If everyone was healthy for the Braves this would be a no-brainer bet on the over. But, Chuck James is down with a small tear in his rotator cuff, John Smoltz is hurting and who knows how long Mike Hampton will last. The bullpen also looks a tad light until Mike Gonzalez returns. So despite the good offense the Braves have I would have to take the under.

24-year old righty swinging Jeff Francoeur keeps getting better as a baseball player and that should excite Braves fans for the future. He played in 162 games for the Braves last season and he was 188 for 642 (.293 avg, .880 OPS) with 84 runs scored, 19 homers and 105 RBIs. He did make 5 errors in 162 games in RF for the Braves last season but he showed above average range and had an amazing 19 assists! Francoeur hasn’t shown his best baseball yet…but it’s coming.

29-year old righty swinging Joe Borchard might make the team as a backup in RF. He played in 85 games for the Marlins last season and he was 35 for 179 (.196 avg, .600 OPS) with 20 runs scored, 4 homers and 19 RBIs. He whiffed an amazing 60 times last season and that is flat out unacceptable! Borchard didn’t make any errors in 34 games in RF last season but he showed below average range.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: A

32-year old Mark Kotsay had the worst season of his major league career last season in Oakland as he was recovering from serious back surgery, so the Braves hope that improved health will help him rebound in 2008. The lefty swinger played in 56 games for the A’s last season and he was 44 for 206 (.214 avg, .575 OPS) with 20 runs scored, 1 homer and 20 RBIs. Kotsay is a career .282 hitter (.752 OPS) so they have faith that he will help on offense as long as he stays healthy. He also is a solid defender as he made 2 errors in 56 games in CF as he showed above average range.

26-year old righty swinging Omar Infante will also likely get some P.T. in CF this season. He played in 66 games for the Tigers last season and he was 45 for 166 (.271 avg, .662 OPS) with 24 runs scored, 2 homers and 17 RBIs. He played in 12 error-free games in CF last season for the Tigers but he showed poor range there.

Josh Anderson also can play CF if the Braves need him to. He played in 15 games there for the Astros last season and he made 1 error while showing poor range.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: C-

The Braves would be smart to just give Matt Diaz the starting job in left field and let him run with it. After all, he hit .356 against lefty pitchers and .318 vs. righties. The 30-year old righty swinging Diaz played in 135 games last season for the Braves and he was 121 for 358 (.338 avg, .865 OPS) with 44 runs scored, 12 homers and 45 RBIs. He also was very solid in the field as he only made 2 errors in 95 games in LF for the Braves last season while showing above average range.

If the Braves decide to platoon in LF Diaz’ partner would be Josh Anderson. The 25-year old lefty swinging Anderson brings speed as his biggest asset. He played in 21 games for the Astros last season and he was 24 for 67 (.358 avg, .816 OPS) with 10 runs scored, 11 RBIs and 1 stolen base. He also played in 132 games in AAA ball last season and he was 140 for 513 (.273 avg, .666 OPS) with 64 runs scored, 2 homers, 43 RBIs and 40 stolen bases. Anderson was primarily a CF for the Astros last season as he played 15 games there and he made 1 error while showing poor range. But, LF is an easier position so he shouldn’t have much of a problem adapting.

24-year old lefty swinging Brandon Jones is one of the best prospects in the Braves’ minor league system and he’s close to being ready. He played in 5 games for the Braves last season and he was 3 for 19 (.158 avg, .401 OPS) with 4 RBIs. Jones also played in 138 games in AA+AAA ball last season and he was 158 for 535 (.295 avg) with 84 runs scored, 19 homers, 100 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: B-

36-year old switch hitting Chipper Jones can still swing the bat so the Braves need to find a way to keep him healthy. Jones played in 134 games last season for the Braves and he was 173 for 513 (.337 avg, 1.029 OPS) with 108 runs scored, 29 homers and 102 RBIs. He played in 126 games at 3B last season and he made 9 errors while showing sub par range. Still, look for Jones to have another outstanding season in 2008 as long as he stays healthy.

Omar Infante will likely be Jones’ caddy this season. He played in 9 games at 3B last season and he only made 1 error while showing outstanding range.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON: A