Category Archives: Atlanta Braves
Braves ink veteran backstop Suzuki to a one-year deal
The Atlanta Braves biggest priority coming to the off-season was finding a catcher to go along with Tyler Flowers. On Saturday they filled that need signing veteran backstop Kurt Suzuki to a one-year 2.5 million dollar deal. This isn’t a sexy move for one of the big names we either weren’t comfortable signing or someone just beats us out, but I really like this signing for us at this point.
Suzuki 33 hit .258 with nine home runs and 49 RBIs in 106 games with the Minnesota Twins last season. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but decent considering the catching position has become being good at defense or offense not both. Those are serviceable offensive numbers for a backup catcher, which is likely the role he will have with the Braves.
Most importantly, he is very durable since the 2014 season Suzuki is one of six catches to make 2,900 appearances behind the plate. A remarkable stat considering the amount of punishment a catcher takes from foul tips and blocking balls in the dirt. He definitely provides a reliable option if Tyler Flowers were to go down with an injury or needs a day off. Who knows? Suzuki could revert back to his All-Star form he had in 2014 with the Oakland Athletics, but regardless he is a great cost friendly option for the Braves.
Additionally, Suzuki is a great clubhouse addition, especially with all the young guys in this organization. They will be able to pick his brain and watch how he goes about his business on a daily basis. The Braves pride themselves on having a great clubhouse and cohesiveness between players and personnel Suzuki is a great in that regard as well.
The Braves have done an excellent job this off-season adding veteran players that will help this young nucleus develop both on and off the field. The best part about it is most of the deals we have done this off-season are 1 to 2 years, which means they’re not blocking our top prospects they are just great stop gaps until the young guys are ready.
The Swanson Era has officially began in Atlanta
The Atlanta Braves took a huge step forward in the rebuilding process tonight as they called up 22-year-old shortstop Dansby Swanson to begin his career as a Brave. This is a rapid rise for the Marietta native as you recall Swanson was selected number one overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2015 draft. Then was acquired by his hometown team in December for Shelby Miller a trade that was widely criticized by many from the Diamondbacks perspective, but they were in win- now mode and were looking for an established arm to be paired with Zach Greinke.
This was a trade that gave the Atlanta Braves fan base some hope of returning to the glory days because this rebuild has been very painful seeing a lot of favorites walk out the door. This trade added a five-tool player and helped an offensive starved organization. Swanson’s arrival may be sooner than anticipated as just 26 months ago, he was in 2015 College World Series with the Vanderbilt Commodores. That being said, the team felt it was time for Swanson’s journey to begin in the majors as the team started playing respectable baseball and would be a good environment for him to walk into.
The dream come true happened yesterday against the Minnesota Twins Swanson went 2-4 both of them solid singles against Kyle Gibson. Gibson ended up with the last laugh as he threw a complete game, but I honestly don’t think anyone cared about the result they just wanted to see how the Swanson era would begin. He made a pretty good first impression I hope to see many multi-hit games and great success for many years with that Tomahawk across his chest. This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
From a fan’s perspective, it’s like a ray of sunshine in a season that has been lost from the very beginning. It’s a breath of fresh air because we get to go on this journey with Swanson from the very beginning and see how he continues to grow as a baseball player. His abilities as a baseball player have been well documented, but more than that he’s humble and gets it how to carry himself in whatever situation gets thrown at him. He’s what you want in a player and a person he’s a great addition to Braves Country!
Congratulations Dansby
Braves future even brighter following deadline
The Atlanta Braves season has been hard to stomach as they continue to rebuild for the new ballpark in 2017. They currently sit with the worst record in major league baseball at 37-69 and for a while there I questioned if they would get to the 20-win mark. However, the team has done a remarkable job restocking the pipeline with many top-flight prospects that will hopefully return us to the glory days.
As we wait for those prospects to get the call to the show I think this year’s deadline was a great turning point for this organization as they were finally able to add offense to both our system and the big-league club. John Coppola and John Hart were able to work magic first trading Lucas Harrell and Darío Alvarez to the Texas Rangers for their 20th best prospect Travis Demeritte.
Demeritte just 21 years of age hitting .272 with 25 home runs and 13 stolen bases. It’s incredible that the team was able to acquire such a high upside prospect with the average power combination that is pretty rare in baseball today. The fact that the team was able to take two guys basically off the trash heap and turn them into a bat.
