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[Baseball Guru]

SPRING CLEANING


1. Who will play first base?
This is definitely the biggest question mark surrounding the Braves as they enter Spring Training. Bobby Cox has said that he still believes 40-year-old Julio Franco can play as Franco proved during the final month of the 2001 season. With Chipper Jones playing left field, Cox also has the option of plattoning the left-handed hitting B.J. Surhoff with Franco. Cox's other option would be to put Wes Helms at first and by doing so, add another power threat to the lineup. With Helms in the lineup, Andruw Jones might have to bat second, which leads to question No. 2...

2. Will new hitting coach Terry Pendleton help Andruw Jones cut down on his 2001 strikeout total?
During the 2000 season, Andruw Jones hit .303 with 36 homers and 104 RBIs. He followed that seemingly breakthrough season with a 2002 season that saw him hit .251 with 34 homers and 104 RBIs. The glaring difference was his strikeout total. In 2000, he fanned 100 times in 656 at-bats. But last year he struck out 142 times in 625 at-bats. Former Braves pitcher John Burkett played with Pendleton in Florida and believes that he has the discipline and determined attitude that will benefit Jones immensely.

3. Who will fill the vacated bullpen spots?
Last year, Steve Reed, Steve Karsay and Rudy Seanez were all very valuable cogs in the bullpen. Their presence gave Cox the deepest bullpen he has had since taking over the managerial reign in Atlanta. Now with all three of those successful arms pitching elsewhere, the Braves will be looking at a few young arms and some non-roster invitees to fill those spots. Billy Sylvester and Tim Spooneybarger have both enjoyed great minor league seasons in the Braves system and seem to be on the brink of making it to the Majors. Veteran journeymen Chris Hammond, Darrin Holmes and Rich Rodriguez lead the list of non-roster invitees looking to secure one of the final bullpen spots.

4. Will Marcus Giles go through a sophomore jinx?
Last year, that was the question surrounding Rafael Furcal. The jinx didn't exactly come in the numbers for Furcal. Instead, he was hit with a season-ending injury that opened the door for Giles to shine. After impressing Cox with his aggressive style of play, Giles accepted the role of the team's leadoff hitter and starting second baseman. While he played steady in the field, he is probably looking forward to the 2002 season, where he won't have to bat in the leadoff position. Last year, Giles admitted that he would be much more comfortable hitting second or eighth.

5. Can John Smoltz's arm endure an entire season as a closer?
At the end of the 2001 season, Smoltz hinted that he might want to return in the 2002 season as a starter. But eventually he opted to stay in Atlanta and serve as the team's closer. Smoltz has battled arm problems over the course of the last three years. He missed the entire 2000 season and half of the 2001 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March of 2000. He began the 2001 season thinking he was strong enough to be a starter again. But after further arm problems, he returned successfully in the role of reliever and eventually became the team's closer. Smoltz converted 10 of his 11 save opportunities in 2001 and proved he has the makeup to be a successful closer. Only time will tell if his arm problems are in the past.


NEW FACES


RF Gary Sheffield -- Obviously, this is Atlanta's prize acquisition of the offseason. Cox and Braves GM John Schuerholz have both had trouble hiding their pride in the fact that they were able to bring Sheffield to Atlanta. Talent-wise, there is no doubt that Sheffield is one of the most talented right-handed bats in the game. Now the Braves are just hoping that he does not create any off-the-field distractions, as he has been known to do with some of his former teams.

RHP Albie Lopez -- There are plenty of questions surrounding Lopez as he attempts to improve on his dismal 2001 season. With Tampa Bay and Arizona last year, he was 9-19 with a 4.81 ERA. He has been used primarily as a starter each of the last two years and not been as productive as he was when he was used mainly in relief. It appears he will break Spring Training as the team's fifth starter.

3B Vinny Castilla -- It has been a long time but finally Castilla returns to the organization that gave him his start. He struggled in Tampa Bay during the 2000 season and when his struggles continued during the early part of last year, the team put him on waivers. After being signed by the Houston Astros in May, he responded by hitting .270 with 23 homers and 91 RBIs in 538 at-bats. Castilla said his aching back is healthy and played this winter in Mexico. His arrival means that Chipper Jones will play in left field to make room for Castilla at third base.

RHP Kevin Gryboski -- This was a very quiet acquisition. The Braves traded a minor league prospect to get this Mariners minor leaguer. The 28-year-old Gryboski, who is now on the Braves 40-man roster and will fight for one of the remaining spots in the bullpen, had 22 saves while going 2-5 with a 3.90 ERA for Triple-A Tacoma last year.

[Baseball Guru]

LONG GONE


John Burkett -- After enjoying his most successful season since 1993, Burkett was hoping the Braves would re-sign him. But the Braves opted not to make a serious push toward re-signing the veteran right-hander. Thus, he will be pitching for the Red Sox this season.

Ken Caminiti -- It was highly unlikely that Caminiti would return to the Braves for the 2002 season. But when he was caught with crack cocaine in November, he pretty much ended any chance he had of returning to the Majors.

