Mark Bowman has some notes on various happenings in Braves camp.
↵Of course, the biggest note is that they are still trying to trade Kenshin Kawakami. What's taking so long, I do not know, but it seems to me like it could have happened a while back if the Braves were that set on dealing him. If I recall, a team or two inquired about him in the winter meetings and afterward, but the Braves seemed to shake it off.
↵Japanese teams have also inquired, but Kawakami wants to remain in the U.S. for at least another year, and you can't blame him for wanting to finish his contract, especially when he isn't even pitching poorly.
↵The Braves simply botched the Kawakami signing by their treatment of him last season, as well as this offseason. They used him terribly down the stretch, letting him rot in the bullpen with a meaningless inning once every month, it seemed. But he took it tremendously, probably better than anyone else ever would. There is no way I would have kept my mouth shut.
↵Kawakami is still a league average pitcher in the National League who deserves 150+ innings for another season, and if a team is halfway smart, they would inquire about him for their fifth spot in the rotation. It depends on what the Braves want in return, but surely it can't be much.
↵Oh, and if you ever wanted to know Chipper Jones' opinion on the JFK assassination, here you go. File this one under weird.