This means the Braves have about as much financial flexibility in 2009 as any team out there, with some holes to fill, but not needing to find five high-priced free agents to fill them.
Tavarez won't be back and Hampton will only be back if he accepts a base-salary deal with incentives because no team is going to pay a 36-year-old pitcher who missed three full seasons with injuries more than the veteran's minimum.
Teixeira is most likely gone, but would seriously consider staying if the Braves offered him Chipper Jones-type dollars ($12-$14 million per year) and Boras wasn't his agent.
Smoltz and Glavine's injury concerns leave them up in the air. Glavine has dealt with serious injuries for the first time in his career, and has only gotten the Braves two wins this season.
Smoltz would be the more likely of the two to be back with the Braves next year, IF he is healthy. His option for 2009 would have kicked in based on innings pitched during this season, which won't happen due to his shoulder surgery.
There are so many potential things that could happen between now and January that could greatly affect the team that the Braves put out on the field in April 2009.
There will be many of the same faces, but some of the biggest ones might be gone. I wouldn't be shocked to see Matt Diaz playing first base after his rehab assignment, if the Braves don't net themselves a major-league ready first basemen in a Teixeira trade.
At the very least, I hope Frank Wren has been sending scouts to other teams' AAA games to scout possible first basemen. As much as I'd love to see Teixeira and Chipper playing deep into October this year in Atlanta, I doubt that dream will become reality.
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