Next the John’s did the impossible and traded Hector Olivera to the San Diego Padres for Matt Kemp. The Braves were not only able to get out of a bad contract and the situation with Olivera whom struggled on the field and off with domestic abuse, but they were able to get a proven major league bat in return.
Kemp is hitting .260 with 23 home runs and 69 RBIs he brings a veteran presence and hopefully some protection to first baseman Freddie Freeman lengthening our lineup putting pressure on opposing pitchers. Not only that, we have him for the next three years at a very respectable 18.5 million per year. Which seems like a lot,but we got out from under a bad situation and got a player that can help on the field daly.This move also gives us options this off-season as we now have a surplus of outfielders we may be able to address another area of weakness in a trade this off-season.
As you can see, the organization has turned a corner finally able to add pieces that will right away help the major league club. Also through this rebuild process the team has been able to create financial flexibility so we will be able to be pretty active this off-season looking to upgrade the catching and third base positions.
It’s been a tough process to watch, but it seems we will be contenders sooner rather than later. When that happens, I believe we will be able to sustain it with the bevy of prospects we’ve amassed. Stay patient Braves country we aren’t that far off!
Wisler putting it together for the Braves
The Atlanta Braves are wearing the struggles of the 2016 season the team currently has just 12 wins in their first 45 games to begin the season. No that’s not a typo, I wish it was, but it’s not! This is what happens when your farm system is bone dry and your big-league team has too many bad contracts and players are underperforming a teardown happens.
The positive thing about this whole situation is the team has been very active in revamping the organization from every angle doing everything in their power to get this team back to their winning ways. The team has made over 100 transactions since this process began in 2014.
The biggest improvement is the farm system, it was frankly nonexistent over the last few years because we were in a win now mode and we fell woefully short of the ultimate goal. Currently we have a system ranked in the top three in baseball with many top prospects that are knocking on the door of big-league stardom. Some of those prospects are in the big leagues right now and thriving I know that might be hard to believe with 12 wins in 45 games, but it’s true trust me!
Matt Wisler one of the key pieces that came back in the Craig Kimbrel Melvin Upton Jr trade. He has been awesome for this pitching staff and looks to be a centerpiece of the Braves starting rotation for many years to come. In 2016 he has a record of 2-3 with a 2.93 ERA.
Those numbers don’t indicate how well he’s pitched this entire year because he is dealing with an offense that couldn’t hit a beach ball right now if they tried. Wisler has pitched into the seventh inning for straight outings and into the eighth inning four times during that span. He has figured out that he belongs in the big leagues and he has that bulldog mentality that a starter needs every time he tows the rubber.
For every young baseball player there is an AW-HA type of moment where something clicks and they never look back. For Wisler I believe it was when he came out of the bullpen against Washington something happened and he just started attacking hitters and just said here it is try and hit it.
He’s taken that mentality ever since then and he is not scared of hitters making contact. Whereas before I believe the pressure of coming to a new organization and living up to the big expectations of being a top prospect caused him to try to hard and nimble around the strike zone because he wasn’t sure of himself and that got him in trouble with big-league hitters.
He is now oozing with confidence and that death stare on the mound showing opponents, he is not backing down at all. He also is willing to learn anything that will help them improve he talked to Braves legend Tom Glavine about his changeup and got some great tips that he’s brought out to the mound adding another weapon to his arsenal. At just 23 years old his willingness to learn and evolve as a pitcher shows commitment and determination to become a perennial All-Star and prove the Padres were wrong to part ways with him.
The team is no doubt wearing the results of the 2016 season in preparation for the future. The fact is, no one is enjoying how the season has played out so far, but slowly but surely we are seeing the pipeline produce great talent that will be in the big leagues for a long time. Watching Wisler develop and mature has been amazing to watch and I can’t wait for the other prospects to breakthrough and become mainstays in Atlanta for decades.
Just four games in Grey Hairs are coming fast
It’s no secret the Atlanta Braves are building for the future and it’s going to be a rough 2016 season as we bid farewell to Turner Field. However, I don’t think we could’ve gotten off to a worse start with a 0-4 record and just plain bad baseball. I understand getting beat by an opponent that’s fine, but beating yourself is inexcusable, especially at the highest level it’s really gut-wrenching.
