Manager Bobby Cox still thinks the Braves could have been the wild-card team last season, if not the NL East division winners. They were right in it. "Then," he says, "along came Lee." Meaning the Phillies' acquisition of LHP Cliff Lee. "Well," Cox said brightly, "at least they don't have both of them!" Lee is gone, but the Phillies now have RHP Roy Halladay. Cox calls his pitching staff solid, and adds, "We should hit the ball, too." The only decisions, he says, are who will round out the bullpen and whether OF Jason Heyward should make the jump to the majors. ARRIVALS: LHP Billy Wagner (free agent from Red Sox), RHP Takashi Saito (free agent from Red Sox), OF Melky Cabrera (trade from Yankees) LHP Mike Dunn (trade from Yankees) 1B Troy Glaus (free agent from Cardinals), INF/OF Eric Hinske (free agent from Yankees), RHP Jesse Chavez (trade from Rays), RHP Scott Proctor (minor league free agent from Marlins) DEPARTURES: RHP Javier Vazquez (trade with Yankees), LHP Boone Logan (trade with Yankees), LHP Mike Gonzalez (free agent, signed with Orioles), RHP Rafael Soriano (traded to Rays), 1B Adam LaRoche (free agent, signed with Diamondbacks), 2B Kelly Johnson (non-tendered, signed with Diamondbacks) , RF Ryan Church (non-tendered, signed with Pirates), OF Brandon Jones (claimed off waivers by Pirates), RHP Jorge Campillo (released, signed minor league deal with Royals), RHP Buddy Carlyle (released, signed with Japanese team), LF Garret Anderson (free agent, signed minor league deal with Dodgers), INF/OF Greg Norton (free agent, unsigned), RHP Vladimir Nunez (free agent, unsigned). SPRING FOCUS: Manager Bobby Cox has been talking about bullpen depth for the last three springs. Having the numbers, however, is not the same as pitching quality. PROJECTED ROTATION: 1. RHP Derek Lowe 2. RHP Jair Jurrjens 3. RHP Tim Hudson 4. RHP Tommy Hanson 5. RHP Kenshin Kawakami Jurrjens has been the Braves' No. 2 starter since his rookie season two years ago. His stuff and makeup make him the team's de facto No. 1 going into the season, but Lowe will likely be the opening-day starter, to make up for the fact he was shopped around in the offseason. The Braves will keep a close watch on Hudson as he continues his comeback from 2008 Tommy John surgery. PROJECTED BULLPEN: LHP Billy Wagner (closer) RHP Takashi Saito RHP Peter Moylan RHP Kris Medlen RHP Jesse Chavez LHP Eric O'Flaherty LHP Mike Dunn Wagner and Saito were signed to be this season's version of last season's interchangeable closers, LHP Mike Gonzalez and RHP Rafael Soriano. Being older, though, and given Cox's penchant for pulling his starters after seven innings, Wagner and Saito cannot be expected to pitch four consecutive days. Consider Moylan the closer-in-waiting. PROJECTED LINEUP: 1. CF Nate McLouth 2. 2B Martin Prado 3. 3B Chipper Jones 4. 1B Troy Glaus 5. C Brian McCann 6. SS Yunel Escobar 7. LF Jordan Schafer 8. RF Matt Diaz Cox could tinker with the leadoff spot, but he probably won't in spring training. If McLouth doesn't work out, the change can take place in May. Inserting Glaus in the cleanup spot allows McCann to drop to fifth, where his scheduled absences will cause less upheaval, and inserts a right-handed bat between McCann and Jones. The Braves' bats alternate left and right from top to bottom. PROJECTED RESERVES: INF/OF Omar Infante INF/OF Eric Hinske C David Ross OF Melky Cabrera OF Jason Heyward If Schafer has as hot a spring as he did last year, he could make Cabrera, who can play all three outfield positions, the ideal reserve. Not exactly the blockbuster outcome one wanted from trading last year's ace RHP Javier Vazquez. Heyward could well make the opening-day roster. The only question is whether the Braves want to weigh him down with those expectations. TOP ROOKIES: OF Jason Heyward, 20, one of the game's top prospects, will be with the Braves this season. The only question is whether his major league career will begin on opening day. He spent time at all three levels of the minors last year: 49 games at Class A, 47 at Class AA and three at Class AAA, accumulating a .323 batting average and a .963 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. 