Six back at the break

I almost blogged a couple of weeks ago when the Braves beat the Red Sox on a Sunday and followed it with a home sweep of the Phillies. I thought it was the sign of a complete turnaround and brighter days were ahead.
Then came the debacle in Washington and I realized this is what Braves fans were going to get all year - high points mixed with miserable lows. I suppose any baseball fan should expect the same. It is a long season, after all, and teams are never as good as their best days and never as bad as their worst days.
So, one day after the All-Star break, one day after a win over the Mets, what do I think will be the fate of the Braves this year?
Ultimately, no playoffs.
The Phillies, as much as it pains me to say it, are the best team in the East. Reigning World Series Champs who definitely do not get the respect they deserve, the Phillies are hot right now and will be as hot as deep fried magma if they get Roy Halladay. Even if the Braves play great ball, it is doubtful they catch and pass the Phillies.
That leaves the Wild Card.
Here is as definitive a statement as I can give - the Wild Card is not coming out of the NL East. The NL Central is a tight race. Those teams could damage each other and let someone sneak through, but if that happens it is far more likely to be a Giants team that is coming together and will be shopping in the days leading up to the trade deadline.
Are the Braves shoppers or sellers? I'm going to say neither. By the time the deadline rolls around, the Braves will be still be out of first place, but not far enough to sell (I would say far enough would be eight or nine back) and not close enough to buy (two or three back). Atlanta has a great core of pitchers, due to be even better when Tim Hudson returns, and a solid lineup with some great players who will definitely be back next year (Chipper, McCann, Escobar (assuming he isn't traded because of an attitude problem) and McClouth). I see the Braves looking for a free agent outfield bat in the offseason more than I see them making a move before July 31.
What's that mean for fans for the rest of this season? I hope some great baseball and a competitive push towards the playoffs. I don't think they'll make it, but anything can happen. Fans around here have certainly seen stranger things happen. Unfortunately, I believe the Braves have at least one more big slump in them and if the Phillies are still hot, the Bravos are going to get buried.