In the first three games we blew leads of the 3-2, 1-0, and 4-0 for a team like the Braves, who aren’t expected to make much noise they have to protect every lead they have throughout the season early on they haven’t done that. The defense has been the main culprit of that it’s been putrid.
Starting with opening day AJ Pierzynski dropped the last out, allowing the tying run to score. Then in extra innings Gordon Beckham botching a routine throw allowing the eventual game-winning run on base. The ugliness has continued in the three games that have followed we made five total errors in the two games against the Cardinals and frankly there could’ve been more.
Erick Aybar is the new shortstop replacing the defensive wizard Andrelton Simmons. It’s been a nightmare start for Aybar you hold your breath when the ball is it to him right now he botched a tailor-made double play yesterday that could have kept the game from getting so out of hand. It’s almost like he has the yips when any ball is hit to him. It’s making many question Simmons trade already because I honestly think we could have two victories if he was still on our roster. It’s something that has to get turned around quickly or Aybar might be on the pine sooner rather than later.
In the first four games the team has committed eight errors, not to mention all of the past balls and drop balls behind the dish. I didn’t expect to be world-beaters this year nobody did, but I didn’t think I’d have to wear a blindfold while watching us play. Not to mention our bullpen set a record on Friday night surrendering three pinch-hit homers that has never happened in major league history.
No question the first week has been something to forget for the Braves, but they are professionals and they see what is happening just as much as the fans do and I think they will iron out their defensive issues and at least play cleaner baseball games. If not we might see those youngsters here faster than we thought no matter where they are in our system.
I’m going to watch every game we play no matter what! That doesn’t mean I’ll make it through every one of them, though my advice for every Braves fan out there when you watch this team play make sure you have something to distract yourself with. That is the only way we are all going to make it through 162 games God help us!
Atlanta Braves Roster Overview
Baseball is officially back with three games to open the season on Sunday and a full slate of games on Monday. The Atlanta Braves open the season against the Washington Nationals at Turner Field. It’s a special year because the final year in Turner Field before the team moves to SunTrust Park.
It’s going to be a fun year seeing the new memories created and reminiscing about the great baseball played at that ballpark during the 2016 season. Let’s take a look at the 25-man roster and my biggest takeaways.
Starting Rotation: Julio Teheran, Bud Norris, Matt Wisler, Williams Perez, Jhoulys Chacín
Bullpen: Jon Gant, Jim Johnson, Jason Grilli, Eric O’Flaherty, Alexi Ogando, Arodys Vizcaino, Jose Ramirez, Daniel Winkler
Catchers: AJ Pierzynski, Tyler Flowers
Infielders: Freddie Freeman, Jace Peterson, Gordon Beckham, Kelly Johnson,
Erick Aybar, Adonis Garcia
Outfielders: Jeff Francoeur, Drew Stubbs, Nick Markakis, Hector Olivera, Ender Inciarte
The Biggest Question Mark: The Pitching Staff
The biggest concern for the Braves in 2016 is most definitely the pitching staff and who’s going to get opponents out. The starting rotation had a roller coaster spring, but they all were able finished strong leaving a good taste in their mouth heading into the regular season. Another huge storyline for the pitching staff is the need for a bounce back year from Julio Teheran. He needs to prove the organization was right in holding on to him as his name was bantered about in trade rumors for the past two seasons.
However, The bullpen struggled throughout the spring with the exception of a few guys the team went 6-20-6 and a lot of those losses, and ties were due to blown late leads. I’ve mentioned this multiple times, but the team only has one left-handed reliever and Eric O’Flaherty whom they had to trade for in the late stages of spring training. The fact of the matter is, no one pitched well enough from the left side of the rubber to warrant a roster spot.
Another concern is Jason Grilli and Williams Perez are coming off injuries and you don’t know how they will perform when it really matters. Additionally, they didn’t get as much work in spring training as they would like you to those injuries so that is something to watch for to begin the year.I think our offense will be better this season, if our pitching staff outperforms the projections we will have a pretty good chance to win ball games.
