even be good enough to be kept around until arb-eligible.
Yes. Don't know exactly how much yet, as they've not said (and might never say) specifically what payroll plans are. But I've been told that $25M-$30M is good estimate for how much they'll have to spend this winter.
Trade price will be huge, with two years left on his contract
Just based on artist renderings, etc., if that's exactly how it's going to look, I feel the same way as you. But it's tough to tell just from looking at those. I like the retro-looking traditional parks like San Francisco and Pittsburgh, but those both have huge advantage of waterfront and, in case of Pittsburgh, both waterfront and skyline. If Pittsburgh ballpark's outfield view was of, say, a few generic office building or a boring river view like the one in Cincinnati, it wouldn't have nearly the aesthetics that it does now. Still would be a great ballark, but not top-three as it is now.
Not at all. As I described earlier, with a few reasonable moves this winter, and then if they'd avoid trading away key pieces during the 2016 season, no reason Braves can't be competive next season. Not a division winner, barring major injuries for Mets, but competitive as in .500 or above.
Could go either way. Trade value not as high now as it would've been in July after his career-best first half, and Braves might decide Mallex Smith not ready yet. But I don't see any way they can have Bourn, Swisher and Maybin all back next season, and Maybin is definitely the most tradeable of that bunch (can't see any team taking Swisher or Bourn salaries for 2016 without other players being involved to sweeten a deal).
Thanks for all the great questions today and all season, folks. The passion is appreciated. It's been a rough slog of a season, I realize. Six games to go, and then it won't be too long before the hot stove is fired up.
