Even before Vernon Wells signed his seven-year, $126 million contract with the Blue Jays last week, Jones' return to Atlanta for the 2008 season seemed to be a longshot. He'll continue to say he wants to stay with the Braves for the rest of his career.

But whenever he says this, I'll always think back to this past August when he said, "This could be my last contract." In saying that, he was saying, "My agent, Scott Boras, is going to get me a megadeal that will enable me and my family to live very comfortably long after I retire."

As things currently stand with the Braves, it seems highly improbable that they'll be able to offer him the same $18 million salary that Wells receives with his new contract. At the same time, there's a good chance that won't even be the highest offer Jones will receive.

If this does, indeed, prove to be Jones' final year with the Braves, Francoeur would certainly be a candidate to fill the void in center. Like every other mortal being, he certainly won't be nearly as good as Jones. But his athleticism certainly would allow him to prove serviceable in the physically demanding role.

Like Cardinals fans will never be satisfied with any of the shortstops who have followed Ozzie Smith, Braves fans will feel the same way about those who follow Jones in center. At the same time, they may further appreciate what the nine-time Gold Glove winner has done during his time in Atlanta.

I have never had an opportunity to watch Francoeur play center on a regular basis. But my guess is that he is better suited in right field, where his arm can prove to be a greater asset.

It seems to take Francoeur four or five strides until he starts to near his maximum speed. That seemingly could prove to be a detriment if he was forced to make an instantaneous break toward either of the outfield alleys.

If the Braves were able to complete a trade for somebody like Tampa Bay's Rocco Baldelli, they would acquire somebody seemingly more suited to serve as Jones' replacement in center.

But remember, there will never be another who patrols center field like Jones has over the past two decades. So, Braves fans should enjoy the opportunity to watch his every step this season. I'm far from alone in my assumption that he'll be getting his paycheck somewhere else in 2008.

Have a question about the Braves? E-mail your query to MLB.com Braves beat reporter Mark Bowman for possible inclusion in a future Inbox column. Letters may be edited for brevity, length and/or content. First Name, Last Initial: Hometown: Email Address: Question:

Why don't we ever hear talk about trading Chipper Jones? Andruw Jones has been far more productive the past two years and doesn't stay hurt all the time. Not that I want to see him traded, but I was wondering.
-- Nick P., Atlanta

You can simply ask yourself this question: As a team evaluating trade possibilities with the Braves, would you be more interested in assuming Andruw and his $13.5 million salary or the constant health worries that are attached to Chipper's $11 million price tag?

If Chipper's troublesome feet weren't so troublesome, his reworked contract might draw some interest on the trade market. But as things currently stand, there's definite reason to wonder if the veteran third baseman will ever prove healthy enough to appear in more than 130 games again.

When healthy, Chipper would be an asset to anybody's lineup. When disabled, he'd simply be a cumbersome component to anyone's payroll -- even the Yankees.

If the Braves are trying to save money, then where is all the money they are saving going to? It seems they are just making moves to lower their payroll and the money saved doesn't seem to be going anywhere.
-- Brad R., Louisville

Had the Braves traded Andruw Jones or Tim Hudson, it would be appropriate to say that they were making cost-cutting moves. But at the same time, they would have simply taken that money and allocated it toward other desired assets.

While trading Horacio Ramirez and non-tendering Marcus Giles, the Braves certainly had their financial situation in mind. But at the same time, they weren't simply cutting costs. Instead, I'd say they were cutting resources that didn't fit within the constraints of their $80 million payroll.

Like I've said, it's nearly impossible to accurately estimate how the Braves account for each player's salary. But using my best guess, I determined that they were within $3 million of their $80 million threshold even before the salaries of Ramirez and Giles were factored.

Like they got by acquiring Rafael Soriano in exchange for Ramirez, the Braves certainly would have liked to have gotten some value in return for Giles. But with almost no interest on the trade market for the second baseman, they simply had to say goodbye and realize that they'd made a necessary financial decision.

Why in the world have I heard rumors about the Braves trying to deal Adam LaRoche for a relief pitcher? He had great numbers, and his salary is still really cheap!
-- Justin M., Atlanta

I'll start by saying, I agree with those who believe LaRoche will be a future All-Star who has the capability of hitting at least 30 homers for many seasons to come.

Now that I've said that, let's remember it doesn't matter what I think. The Braves could hold this same belief and at the same time, believe it would be in their best interest to trade him. As an arbitration-eligible player, he could make somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 million this year.

While this seems a definite bargain for a player of his capability, let's remember the difficulty the Braves face while attempting to keep their payroll below $80 million and make their team as strong as possible.

Their focus has been on improving their bullpen, and they certainly would have accomplished this had they completed the trade with the Pirates sending LaRoche to Pittsburgh in exchange for Mike Gonzalez.

Gonzalez isn't just some other reliever, he might be the game's best left-handed reliever and he's certainly already proven his capability to be a dependable closer.

Another trade rumor involving LaRoche has indicated that the Braves would receive the versatile Chone Figgins and Casey Kotchman from the Angels. Figgins could serve as a leadoff hitter and certainly enhance the left-field position.

Thus, once again, it's not like the Braves are just looking to move LaRoche. It's just that with other teams desiring his services, they are wise to listen to any offers that would improve their team as a whole.

If they were to trade LaRoche, they'd know they'd be depleting their talent at the first-base position. But at the same time, they're confident Scott Thorman is capable of providing production there this year.

I read that the Braves are willing to deal Chuck James to get Baldelli from the Devil Rays. Why would you deal someone who strengthens your rotation and is coming off a strong rookie season?
-- Joseph P., Corpus Christi, Texas

If you read it on MLB.com, you read that the Devil Rays wanted James to be included in the deal for Baldelli. That's different than saying, "The Braves are willing to deal Chuck James."

Other e-mailers have asked, "Why don't the Braves just offer Lance Cormier, instead of James or Davies?" While doing so, they've almost forgotten that the Devil Rays play a part in this trade.

If you're the Devil Rays, wouldn't you ask for James? As you noted, he's coming off a stellar rookie season. He's the guy that many teams understandably want. Last year, Davies was the one who was much more coveted by other teams.

Now, if the Braves were to deal James for Baldelli, there'd certainly be good reason. Baldelli would immediately strengthen the lineup, and as said earlier, serve as a definite potential replacement for Andruw Jones in center.

Some fans have said that Baldelli's injury-filled past makes it seem that he's the next coming of J.D. Drew. That's seemingly unfair and off-base. The only significant time he's missed has come because of major surgical procedures performed on his elbow and knee.

Baldelli is just 25 years old and has already appeared in more than 130 games in two of his three Major League seasons. For those keeping score, the 31-year-old Drew has appeared in more than 130 games in just four of his last eight seasons.

I've never seen so many mediocre pitchers getting huge contracts. I grew up in Detroit. The 1968 Tigers were my team. If Denny McClain were coming off his 31-win season and was a free agent this year, how much money do you think he'd make in this market?
-- Bill S., Huntsville, Ala.

Well, I guess that depends on whether or not Scott Boras was his agent, or if he'd had the opportunity to be the MVP of the World Baseball Classic.

Just for fun, let's say he'd get a six-year, $100 million contract. Now, with that being said, let's look at how risky it is to sign a pitcher to such a contract.

Following McClain's 31-win season in 1968, he came back the next season to win another 24 games for the Tigers. Three seasons later, his career had come to a close and he'd totaled just 17 more wins.