Biggest Surprises: Jeff Francoeur and Drew Stubbs
The Atlanta Braves during this rebuilding process have taken some chances on low-cost veteran players this off-season was no different with a former Brave Jeff Francoeur trying to restart his career where it began. Francoeur came up in 2005 with the baby Braves since then he has bounced around quite a few places. The Braves signed Francoeur to a minor-league deal and gave him one of the many opportunities this roster presented to start spring training.
Francoeur took advantage and forced his way on the roster. He hit a robust .327 with a homer and three doubles. He will provide pop off of the bench and get The starting assignments against the tough lefties. He is also very versatile with the ability to play all three-outfield positions if any of the starters need a day off.
Drew Stubbs
The Braves signed Stubbs with three days to go in spring training. At first I was surprised he made the roster, but the team wanted a right-handed backup center fielder because Inciarte is left-handed and they didn’t want the outfield to become too left-handed heavy.
Stubbs provides speed and he is a very good outfielder, if he can make more contact and put the ball in play he can wreak havoc for opposing pitchers and defenses. He just needs to cut down on the strikeouts big-time it’s the reason he’s bounced around so many places he tries to be more of a power hitter than he is. This move gives Fredi Gonzalez another option off the bench in late game situations with the ability to play match ups.
What I like: Roster Versatility
A trend coming back to baseball is the super utility man the ability of guys to play multiple positions. The Braves roster is full of super utility men in both the position players and the bullpen a great asset for manager Fredi Gonzalez to manipulate his roster to give his team the best chance to win every single night.
The bullpen has three options to close games Arodys Vizcaino, Jim Johnson and Jason Grilli, who have all had experience finishing games. The Braves can choose which guy they want based on matchups past history or who is the hottest at the time. A luxury many teams don’t have and hopefully the team will take advantage.
This team is full of position players that can play multiple positions Atlanta native Gordon Beckham can play second, shortstop and third. Kelly Johnson can play third, second, first, and left field. Francoeur can play all three-outfield positions.
A very valuable asset for the manager during a 162 game season it provides the ability to withstand some injuries because of the versatility that exist on the roster.
Veteran Players
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The team might be in a massive rebuild right now, but you look at the 25 man roster as currently constructed there are a ton of veteran guys. Those guys include AJ Pierzynski, Gordon Beckham, Kelly Johnson, Nick Markakis, Jeff Francoeur, and Erick Aybar. These guys have been through it all in their major-league careers and understand what it takes to win baseball games.
The Braves may struggle this year while we wait for the young guys to develop and make the big leagues, but this team will do it the right way and play hard. When the young guys start making their appearances in the show they will be able to lean on all of these veterans picking their brain to make their games better.
An immeasurable asset to this club in a rebuilding process no one can predict what’s going to happen throughout the season who knows maybe we will shock the world!
Conclusion
The Atlanta Braves roster is very interesting just like this season will be. Our opening schedule very unforgiving it’s ranked the hardest of all 30 teams.So buckle your seat belts and remember stay patient Go Braves!
Top Storylines for Each NL East Team to start the season
The MLB season is just two away an exciting time for fans and everyone involved with the game! Every team has a reason for optimism when the season starts because there is a clean slate and anything can happen because games aren’t played on paper. I thought it would be interesting to go through each division and give each team’s top story line to begin the year. I’m going to start with my team’s division the NL East.
The National League East is probably going to be a two horse race once again between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets. To be honest it’s probably the weakest division around baseball with the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies hitting the reset button and trying to rebuild into a perennial contender once again.
The Washington Nationals : Will they get along?
There’s no question the Washington Nationals have great talent on their roster and play on the field is not really a question its team chemistry because there are a ton of big personalities in the clubhouse and that was their undoing down the stretch of last season.
The turning point of their season is when GM Mike Rizzo decided to trade for hotheaded closer Jonathan Papellbon. It was a head-scratching move at the time because their current closer Drew Storen had an All-Star first half and the Nationals were primed to win the division. However, Papelbon said wherever he was traded he had to be the closer. I believe that threw Storen’s rhythm off and he struggled the rest of the season and it was downhill from there for the entire team.
There’s a saying in sports sometimes the best trade is the one you don’t make and I firmly believe if the Nationals wouldn’t have acquired Papelbon their season could’ve had a different ending. Chemistry and camaraderie are huge and sports and especially baseball because it’s such a long season, it’s important to have good relationships with all teammates. When Jonathan Papellbon choked Bryce Harper it was clear the chemistry wasn’t where it needed to be to make a run at the playoffs.