1B Freddie Freeman, 20, may have the luxury, if you want to call it that, of spending the whole season at Class AAA Gwinnett. It depends on how well Troy Glaus masters first base. Freeman split time last season between Class A (70 games) and Class AA (41), then played in the Arizona Fall League, where he batted .267 with 12 hits and five RBIs. As soon as his hitting improves the least little bit, he could move up to the Braves, because his defense is nearly good enough already. MEDICAL WATCH: --RF Jason Heyward (sore upper back) was held out of the lineup March 10 after getting hurt the day before. The injury was not considered serious. --RHP Derek Lowe (right foot blister) left his March 10 start, and he might miss another start. However, he should be ready for opening day. --RHP Jair Jurrjens (right shoulder discomfort) was a few days behind schedule at the start of spring training. --OF Jordan Schafer (left wrist surgery in September 2009) was at full strength for spring training. --RHP Scott Proctor (Tommy John surgery in May 2009) could be ready for opening day.

--RF Jason Heyward was held out of the lineup March 10 due to a sore upper back. He was hurt the day before when he ran into the outfield wall, but the injury was not considered serious. --RHP Derek Lowe exited his March 10 start with a popped blister -- not on his pitching hand, but on his right foot. According to manager Bobby Cox, Lowe might miss his next spring start, but he still should be on track for his season-opening start. --1B Troy Glaus' mastery of footwork at first base is allowing the team to breathe sighs of relief. More than a few eyebrows were raised when the Braves signed the former All-Star third baseman to hold down the fort at first base until prospect Freddie Freeman is ready for the majors. --RHP Tim Hudson threw only 15 pitches -- 10 for strikes -- to complete his two innings of work in his first spring training start March 3 against the Mets. He'll take it, but he noted realistically, "It would be awesome if it was July." Hudson threw 20 more pitches on the side afterward. --3B Chipper Jones is taking no chances that his swing is off track to begin the season: His dad, Larry Wayne Jones Sr., who has worked with his son on that swing since Chipper was a kid, came to camp when position players reported. --RHP Derek Lowe has been appointed the opening-day starter by manager Bobby Cox. Lowe did the job in that role a year ago, and Cox is superstitious enough to try it again. Not to mention that it can give Lowe's confidence a boost after hearing all winter about the Braves trying to trade him. --RHP Jair Jurrjens has finally begun throwing from a mound, with no ill effects. He was expected to have two more mound sessions before taking his start in a spring training game. --The Braves have renewed the contracts of RHP Tommy Hanson and SS Yunel Escobar. The following players have agreed to terms on one-year contracts: RHP Jair Jurrjens, RHP Kris Medlen, RHP Luis Valdez, LHP Mike Dunn, LHP Lee Hyde, LHP Eric O'Flaherty, LHP Jose Ortegano, INF Brooks Conrad, INF Diory Hernandez, INF Martin Prado and OF Jordan Schafer. The entire 40-man roster was under contract. BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- Times in the same game that RF Jason Heyward raced to second base on pitches in the dirt, which is only one of the reasons he is rated baseball's No. 1 prospect. QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm poised to have a bounce-back season. ... These old bones have been through a lot." -- 3B Chipper Jones.

