Wren Says Quiet Offseason Part Of Braves’ Plan

ATLANTA – There has been no flashy free agent signing, no blockbuster trade this offseason for the Atlanta Braves.

General manager Frank Wren says there also has been no panic. Wren says the quiet winter is proof of his confidence in the Braves’ talent, even after the team blew an 8 1/2-game wild-card lead in September.

With one month remaining before pitchers and catchers conduct their first spring training workout on Feb. 20, the roster is mostly unchanged. The notable exceptions are the departures of right-hander Derek Lowe, who was dealt to Cleveland for a minor league pitcher, and shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who signed with Milwaukee.

Wren says the Braves will be better by having last year’s big trade-deadline addition, Michael Bourn, hitting leadoff for a full season.