This off-season it was obvious the leadership needed to change in the dugout and the Nationals hired veteran manager Dusty Baker who had been out of baseball since 2011. I think this is the perfect hire because Baker has great experience in dealing with huge personalities that included Barry Bonds. Baker understands how to handle hostility and shaken chemistry in a clubhouse. With that being said, I don’t think he will tolerate Bryce Harper dogging it at times or hostile confrontations in the dugout. He is a very smart baseball man and will put the Washington Nationals in the best position to win every game on and off the field.
Chemistry was the dagger to the Nationals playoff hopes last season, hopefully for their sake a new voice and leadership style will prevent clubhouse tension and just focus on winning baseball games. The fact is they have all the talent in the world to make a long playoff run.
New York Mets: Matt Harvey’s Health
This year and the New York Mets look to build off of the National League Championship and the World Series loss to the Kansas City Royals. It’s no secret how they did it dominant starting pitching led by Matt Harvey, Jacob DeGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Zach Wheeler who is coming off Tommy John surgery.
They live and die with these young studs because their offense has been pretty inconsistent even with the addition of Yoenis Céspedes who can carry a team for a three-week stretch, but also can go ice cold for that same period of time. However, with this starting rotation you don’t really have to score a lot of runs to have a great chance to win games.
Unfortunately, Harvey’s opening-day status is uncertain as he deals with kidney issues. Injuries are something you can’t control, but certainly can derail a career. A quality-starting pitcher like Matt Harvey doesn’t grow on trees so the Mets must be absolutely sure he is 100% healthy. The Mets have had a history of being very cautious with the young guys because young fireball pitchers are like precious jewels and must be put in the best situation for them and the organization to succeed.
For Matt Harvey he is extremely important to the Met’s success this season so if he must miss a few starts in April to get this kidney situation under control that’s much better than a longer-term injury popping up in the heat of a pennant race. Harvey the bell cow of this rotation and if he misses any significant time it will throw the other young starters out of whack because a lot of them haven’t pitched over 200 innings yet in their careers. The Mets success is predicated on the starting rotation health and especially Matt Harvey if they want to battle for a World Series title again.
MiaMi Marlins : Can the Team Stay Healthy ?
The Miami Marlins have an opportunity to be very pesky and annoying to play throughout the 2016 season. The biggest key for them throughout the season will be the overall team health. Slugger Giancarlo Stanton and Ace José Fernandez headline that list. Stanton is one of major league baseball’s most prolific home run hitters hitting absolute moon shots. However, he’s had terrible luck with the injury bug he’s been hit in the face and the wrist that have cost him the bulk of the last two seasons.
As we’ve seen the team has suffered mightily when Stanton is absent because the fear factor is nowhere to be found for pitchers and opponents. If Stanton could stay on the field 150+ games his numbers would be absolutely ridiculous and the Marlins lineup would stay scary all season. Stanton has averaged 30 home runs in his first six seasons and was on a record pace last season with 27 home runs in just 74 games.
The Marlins lineup features Dee Gordon leading off wreaking havoc on the base paths distracting pitchers along with Christian Yelich who can be a hit machine when healthy. The reality is a Stanton can stay on the field everyone on the Marlins gets better and have more opportunities on the offenses side of the ball.
The other player they can’t afford to miss significant time again is ace pitcher José Fernandez. His 2015 season was cut short due to Tommy John surgery, prior to the injury he was 6-1 with 2.92 ERA on his way to a very impressive season. After the injury the starting rotation suffered understandably and Stanton was injured shortly after derailing the rest of the season.
Fernandez has a bubbly personality and has fun doing his job something that irks his opponents, but he is one of the best pitchers in the league so he’s allowed to have some fun. Overall he is an astounding 22-9 with a 2.40 ERA and has yet to lose in his home ballpark at 17-0. Amazing numbers for a guy that is just 23 years of age with a lot of innings left on his arm, assuming the Marlins will be judicious with his innings and preserve him for the long-term. If they’re able to keep the core on the field the team will have a chance to make a playoff push year after year.
