Do you think Mike Hampton will return next season and pitch like he did at the beginning of the 2005 season?
Before the start of the 2005 season, The Sporting News asked me to go out on a limb to make a prediction. I responded by saying Mike Hampton would win the National League Cy Young Award.

Eight starts into the season, Hampton had a 1.96 ERA and it looked like my prediction would be correct. But then the elbow soreness began and the Braves were deprived of the opportunity to utilize the seemingly completely revitalized Hampton.

Having missed all of this past season while recovering from Tommy John elbow ligament transplant surgery, it may take Hampton about a month to regain a sense of normalcy. But I do believe this 34-year-old southpaw is quite capable of winning at least 15 games this upcoming season.

Since joining the Braves before the start of the 2003 season, Hampton has regained the confidence that he lost in Colorado and shown he's still one of the game's top left-handed starters.

In the final 22 starts he made before the elbow became a problem, Hampton was 15-2 with a 2.61 ERA. That span began on July 4, 2004, and ran through May 14, 2005.

While it might be difficult to duplicate this type of successful streak, Hampton definitely has the drive and competitive fire to make it happen.

Hampton's sinker might still be filthy. But what has most impressed me about this guy is his feisty character. That eight-year, $121 million contract he signed in 2001 didn't diminish his intense desire to be the absolute best.

As for that nasty sinker, all indications are that it will still be the most effective part of his arsenal. Manager Bobby Cox raved about it after seeing Hampton throw this fall in the Instructional League, and Peter Moylan could only shake his head after getting his first chance to see the veteran hurler throw up-close.

If Hampton reads this, he'll give me grief about selling him short with a 15-win prediction. He thinks he can be a 20-game winner and simply based on his passion to succeed, I won't say it's an unrealistic goal.

What do you predict the Braves' bullpen will look like for 2007? Will they have to continue with little-known players like Chad Paronto and Macay McBride leading up to Bob Wickman? Or do you see them acquiring a solid reliever?
There's no doubt general manager John Schuerholz will land a proven middle reliever during this offseason. He's provided an indication that it's one of his top priorities.

To get one of these veteran middle relievers, Schuerholz likely will have to go to the trade route. Did anybody else drop their jaw earlier this week when it was announced that Jamie Walker signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Orioles?

That's quite pricey for a 35-year-old left-handed reliever who has made 327 appearances over the past five seasons. Limiting opponents to a .251 batting average for the Tigers this past season enabled Walker to realize a 220-percent raise in salary.

It still seems ridiculous. But with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement providing more funds to a number of teams, we're going to continue seeing teams seemingly overpay to fill their needs.

Schuerholz isn't going to do this and because of this, the Braves will be much more financially stable two or three years from now than many of the other teams, who will choose to spend their money on this year's free-agent market.

There are obviously a number of teams that could provide relief help via a trade. The Rangers seemingly have an abundance of relievers and may be willing to exchange one for Horacio Ramirez.

I know there are rumors that Tim Hudson will be traded. But at $6 million next year, he's a definite bargain. Based on the way the current market in unfolding, his $13 million salary in 2008 may not be regarded as too outlandish.

That, of course, comes with the assumption that he'll regain his former successful form and provide the consistency that he has lacked during his first two seasons with the Braves.

Is Yunel Escobar a possibility to start at second base if Marcus Giles is traded?
After hitting .407 in the pitching-depleted Arizona Fall League this season, Escobar certainly improved his chances of playing in Atlanta next season. The 24-year-old Cuban shortstop certainly has turned plenty of heads since being drafted last year. He was the Braves' only representative at this year's Futures Game.

Escobar has said he's capable of making the adjustment to second base, and obviously there's reason for the Braves to give him a chance to prove this.

While playing at Double-A Mississippi this past year, Escobar didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with manager Jeff Blauser. But when thrown into Cox's clubhouse, I don't believe he'll be a distracting influence.

About a month ago, I was pretty sure Escobar would be traded. But I've ended those thoughts and opened myself up to the possibility that Escobar could play a big part in Atlanta's success next year.

Agent Scott Boras and doesn't seem to have anyone's interests at heart but his own. The latest example is with the vastly overpriced and oft-injured J.D. Drew opting out of his contract with the Dodgers. Does Boras represent any present Braves players?
As a matter of fact, he represents some guy named Andruw Jones, and now you know why the Braves should definitely wonder if they'll be able to keep Jones when he becomes a free agent next winter.

Neglecting Jones' inability to hit better than .275 and forgetting the fact that the Gold Glover no longer steals bases, Boras will be marketing Jones as the game's most complete player next year. While doing so, he'll be looking to get his client an annual salary of close to $20 million.

As much as we may shake our heads at the moves Boras makes, we must remember he does his job about as well as anybody ever could. He's a master of the complexities of the market and knows exactly how to provide his clients with financial satisfaction.

Unfortunately, some of his actions have cast guys like Drew in a negative light. But when Drew gets the Cubs or Red Sox to pay him $14 million a year, he'll be able to overlook some of the mental strain caused by playing for his fourth team in five years.

With Barry Zito on the free-agent market, what are the chances Atlanta would try to sign him? Have they expressed any interest?
The only chance of seeing Zito in Atlanta next year likely will come when the Mets come to town. In a USA Today article this past week, Boras opined that the veteran left-hander is a modern-day Sandy Koufax or Steve Carlton.

Thus Boras will find a way to get Mets GM Omar Minaya to share this belief and provide a contract that could surpass five years in length and $100 million in value.

Do you think Terry Pendleton removing his name from consideration for some recent managerial openings is an indication that he is waiting to take over when Cox retires?
More than that, it's an indication that Pendleton is committed to staying close to his family in Atlanta. Obviously he'd love the opportunity to be the Braves' next manager. But at the same time, Cox certainly has earned the right to keep his job as long as he chooses.

Thus there may come a time next year when Pendleton is lured to take a managerial job outside of Atlanta. But to get him away from the Braves, a team will have to make him feel like he's definitely the man they want for the job.

The Nationals were unable to do that this year, so Pendleton remains with both his biological and baseball family. He's truly a Brave and would be quite capable of prolonging the winning attitude that Schuerholz and Cox have created over the past two decades.