Sure, it's fun to write about the Braves installing netting at their spring training ballpark to protect players' cars in the right field parking lot from the bombs launched by right field prospect Jason Heyward. It's amazing to hear manager Bobby Cox say that the sound off Heyward's bat reminds him of only one other player's: the sound Hank Aaron's bat made when it made contact. Even opposing media break out superlatives, the Mets' Keith Hernandez, for example, calling a right field line drive a "Willie McCovey shot." Whew! Really, though, the most exciting things about Heyward are the little moves he's making. Working the count for walks. Taking second base on a ball in the dirt, something he did twice in his second spring training game, March 3 against the Mets. And there's his speed, which he showed off on a stolen base in the same game. Heyward's plate discipline, though, is the thing getting the most notice by Cox. Yes, it's early. How disciplined will he be when he faces the better pitchers, and they're in the game for more than the two innings they're pitching to start out? But if Heyward's general demeanor is a guide, he should have no problem rushing things. He has said repeatedly that he'll take whatever comes. He feels no pressure, despite the early attention. The organization half-heartedly tried to shield Heyward from outside expectations, saying early on that he would be given every opportunity to show what he could do but it wouldn't be the worst thing if he started the season at Class AAA for some seasoning. No one is saying that now. Not since he began hitting balls over the right field wall without even trying. No, now everyone is saying they will be shocked if Heyward isn't on the Braves' opening-day roster. WHERE: Champion Stadium, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Wondering why Braves players don't cheer as much when a home run goes over the right field wall here? Because that's where their cars are parked. Many windows have been replaced since the Braves took up residence here in 1998. AUTHORITY FIGURES: Manager Bobby Cox (career record 2,334-1,847, Atlanta record 2,058-1,637), entering his 29th season, his 21st consecutive season with the Braves. Cox also managed the Braves from 1978-81 and the Blue Jays from 1983-85. Cox is hoping he can get through his final season as a major league manager without receiving any rocking chairs in opposing stadiums. His entire staff returns, and that consistency from the top continues to keep the Braves in the postseason hunt season after season: bench coach Chino Cadahia, pitching coach Roger McDowell, hitting coach Terry Pendleton, first base coach Glenn Hubbard, third base coach Brian Snitker and bullpen coach Eddie Perez. All of them are no doubt wondering whether every day will be an audition for the Braves' managerial job.

Manager Bobby Cox still thinks the Braves could have been the wild-card team last season, if not the NL East division winners. They were right in it. "Then," he says, "along came Lee." Meaning the Phillies' acquisition of LHP Cliff Lee. "Well," Cox said brightly, "at least they don't have both of them!" Lee is gone, but the Phillies now have RHP Roy Halladay. Cox calls his pitching staff solid, and adds, "We should hit the ball, too." The only decisions, he says, are who will round out the bullpen and whether OF Jason Heyward should make the jump to the majors. ARRIVALS: LHP Billy Wagner (free agent from Red Sox), RHP Takashi Saito (free agent from Red Sox), OF Melky Cabrera (trade from Yankees) LHP Mike Dunn (trade from Yankees) 1B Troy Glaus (free agent from Cardinals), INF/OF Eric Hinske (free agent from Yankees), RHP Jesse Chavez (trade from Rays), RHP Scott Proctor (minor league free agent from Marlins) DEPARTURES: RHP Javier Vazquez (trade with Yankees), LHP Boone Logan (trade with Yankees), LHP Mike Gonzalez (free agent, signed with Orioles), RHP