Atlanta Braves: The Pitching Staff
The Atlanta Braves are in the middle of a massive rebuilding project that is seen 24 transactions involving 86 players since the start of the 2014 season. It’s probably going to be a very long year, but the future is very bright for this organization. As for the 2016 season the biggest question is who is going to get opponents out. There are just two days before the games count and the Braves still have so many roster questions involving the pitching staff.
The final decisions on the rotation have been made Williams Perez will be in the fourth spot and Jhoulys Chacín will be called up on April 12 once the team needs a fifth starter. A major concern in the bullpen is the fact we are only carrying one left-handed pitcher, but the reality is that there wasn’t anybody pitching well enough to add to the roster.
2016 Starting Rotation
- Julio Teheran
- Bud Norris
- Matt Wisler
- Williams Perez
- Jhoulys Chacín
This rotation is not one that will scare a lot of people off when looking at it on paper, but games aren’t played on paper, we will just have to see how it goes when the games really count. On a positive note, all of these guys had a strong ending to a roller coaster spring for all of them. Williams Perez struggled a little bit against the Astros, but proved that he was healthy and able to give all he’s got while on the mound. I’m not saying I’m not concerned because we went 6-20-6 in the spring and a handful of those games we blew late leads, but let’s just see what happens while we wait for the young guys in our system to develop.
The key phrase I will use while watching the season play out is trust the process and Rome wasn’t built in a day. Just remember we are way ahead of the pace last year our farm system was ranked 29th now it is rated top three in baseball some have it ranked number one overall so there is reason for optimism. This season might just be a little difficult to watch, but we all know that so it shouldn’t be a surprise. Hopefully the pitching staff and the team shock the world!
Philadelphia Phillies: Maikel Franco
The Philadelphia Phillies are also involved in a massive rebuilding project, but they have definitely found their third baseman for a long time.23-year-old Maikel Franco has taken Major League Baseball by storm, in just 304 at-bats during his rookie season he hit 14 homers and had 50 runs batted in before his season was cut short due to a wrist injury.
This spring training, he picked up right where you left off hitting an MLB leading nine homers and driving in 23. This kid is going to be special for a long time, especially in that bandbox of a home ballpark.
The Phillies like the Braves might not have a lot to look forward to in 2016, but the Phillies get to watch this guy for an entire season and continue to watch him become a star in the big leagues.
Conclusion
The National League East might not be the powerhouse division in baseball but there certainly a lot of intriguing storylines to watch play out. It’s perceived and probably will be a two-team race between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets
Atlanta Braves Off-Season Overview
Baseball is back! The Atlanta Braves reported to spring training this week with many new faces once again, as we continue this rebuilding project. This off-season was once again painful, but effective in accumulating many high upside prospects that have the potential to become stars at the MLB level!
Shelby Miller Trade
The move that sent shockwaves through the baseball world was when the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Shelby Miller from the Braves. The Braves got a massive haul for Miller starting with last year’s number one draft pick Dansby Swanson the shortstop of the future. In addition, they got Aaron Blair another highly touted pitching prospect that has a chance to reach the big leagues this season.
Minors Career 5 teams 23-13 Record 3.22 ERA
Lastly, they got a quality outfielder in Ender Inciarte who will likely be the starting center fielder and the lead-off hitter I think they been looking for. Inciarte is also under team control for the next four seasons. Another great thing is he is only 25 years of age. He could be someone the team can build around along with these other young guns we have coming up through the system.
Career Stats:.292 BA .329 OBP .386 SLG 40 SB
This move was absolutely amazing from the Braves perspective because not only did they add to a flourishing pipeline, but also they were able to add a quality MLB player that can help us right away. I think this move renewed faith of many fans because although it might be a long couple of years the team has a vision and are sticking to it.
Acquiring top-tier talent that will be around for a long time hoping to make their trade partners experience buyers’ remorse down the road. Many baseball executives were shocked at how much the Braves were able to get for Miller.
That’s the type of deal you should get for José Fernandez not Shelby Miller. He is a quality pitcher and will fit well with Zach Greinke and the win-now mentality of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They just gave up way too much to get him, much to the Braves delight.
The Simmons Trade
Chris Ellis (Left) Sean Newcomb (Right)
The other big move made this off-season was a little harder for fans to accept when we traded defensive wizard Andrelton Simmons to the Angels. The Braves acquired veteran Erick Aybar as a stopgap for the team until Dansby Swanson is deemed ready. They were also able to get the Angels top two pitching prospects as well, Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis the crown jewels of the deal.
