Atlanta Braves

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2002 Finish: 101-59, 1st, NL East	2002 Payroll: $94,705,177 (7th)

Projected Lineup SS Rafael Furcal 2B Marcus Giles LF Chipper Jones RF Gary Sheffield 1B Robert Fick CF Andruw Jones C Javy Lopez 3B Vinny Castilla Projected Rotation RHP Greg Maddux LHP Mike Hampton RHP Russ Ortiz RHP Paul Byrd RHP Jason Marquis CL John Smoltz

By John Donovan, SI.com

Few teams have gone through the kind of offseason bloodletting that the Braves endured this winter. Their famed starting pitching staff, which carried them through the '90s, is shot. The best-in-the-business bullpen, which helped them to their 11th straight division title in 2002, is in tatters, too.

But the Braves, remember, have been proving the annual parade of naysayers wrong for more than a decade. Despite all the changes that strike at the team's core, general manager John Schuerholz says that the Braves will be in the chase for another pennant in an improved National League East.

If the Braves are to win No. 12, Mike Hampton, Paul Byrd and Russ Ortiz, the three new starters in the rotation, will have to get them there. They'll be asked to make up for the defection of longtime Atlanta star Tom Glavine, who bolted for the New York Mets, young lefty Damian Moss (traded to the Giants) and 18-game winner Kevin Millwood, who was dealt to the Phillies in a cost-cutting move.

Atlanta has a lot of other questions, too, especially surrounding the bullpen, where Mike Remlinger (Cubs), Chris Hammond (Yankees), Kerry Ligtenberg (Orioles) and Tim Spooneybarger (Marlins) have all moved on. And the Braves have to deal with a so-so offense that was 10th in the NL in runs last season and ninth in batting average (.260).

There's trouble, all right. In fact, it's clearly the team's biggest challenge since the Braves began their unparalleled run of titles.

Cool-headed skipper Bobby Cox knows what his rotation should look like. He has a good idea about his bullpen. His outfield is set, too.

What Cox will do during spring training in Orlando is figure out his infield, which has to produce more than it did in '02 to make up for the probable loss in pitching strength. Robert Fick, an All-Star in Detroit last season (.270, 17 homers, 63 RBIs), is expected to take over at first, considering last year's platoon of Matt Franco and Julio Franco managed only six home runs apiece. At second base could be either Marcus Giles, who fought through an ankle injury last season, or Mark DeRosa. That leaves weak-hitting Vinny Castilla (.232 in '02) at third and leadoff man Rafael Furcal -- who struck out an unacceptable 114 times last season -- at shortstop.

If they don't get more production from their infield, the Braves could call on Wilson Betemit for a spark, though it'll take a monster spring to get him onto the Braves' Opening Day roster.

Clearly, it's the lefty Hampton. Lost at Coors Field for the past couple years, the Braves rescued Hampton and are looking for him to return to the form that made him a 22-game winner in Houston in '99. Can he be that pitcher again? He had a worse ERA away from Coors (6.44) than at the hitter-friendly Denver park (5.68) last year, lefties smacked him around (.376), he walked more batters than he struck out … clearly, Hampton has a lot to prove.

Betemit probably won't make the Braves' roster out of spring training, but if Castilla stumbles any more, the young infield sensation could make his way into the starting lineup, working with Giles and DeRosa in some combination. Betemit hit only .245 at Class AAA Richmond last season, but he's only 21. A good spring and a good month or two in Class AAA Richmond could earn the highly touted Betemit a ticket to Atlanta by midseason.

Arrivals: RHP Paul Byrd (from Kansas City as free agent), C Johnny Estrada (from Phillies in trade), UT Robert Fick (from Detroit as free agent), LHP Mike Hampton (from Colorado, via Florida in trade), RHP Roberto Hernandez (from Kansas City as free agent), LHP Ray King (from Milwaukee in trade), RHP Russ Ortiz (from San Francisco in trade), RHP Chris Spurling (from Pittsburgh in Rule 5 draft) and LHP Mike Venafro (from Oakland as free agent).

Departures: LHP Tom Glavine (to New York Mets as free agent), LHP Chris Hammond (to New York Yankees as free agent), 1B-3B Wes Helms (to Milwaukee in trade), RHP Kerry Ligtenberg (to Baltimore as free agent), 2B Keith Lockhart (to San Diego as free agent), RHP Albie Lopez (to Kansas City as free agent), RHP Kevin Millwood (to Philadelphia in trade), LHP Damian Moss (to San Francisco in trade), LHP Mike Remlinger (to Chicago Cubs in trade), RHP Tim Spooneybarger (to Florida in trade), 1B-OF B.J. Surhoff (to Baltimore in trade).

The saving grace of the Braves is the outfield of Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones and Gary Sheffield. They'll be there, and they'll probably be good. So if Hampton comes back, if Greg Maddux (16-6, 2.62 ERA) does his thing, if Byrd (17-11 in Kansas City) and Ortiz (14-10 for the Giants) are OK, if Jason Marquis does better than his 8-9 record and 5.04 ERA of a year ago, the Braves will be fine. That is, if the bullpen (Roberto Hernandez, Ray King and Mike Venafro, to name three) solidifies and closer John Smoltz (55 saves in '02) is the same. Yeah, there are a lot of ifs there.