Rafael Soriano (traded to Rays), 1B Adam LaRoche (free agent, signed with Diamondbacks), 2B Kelly Johnson (non-tendered, signed with Diamondbacks) , RF Ryan Church (non-tendered, signed with Pirates), OF Brandon Jones (claimed off waivers by Pirates), RHP Jorge Campillo (released, signed minor league deal with Royals), RHP Buddy Carlyle (released, signed with Japanese team), LF Garret Anderson (free agent, signed minor league deal with Dodgers), INF/OF Greg Norton (free agent, unsigned), RHP Vladimir Nunez (free agent, unsigned). SPRING FOCUS: Manager Bobby Cox has been talking about bullpen depth for the last three springs. Having the numbers, however, is not the same as pitching quality. PROJECTED ROTATION: 1. RHP Derek Lowe 2. RHP Jair Jurrjens 3. RHP Tim Hudson 4. RHP Tommy Hanson 5. RHP Kenshin Kawakami Jurrjens has been the Braves' No. 2 starter since his rookie season two years ago. His stuff and makeup make him the team's de facto No. 1 going into the season, but Lowe will likely be the opening-day starter, to make up for the fact he was shopped around in the offseason. The Braves will keep a close watch on Hudson as he continues his comeback from 2008 Tommy John surgery. PROJECTED BULLPEN: LHP Billy Wagner (closer) RHP Takashi Saito RHP Peter Moylan RHP Kris Medlen RHP Jesse Chavez LHP Eric O'Flaherty LHP Mike Dunn Wagner and Saito were signed to be this season's version of last season's interchangeable closers, LHP Mike Gonzalez and RHP Rafael Soriano. Being older, though, and given Cox's penchant for pulling his starters after seven innings, Wagner and Saito cannot be expected to pitch four consecutive days. Consider Moylan the closer-in-waiting. PROJECTED LINEUP: 1. CF Nate McLouth 2. 2B Martin Prado 3. 3B Chipper Jones 4. 1B Troy Glaus 5. C Brian McCann 6. SS Yunel Escobar 7. LF Jordan Schafer 8. RF Matt Diaz Cox could tinker with the leadoff spot, but he probably won't in spring training. If McLouth doesn't work out, the change can take place in May. Inserting Glaus in the cleanup spot allows McCann to drop to fifth, where his scheduled absences will cause less upheaval, and inserts a right-handed bat between McCann and Jones. The Braves' bats alternate left and right from top to bottom. PROJECTED RESERVES: INF/OF Omar Infante INF/OF Eric Hinske C David Ross OF Melky Cabrera OF Jason Heyward If Schafer has as hot a spring as he did last year, he could make Cabrera, who can play all three outfield positions, the ideal reserve. Not exactly the blockbuster outcome one wanted from trading last year's ace RHP Javier Vazquez. Heyward could well make the opening-day roster. The only question is whether the Braves want to weigh him down with those expectations. TOP ROOKIES: OF Jason Heyward, 20, one of the game's top prospects, will be with the Braves this season. The only question is whether his major league career will begin on opening day. He spent time at all three levels of the minors last year: 49 games at Class A, 47 at Class AA and three at Class AAA, accumulating a .323 batting average and a .963 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. 1B Freddie Freeman, 20, may have the luxury, if you want to call it that, of spending the whole season at Class AAA Gwinnett. It depends on how well Troy Glaus masters first base. Freeman split time last season between Class A (70 games) and Class AA (41), then played in the Arizona Fall League, where he batted .267 with 12 hits and five RBIs. As soon as his hitting improves the least little bit, he could move up to the Braves, because his defense is nearly good enough already. MEDICAL WATCH: --RHP Jair Jurrjens (right shoulder discomfort) was a few days behind schedule at the start of spring training. --OF Jordan Schafer (left wrist surgery in September 2009) was at full strength for spring training. --RHP Scott Proctor (Tommy John surgery in May 2009) could be ready for opening day.

