Once a Brave, Always a Brave - AL West

Time to revisit the Walk-Off Walk look around the league. Our focus this week - the AL West. Considering there were two notable deals with the AL West this offseason, you can bet we will run into a few former Braves.

Houston
P Brett Oberholtzer - Long ago a piece of the Michael Bourn trade, Oberholtzer has made three starts in the majors and generally looked pretty substandard. He's also had issues with blisters on his finger.

P Jose Veras (AAA) - He was kind of a Brave. Picked up on a minor league deal with a good chance to make the Braves this spring, Veras struggled before eventually being cut. He hooked back up with the Astros, who he has played twice before, and recently made his season debut in AAA.

P Blaine Sims (A+) - Sims was an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas Tech (go Wonder Boys (seriously, that's their name)) who spent four years in the Braves system, never advancing past Lynchburg. He may have been cut after five starts this season where he gave up 30 runs.

DH Evan Gattis - His first month in Houston was about as terrible as you can imagine a first month going, but Gattis belted nine homers in May so the Astros aren't feeling as terrible as they ought to about that deal.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
P Nate Hyatt (AA) - Traded to the Angels in the deal that sent Ricardo Sanchez to the Braves, Hyatt has been awful with Arkansas in AA. His control, which has always been concerning, has completely left him. In one outing, he gave up a hit, walked three, and was charged with five unearned runs against Tulsa. Odd numbers.

P Cory Rasmus - The guy we gave up for Scott Downs, Rasmus has yet to play this season due to an abdominal/core injury.

P Atahualpa Severino and Zach Stewart (AAA) - I'll put both of these 2014 Gwinnett Braves together. Stewart has done okay, but Severino has been awful. He was actually pretty solid for Gwinnett last year and would probably love to go back.

3B Kyle Kubitza (AAA) - His over .800 OPS is a little tempered by the fact that it's the Pacific Coast League and just having a pulse gives you a .725 OPS. Still, Kubitza has produced so far, though not at a level that will amaze anyone.

Oakland
P Jesse Chavez - I want to kind of hate this guy. He was so unlike-able as a Brave and has been very productive once he came to Oakland. In parts of four years, he has a 3.52 ERA, 3.48 FIP, and 1.27 WHIP...not superstar numbers, but great numbers for a swingman.

P Eric O'Flaherty - Another season, another trip to the DL for EOF, but on the bright side, he is back in the majors. On the not-so-bright-side, he has sucked this year. He went to the DL with a 11.57 ERA and in two outings since coming back, he has only decreased that to 9.35 while allowing three of the eight he has faced to reach.

Seattle
P Joe Beimel - He appeared in 30 games for Gwinnett in 2013, but the lefty has found a second chance in Seattle and has been productive for the Mariners.

C Jesus Sucre - He has a career OPS of .633 in the minors, but Sucre keeps getting shots with the Mariners. He played in the Braves system from 2006 to 2011.

Texas
P Matt Harrison - He has thrown less than 30 innings over the last two years, but Harrison might be on his way back. He's currently on a rehab assignment. Part of the Mark Teixeira trade.

P Neftali Feliz - He finally got healthy for a few weeks and even saved six games, but didn't look like his former dominant self. He did the DL for an "abscess under his right arm." Ouchie. He just started a rehab stint.

P Wandy Rodriguez - The decision to keep Eric Stults over Wandy was, well, a poor one. Rodriguez has looked pretty solid in Texas while we celebrated a trade that sent Stults away.

SS Elvis Andrus - What a tease. In 2012, he looked like he was blossoming into a decent enough bat, but since, he has gone south. I don't know if it's by habit or need, but Texas still likes to him second.

UT Tyler Pastornicky (AAA) - Given his release out of sympathy, Ref has posted a .708 OPS in stints with Frisco and Round Rock.

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