Many baseball people feel the Angels overpaid because Simmons hasn’t developed on the offensive side of the ball hitting just, .256 with 31 home runs and 168 RBI’S in his four-year career. That’s what made him expendable in the Braves eyes, they’ve said all along they weren’t going to trade their best players in less they were blown away and this move was another case of that.
Sean Newcomb
Newcomb is a 6’5 240 pound left-hander with an electric fastball ranging from 93-97 MPH topping out at 99 MPH. In addition to that, he has a changeup and a curveball in his arsenal, at just 22 years of age, many baseball experts say he has ace potential and could be up sometime in 2016. In his minor league career, he was 9-4 with 2.75 ERA. A guy with a ton of upside and will get a chance to impress as he was given an invite to spring training.
Chris Ellis
Ellis is a 23-year-old right-hander, I would compare them to former Brave Kris Medlen because scouts say he doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but has a really good changeup and is a ground ball pitcher just like Medlen. They say he needs a little more time to develop and figure out his niche whether he should be a starter or out of the bullpen. He possibly could contribute in 2016, but more likely 2017.
Ellis doesn’t sound as polished as Newcomb, but still has great upside and could be a great asset for the Braves moving forward. He will also get an opportunity to impress the staff as he got an invite to spring training as well.
Conclusion
No one expects the Braves to compete in 2016, nor should we, but the team is definitely ahead of the curve since this rebuilding process began. Young talent is littered throughout this roster and we should be excited about the future. These two moves made this off-season have sped up the process and we may see some of these guys to start the 2016 season, depending on how they perform in spring training.
There’s so many unanswered questions with the Atlanta Braves it may be easier just to throw the names and a hat and pick them out than to try to predict this year’s roster! However, it will be fun to see how these young guys develop and perform as they try to prove that they belong amongst MLB’s best. Don’t kid yourself; it’s going to be a long year it’s predicted between 68 and 71 wins. A piece of advice for Braves fans everywhere patience is the key.
AJ Pierzynski is the Braves MVP in 2015
The Atlanta Braves came into 2015 with very little expectations because the organization is in rebuilding mode. The team sits at 51-60, 8 1/2 games back of the division leading Mets. Despite the record, this season has been very successful on and off the diamond with the innovative trades we’ve made to unload terrible contracts and stockpile young pitching getting back to the “Braves way”! John Hart has done a masterful job piecing together this team in 2015 and beyond! In my opinion, he should get the GM of the year, but of course I’m biased; he has also brought in some crafty veterans to teach the youngsters how to play the game right. The veteran presence has not only helped the play on the field, but the clubhouse chemistry has benefited greatly and has made this season more fun to watch because this team never quits.
AJ Pierzynski’s Impact on the Braves
AJ Pierzynski signed a one-year deal with the Braves this off-season to be the backup catcher and mentor to Christian Bethancourt. The 38-year-old is defying father time having one of the best years of his career; he has gone from a backup to the MVP of the Braves it’s been fun to watch. He is hitting .302 with seven home runs and 36 runs batted in. The offensive side of the ball has been great, but what he has done with this young pitching staff has been amazing. This season the Braves to be used 31 different pitchers in the rotation and bullpen Pierzynski has had to learn on the fly with many of these young pitchers making their debuts some and high-pressure situations. He has had to massage young starters when they don’t have their best stuff and instill his veteran wisdom into all his teammates.
He has been one of the most durable catchers in big-league history, he is 11th all-time in games caught with 1838. An amazing accomplishment considering the amount of punishment catchers take because of foul tips and wearing all of that gear. A 17-year career that in my opinion is underrated; he has a career average of .282, 184 home runs and 873 RBIs, not too shabby!
In his younger days he was voted the most hated players by his peers, he’s a guy that you love to have on your team but hate as an opponent. He has matured and been a consummate professional with the Braves this season and made a lasting impact this year and beyond with all the young guys whether he is here beyond this year or not. It’s been said many times on the broadcast where would this ball club be without AJ Pierzynski and I can’t answer that question I’m just glad he’s on our team. Thank you, John Hart for adding this guy! Go Braves!!!
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