Manager Bobby Cox still thinks the Braves could have been the wild-card team last season, if not the NL East division winners. They were right in it. "Then," he says, "along came Lee." Meaning the Phillies' acquisition of LHP Cliff Lee. "Well," Cox said brightly, "at least they don't have both of them!" Lee is gone, but the Phillies now have RHP Roy Halladay. Cox calls his pitching staff solid, and adds, "We should hit the ball, too." The only decisions, he says, are who will round out the bullpen and whether OF Jason Heyward should make the jump to the majors. ARRIVALS: LHP Billy Wagner (free agent from Red Sox), RHP Takashi Saito (free agent from Red Sox), OF Melky Cabrera (trade from Yankees) LHP Mike Dunn (trade from Yankees) 1B Troy Glaus (free agent from Cardinals), INF/OF Eric Hinske (free agent from Yankees), RHP Jesse Chavez (trade from Rays), RHP Scott Proctor (minor league free agent from Marlins) DEPARTURES: RHP Javier Vazquez (trade with Yankees), LHP Boone Logan (trade with Yankees), LHP Mike Gonzalez (free agent, signed with Orioles), RHP Rafael Soriano (traded to Rays), 1B Adam LaRoche (free agent, signed with Diamondbacks), 2B Kelly Johnson (non-tendered, signed with Diamondbacks) , RF Ryan Church (non-tendered, signed with Pirates), OF Brandon Jones (claimed off waivers by Pirates), RHP Jorge Campillo (released, signed minor league deal with Royals), RHP Buddy Carlyle (released, signed with Japanese team), LF Garret Anderson (free agent, signed minor league deal with Dodgers), INF/OF Greg Norton (free agent, unsigned), RHP Vladimir Nunez (free agent, unsigned). SPRING FOCUS: Manager Bobby Cox has been talking about bullpen depth for the last three springs. Having the numbers, however, is not the same as pitching quality. PROJECTED ROTATION: 1. RHP Derek Lowe 2. RHP Jair Jurrjens 3. RHP Tim Hudson 4. RHP Tommy Hanson 5. RHP Kenshin Kawakami Jurrjens has been the Braves' No. 2 starter since his rookie season two years ago. His stuff and makeup make him the team's de facto No. 1 going into the season, but Lowe will likely be the opening-day starter, to make up for the fact he was shopped around in the offseason. The Braves will keep a close watch on Hudson as he continues his comeback from 2008 Tommy John surgery. PROJECTED BULLPEN: LHP Billy Wagner (closer) RHP Takashi Saito RHP Peter Moylan RHP Kris Medlen RHP Jesse Chavez LHP Eric O'Flaherty LHP Mike Dunn Wagner and Saito were signed to be this season's version of last season's interchangeable closers, LHP Mike Gonzalez and RHP Rafael Soriano. Being older, though, and given Cox's penchant for pulling his starters after seven innings, Wagner and Saito cannot be expected to pitch four consecutive days. Consider Moylan the closer-in-waiting. PROJECTED LINEUP: 1. CF Nate McLouth 2. 2B Martin Prado 3. 3B Chipper Jones 4. 1B Troy Glaus 5. C Brian McCann 6. SS Yunel Escobar 7. LF Jordan Schafer 8. RF Matt Diaz Cox could tinker with the leadoff spot, but he probably won't in spring training. If McLouth doesn't work out, the change can take place in May. Inserting Glaus in the cleanup spot allows McCann to drop to fifth, where his scheduled absences will cause less upheaval, and inserts a right-handed bat between McCann and Jones. The Braves' bats alternate left and right from top to bottom. PROJECTED RESERVES: INF/OF Omar Infante INF/OF Eric Hinske C David Ross OF Melky Cabrera OF Jason Heyward If Schafer has as hot a spring as he did last year, he could make Cabrera, who can play all three outfield positions, the ideal reserve. Not exactly the blockbuster outcome one wanted from trading last year's ace RHP Javier Vazquez. Heyward could well make the opening-day roster. The only question is whether the Braves want to weigh him down with those expectations. TOP ROOKIES: OF Jason Heyward, 20, one of the game's top prospects, will be with the Braves this season. The only question is whether his major league career will begin on opening day. He spent time at all three levels of the minors last year: 49 games at Class A, 47 at Class AA and three at Class AAA, accumulating a .323 batting average and a .963 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. 1B Freddie Freeman, 20, may have the luxury, if you want to call it that, of spending the whole season at Class AAA Gwinnett. It depends on how well Troy Glaus masters first base. Freeman split time last season between Class A (70 games) and Class AA (41), then played in the Arizona Fall League, where he batted .267 with 12 hits and five RBIs. As soon as his hitting improves the least little bit, he could move up to the Braves, because his defense is nearly good enough already. MEDICAL WATCH: --RHP Jair Jurrjens (right shoulder discomfort) was a few days behind schedule at the start of spring training. --OF Jordan Schafer (left wrist surgery in September 2009) was at full strength for spring training. --RHP Scott Proctor (Tommy John surgery in May 2009) could be ready for opening day.

