Mike Gonzalez News

The Braves always appear to be a team that is looking for a player to close out tight games.

When baseball's general managers begin to gather Sunday night for their annual meetings, they'll be at a Chicago airport hotel and not a typically swank resort.

Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz and four members of last year's squad were among 79 players who filed for free agency Thursday, the first possible day.

With the World Series coming to a close on Wednesday, yesterday marked the first day players with six or more years of major league service could file for free agency.

The Braves signed veteran reliever Scott Proctor to a one-year contract on Wednesday, according to his agent.

As Braves general manager Frank Wren prepares for the 2010 season, he finds himself dealing with the surplus created by last year's successful rotation-reconstruction process and facing the reality that he may need to find a new closer.

There's a lot of focus for the Braves this winter on shoring up the offense with a big-time, middle-of-the-order power bat, and rightfully so.

Got a chance to sit down with Bobby Cox in his office and talk Braves baseball last week.

We've got some Junior Wells wailing on the stereo, Dodgers-Cardinals muted on the TV,A door to the patio open and a nice Punch cigar burning.

Who among them will be back with Braves? Story continues below Two everyday players, both closers and a valuable cog to the rotation.

Seventy-five minutes after the final out Sunday, Braves center fielder Nate McLouth climbed into his Range Rover to begin a 13-hour hour drive home to Michigan.

One of the biggest issues for the Sox this season has been the bullpen. They have the 21st ranked bullpen ERA in baseball and are 18-27 in one-run games.

The Braves ' improbable, invigorating, intoxicating run back into postseason contention reached a new crescendo Sunday, when they manufactured the winning run in the 10th inning without hitting a ball past the pitcher's mound.

No one is sure whether the resurgent Braves have enough time to complete an improbable dash for a postseason berth, but there's no question that Tommy Hanson has been a big contributor to their stirring run.

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Mike Gonzalez delivers against the Washington Nationals in the ninth inning of a baseball game in Washington, Sunday, Sept.

Brian McCann drove in a run with a groundout, and pinch hitter Omar Infante followed with a two-run single as the Braves ran their winning streak to six.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda. That's the mantra that these '09 Braves will be known by for the foreseeable future.

One of the hot topics of debate of late in the Braves' nation has been what the Braves should do with their pitching surplus and somewhat anemic.

Braves reliever Mike Gonzalez's back was sore Wednesday, which is what he should have told Bobby Cox when the manager asked if he was ready to pitch.

Seemingly destined to wonder if their postseason hopes had died because of Mike Gonzalez's sore back, the Braves literally bounced back from the defeat that Francisco Rodriguez was ready to deliver them.