Rudy Seanez -- This was one of the biggest surprises over the winter. It seemed certain that the Braves would re-sign the dependable right-handed reliever. His acquisition off waivers on Aug. 31 last year further solidified an already solid bullpen and helped the Braves advance to the NLCS. This season, Seanez will compete for a spot in the Texas Rangers bullpen.

Steve Karsay -- At the end of last year, Karsay had said that he would like to become a starter again. But when George Steinbrenner and the Yankees dangled a lucrative, four-year contract in front of him, Karsay elected to sign with the Yanks as a middle reliever.

Brian Jordan -- This was one of the most difficult moves that Schuerholz had to make during the offseason. But at the same time, it might prove to be the most rewarding. Jordan was dealt to the Dodgers for Sheffield. Jordan was a leader in the clubhouse and gave it his all on the field. He will be missed both on and off the field.

Steve Reed -- At the end of last year, Reed said he was thinking about retiring. But he has since signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres and will compete for a spot there.

Odalis Perez -- In order to get Sheffield, the Braves also had to part ways with this talented young southpaw. The 22-year-old Perez has shown promise in his early years. But the Braves had enough faith in Kevin Millwood and Jason Marquis that they kept them and shipped Perez away in the deal.

Rey Sanchez -- This talented shortstop was simply brought in as a late-season rental. With Furcal expected to be completely healthy by the start of Spring Training, the Braves showed no interest in bringing Sanchez back.

Bernard Gilkey -- Gilkey was used primarily as a pinch hitter throughout the 2001 season and the Braves really didn't give much thought to bringing him back. In January, a judge in Missouri sentenced him to four months in jail and five years of probation for being a persistent drunk driver.

RETURNING FROM INJURY


SS Rafael Furcal -- Furcal separated his left shoulder on July 6 while sliding awkwardly into second base at Fenway Park. Before the injury, he led the team with 22 stolen bases and was serving as the team's leadoff hitter. Without Furcal, the team had lost it's only threat on the basepaths and stable leadoff hitter. This year, Furcal is expected to be 100 percent healthy when Spring Training begins and will be the catalyst in an offense that Chipper Jones says has six guys that can legitimately hit 30-plus homers.


NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK


SS Wilson Betemit -- There are many people that believe the sky is the limit for Betemit. Considered the Braves' top prospect by Baseball America , Betemit is a smooth-fielding switch-hitting shortstop who has shown plenty of offensive potential. While being used primarily as a designated hitter in the Dominican Republic this winter, he hit .308. After he was promoted to Double-A Greenville last July, he hit .355 in 183 at-bats. Former Braves hitting coach Merv Rettenmund says Betemit has the best swing he has seen in all his years of coaching. When asked if that included Tony Gwynn, Rettenmund still said that Betemit swing was much more textbook than any other he had seen.

RHP Billy Sylvester -- This young right-hander has the makeup to make it to the Majors this season. During the 2000 season, he was 3-0 with a 0.79 ERA in 45.2 innings at Class A Myrtle Beach. Last year at Triple-A Richmond, his numbers weren't as impressive but he was spending a lot of his time concentrating on his delivery from the stretch and his changeup. After watching Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens work from the stretch during the World Series, Sylvester believes that he may have found a comfort zone when throwing from the stretch.

RHP Tim Spooneybarger -- "Spooney," as he is affectionately known, had one of the most successful seasons in Richmond history last year. He produced a microscopic 0.71 ERA in 50.2 innings of work. His calm demeanor should make his transition to the Majors rather smooth.

ON THE REBOUND


Javy Lopez -- There was a lot of talk at the conclusion of the 2001 season that the Braves would not bring back their struggling veteran catcher. But even after watching Lopez hit just .260 with 17 homers last year, the Braves signed him to a one-year deal and gave him the option on a second season.

Eddie Perez -- Perez has never been an everyday player in the Majors. He served as Greg Maddux's personal catcher until suffering rotator cuff problems early in the 2000 season. Consequently, he has appeared in just 12 games over the last two seasons. He struggled in the Venezuelan League this winter and it is unknown if he is ready to make it back to the Majors.

Kevin Millwood -- In 1998 and '99, it appeared that Millwood was well on his way to becoming one of the game's top pitchers. But these last two seasons have been disappointments when you compare them to his first two years in the Majors. Millwood did not experience any discomfort in his arm toward the end of last year and has had the entire winter to rest. If he can regain his velocity, Millwood might be able to find the same kind of success that he had during the first two years of his career.

THE BOTTOM LINE


With an improved New York Mets lineup and a confident Phillies team in Philadelphia, the Braves might not be able to survive a slow start like they did in 2001 when they were 12-14 at the end of April. Therefore, Cox will have to quickly determine how he will handle the first base position and how that will affect his batting order.

Terry Pendleton is going to have the task of rejuvenating a sometimes anemic Braves offense that Schuerholz set out to improve during the winter. Extra runs may be needed this season as Kevin Millwood, Jason Marquis and Albie Lopez each bring some question marks to the starting rotation. If just one of the three pitchers steps up and lives up to their potential, the Braves may very well be celebrating their unprecedented 11th straight Division Championship.

Mark Bowman covers the Braves for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.