--1B Troy Glaus' mastery of footwork at first base is allowing the team to breathe sighs of relief. More than a few eyebrows were raised when the Braves signed the former All-Star third baseman to hold down the fort at first base until prospect Freddie Freeman is ready for the majors. --RHP Tim Hudson threw only 15 pitches -- 10 for strikes -- to complete his two innings of work in his first spring training start March 3 against the Mets. He'll take it, but he noted realistically, "It would be awesome if it was July." Hudson threw 20 more pitches on the side afterward. --3B Chipper Jones is taking no chances that his swing is off track to begin the season: His dad, Larry Wayne Jones Sr., who has worked with his son on that swing since Chipper was a kid, came to camp when position players reported. --RHP Derek Lowe has been appointed the opening-day starter by manager Bobby Cox. Lowe did the job in that role a year ago, and Cox is superstitious enough to try it again. Not to mention that it can give Lowe's confidence a boost after hearing all winter about the Braves trying to trade him. --RHP Jair Jurrjens has finally begun throwing from a mound, with no ill effects. He was expected to have two more mound sessions before taking his start in a spring training game. --The Braves have renewed the contracts of RHP Tommy Hanson and SS Yunel Escobar. The following players have agreed to terms on one-year contracts: RHP Jair Jurrjens, RHP Kris Medlen, RHP Luis Valdez, LHP Mike Dunn, LHP Lee Hyde, LHP Eric O'Flaherty, LHP Jose Ortegano, INF Brooks Conrad, INF Diory Hernandez, INF Martin Prado and OF Jordan Schafer. The entire 40-man roster was under contract. BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- Times in the same game that RF Jason Heyward raced to second base on pitches in the dirt, which is only one of the reasons he is rated baseball's No. 1 prospect. QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm poised to have a bounce-back season. ... These old bones have been through a lot." -- 3B Chipper Jones.

Sure, it's fun to write about the Braves installing netting at their spring training ballpark to protect players' cars in the right field parking lot from the bombs launched by right field prospect Jason Heyward. It's amazing to hear manager Bobby Cox say that the sound off Heyward's bat reminds him of only one other player's: the sound Hank Aaron's bat made when it made contact. Even opposing media break out superlatives, the Mets' Keith Hernandez, for example, calling a right field line drive a "Willie McCovey shot." Whew! Really, though, the most exciting things about Heyward are the little moves he's making. Working the count for walks. Taking second base on a ball in the dirt, something he did twice in his second spring training game, March 3 against the Mets. And there's his speed, which he showed off on a stolen base in the same game. Heyward's plate discipline, though, is the thing getting the most notice by Cox. Yes, it's early. How disciplined will he be when he faces the better pitchers, and they're in the game for more than the two innings they're pitching to start out? But if Heyward's general demeanor is a guide, he should have no problem rushing things. He has said repeatedly that he'll take whatever comes. He feels no pressure, despite the early attention. The organization half-heartedly tried to shield Heyward from outside expectations, saying early on that he would be given every opportunity to show what he could do but it wouldn't be the worst thing if he started the season at Class AAA for some seasoning. No one is saying that now. Not since he began hitting balls over the right field wall without even trying. No, now everyone is saying they will be shocked if Heyward isn't on the Braves' opening-day roster. WHERE: Champion Stadium, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Wondering why Braves players don't cheer as much when a home run goes over the right field wall here? Because that's where their cars are parked. Many windows have been replaced since the Braves took up residence here in 1998. AUTHORITY FIGURES: Manager Bobby Cox (career record 2,334-1,847, Atlanta record 2,058-1,637), entering his 29th season, his 21st consecutive season with the Braves. Cox also managed the Braves from 1978-81 and the Blue Jays from 1983-85. Cox is hoping he can get through his final season as a major league manager without receiving any rocking chairs in opposing stadiums. His entire staff returns, and that consistency from the top continues to keep the Braves in the postseason hunt season after season: bench coach Chino Cadahia, pitching coach Roger McDowell, hitting coach Terry Pendleton, first base coach Glenn Hubbard, third base coach Brian Snitker and bullpen coach Eddie Perez. All of them are no doubt wondering whether every day will be an audition for the Braves' managerial job.