ATLANTA -- The Braves look a little different than what they did during Tom Glavine's previous stint. But with his return, they're hopeful that they've once again assembled a pitching staff that can lead them back to the former familiar territory known as the postseason.

It's been two years since the Braves have tasted the playoffs. But with Glavine returning to strengthen the starting rotation and Mark Teixeira coming back to once again protect Chipper Jones' ever-potent bat, there's reason to believe Turner Field will once again be hosting October baseball in 2008.

Of course the question that will linger throughout '08 will likely be: "Will the Braves be able to re-sign Teixeira?"

While this remains debatable, there's no doubt Teixeira's presence will help the Braves in their aim to once again conquer the National League East. They had won 14 consecutive division titles before being shut out of the playoffs the past two years.

Last season's struggles began when left-hander Mike Hampton was lost for a second straight year because of an elbow injury. The Braves are cautiously optimistic Hampton will provide at least 20 starts in 2008. At the same time, they've prepared for his potential absence by adding depth to their rotation.

This added depth came from signing Glavine and acquiring Jair Jurrjens from the Tigers in the October trade that sent Edgar Renteria to Detroit. If Hampton is healthy, Jurrjens, Chuck James, Jeff Bennett and Jo-Jo Reyes will battle for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Heading into the 2007 season, the Braves were boasting about their much-improved bullpen. It appeared that they had three potential closers, but, by the end, after they'd lost Mike Gonzalez to an injury and said goodbye to Bob Wickman, their only closer was Rafael Soriano, who will once again handle the role this year.

Serving as Soriano's primary setup man will be Peter Moylan. Gonzalez's expected return in June could prove to be a great benefit to the Braves, who are also hoping to see right-handed reliever Manny Acosta build off the success he had late last season.

From a defensive perspective, it will be nearly impossible to replace Andruw Jones. But given his great offensive inconsistencies, his bat might not be sorely missed. Accounting for some of the lost power will be Teixeira, who collected 56 RBIs in the 52 games he played with the Braves after he was acquired at the trade deadline.

Whether or not James Anderson or Jordan Schafer are playing center field won't be as important as whether or not Chipper Jones is finally able to avoid the injury bug. The veteran third baseman missed nearly a month last season because he injured both of his hands during a May 11 collision in Pittsburgh.

	Season in Preview A lot can change by Opening Day, but as 2007 becomes 2008, this is who is projected to take the field for the Braves:
	SS	Yunel Escobar
	2B	Kelly Johnson
	3B	Chipper Jones
	1B	Mark Teixeira
	RF	Jeff Francoeur
	C	Brian McCann
	LF	Matt Diaz/Brandon Jones
	CF	Josh Anderson or Jordan Schafer
	SP	John Smoltz
	SP	Tim Hudson
	SP	Tom Glavine
	SP	Chuck James
	SP	James/Jurrjens/Reyes
	CL	Rafael Soriano
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The Braves began sliding last year when Jones was injured. This season, they'll be reaping the benefits of his regular inclusion to their lineup, and, at the same time, prove that their offseason commitment to strengthening their pitching staff didn't prove futile.

Grading on a curve: Frank Wren's first offseason as the Braves' general manager appears to have been successful. He landed his primary target in Glavine and gained the speedy Anderson from the Astros at the bargain cost of Oscar Villarreal. Then he took care of two needs by sending Jose Ascanio to the Cubs in exchange for utility man Omar Infante and left-handed reliever Will Ohman. More available funds might have allowed for the acquisition of a more experienced center fielder. But working with what he had and taking advantage of a slight bump in payroll, Wren took care of immediate needs and also fortified the future by landing both Jurrjens and top prospect Gorkys Hernandez from the Tigers. When Hernandez comes to the Majors in a couple of years, fans will understand why scouts regard him so highly.

On a scale of 1 to 10, Wren receives a 7.

Arrivals: LHP Glavine, INF Infante, LHP Ohman, RHP Jurrjens, C Javier Lopez and RHP Chris Resop.

Departures: CF Jones, SS Renteria, LHP Ron Mahay, RHP Octavio Dotel, INF Julio Franco, OF Willie Harris, RHP Lance Cormier, RHP Ascanio and INF Chris Woodward.

The Road Ahead: Manger Bobby Cox has said he'd be comfortable taking this current roster to Spring Training. The starting rotation and lineup appear to be very strong, the bullpen seemingly has the right pieces to be successful and the bench will certainly benefit from Infante's versatility.

Whether or not the Braves can dethrone the Phillies as the NL East champs remains to be seen. But Wren has definitely assembled a team with more depth and options than the one that existed at this time last year.