The Two-Minute Braves

Braves Radio Net reporter Kevin McAlpin tweeted this Friday night:

Former #Braves legend Mike Aviles leads off the 7th for the Fish and is hit by a pitch.

— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) May 13, 2017

I followed with a tweet of my own:

@KevinMcAlpin Who had a better run as a Brave - Carlos Quentin or Aviles?

— Tommy Poe (@WalkOffWalk1) May 13, 2017

But I was only beginning a cascade of responses

@WalkOffWalk1 @KevinMcAlpin Ryan Howard

— Outliers (@b_outliers) May 13, 2017

@b_outliers @WalkOffWalk1 @KevinMcAlpin Bronson Arroyo.

— Statline Scout (@tpierce625) May 13, 2017

@b_outliers @WalkOffWalk1 Bronson Arroyo

— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) May 13, 2017

@KevinMcAlpin @b_outliers @WalkOffWalk1 Brian Matusz

— Dayton from Nebraska (@BravesAmerica) May 13, 2017

It got me thinking - what would a team of "Two-Minute Braves" look like. The name simply refers to players who were with the organization for all of what seemed like two minutes. And because I clearly have nothing better to do, here I go down this rabbit hole.

Let's set some groundrules. To be eligible, the player must have been the property of the Braves, but never played for them. We'll make an exception for a short, un-noteworthy stint in the minors, but that's it. So with that out of the way, here are the Two-Minute Braves.

Catcher

Though his major league career includes just eight seasons, Dave Nilsson is one of the better success stories in baseball. The Brewers signed him out of Australia back in 1987 and five years later, he was in the majors. Always a good player with nice power, he developed over his final four years to bat .297/.375/.488 while becoming the first Australian to play in the All-Star Game in 1999. But his time in the majors was done. With the Summer Olympics coming to Sydney in 2000, Nilsson wanted to play for his country and no team was willing to give him time off during the summer to do so. He did attempt a comeback in 2004, signing with the Braves and playing 16 games with Richmond, but only had two extra-base hits before retiring from the American game for good. He did continue to play in Australia, though, and helped the Aussies win a Silver Medal in the '04 Olympics.

First Base
The latest addition to this team is Ryan Howard, who @Outliers above nominated. There's not much more to say about The Big Piece of Mediocrity at this point. The former MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Silver Slugger had a tremendous peak but hit .226/.292/.427 over the final five years.

Second Base

Buffa Lutheran (CC-BY-SA 2..0) via Wikipedia Commons

It looked like - and basically was - the end of the line for Wally Backman. A regular fixture of the Mets during the 80's, Backman had moved from the Twins-to-Pittsburgh-to-Philly over the previous four seasons heading into 1993 when the Braves inked him in late-January. He spent the spring with the Braves, but with Mark Lemke, Rafael Belliard, Jeff Blauser, and Bill Pecota in the mix, Backman found playing time sparse and was cut before the season. He signed with the Mariners next and played his final ten games of his career out west. As brief as his time was with the Braves and Mariners, he later had an even shorter run with the Diamondbacks - this time as their manager. Four days after being announced as their top guy after the '04 season was concluded, he was sacked for a string of legal worries, including domestic violence and drunk driving.

Shortstop
Sometimes, you just need a contract to facilitate a deal. Over the last couple of seasons, the Braves have used their financial flexibility to help deals happen and Mike Aviles is a prime example of the Braves doing so. He was picked up last August with Kade Scivicque in the Erick Aybar trade. It was all about the money as five days later, he was officially released. This weekend, he was promoted back to the bigs and in a twist of fate, his first games of 2017 came against his old buddies - the Braves.

Third Base
You take a chance on power and in Mat Gamel, the Braves were hoping for the best. Gamel was one of baseball's top prospects back in 2009. Baseball America named him the #34th best prospect in baseball. He would go on to bash eleven homers over 75 games in Triple-A while adding five more in the majors with a .242/.338/.422. But due to injuries, a hole in his swing, and more injuries, the stout left-handed hitter would not be able to establish himself in the bigs and played just 43 games in the majors over the next three seasons. The Cubs grabbed him after 2013, but he became a free agent shortly after and the Braves came calling. A few days into camp, though, the Braves released Gamel. He made a comeback bid in 2015 first with the Yankees and then with two Atlantic League stops, but failed to impress.

The Outfield

Keith Allison (CC BY SA2.0) via Flickr

I mentioned Carlos Quentin in my tweet so unsurprisingly, he makes my outfield. Quentin had a solid, though injury-shortened, six-year run between 2008 and 2013 in which he slashed .260/.356/.503. Things hit bottom in 2014 and with a season left on his contract, the Padres were anxious to cut bait. Meanwhile, the Braves were trying to get rid of their own salary issues with a closer making too much moolah on a rebuilding team (Craig Kimbrel) and an outfielder who forgot how to hit (Melvin Upton Jr.). The reason for Quentin's inclusion in the deal had everything to do with cash - in that, his contract was just as good as cash. When teams swap significant amounts of cash in deals, the baseball commissioner has to agree to the exchange. Rather than have a hold-up hours before the 2015 opener, the Braves took on Quentin's contract in lieu of sending $8M the Padres way to dump him themselves. A little more than a week later, the Braves cut Quentin. He's since spent a little time in the Mariners' minor league system and tried (and failed) to make the Twins and Red Sox rosters the last two springs.

Gary Matthews Jr. clearly had talent when the Braves picked him up off waivers following the '03 season. Sure, he was a lifetime .242/.324/.371 hitter at the time who had already bounced around five different organizations, but Matthews had flashed some potential with 14 homers in '01 and a .354 OBP and 15 steals the following year. He just needed somewhere to stick around. That was not the 2004 Braves. Atlanta opened the year with Chipper Jones in left, Andruw Jones in center, and J.D. Drew in right. Eli Marrero and DeWayne Wise helped to provide depth. By that point, Matthews had already been released. Chipper would last just two weeks before his first trip to the DL. Another trip to the trainers for Chipper, and Mark DeRosa's struggles at third, would open up left field, but since Matthews had already moved on, it was Chuck Thomas who took advantage. Meanwhile, Matthews landed in Texas and would excel over a three-year stint in Arlington. But Thomas helped the Braves get Tim Hudson so...winning.

My final outfielder for this group is Zoilo Almonte. One of the first signings of the Holy John Trinity regime, the belief was that Almonte would pair with Jonny Gomes to make a fine platoon. At least, I thought so. Instead, he looked awful in spring training and despite being gifted a major league deal, Almonte couldn't beat out non-roster invitees like Eric Young Jr. and Kelly Johnson. Rather than accept a minor league demotion, the outfielder wanted to be released and the Braves did just that. Almonte missed most of 2015 until winter ball and has settled into a big basher role in the Mexican League.

Designated Hitter
What? We might need one. Enter Russell Branyan, a Paul Bunyon-looking corner infielder from Warner Robbins, GA. Branyan was supposed to be yet another weapon the mid-to-late 90's Indians developed and he did blast 36 HR between 2000-01, but when he wasn't sending majestic moonshots into the atmosphere, he was making a lot of outs. The Indians sent him to the Reds midway through 2002 and after a year-and-a-half, the Reds non-tendered him. In early February of 2004, Atlanta signed him. At the time, the Braves had the rookie Adam LaRoche at first base with Julio Franco. They also had an opening in left field which the aforementioned Gary Matthews Jr. failed to secure. Branyan didn't make the squad and after a forgetful eleven-game run in Richmond, the Braves sent him to back to the Indians. He would play through 2014 and did hit 194 major league homeruns during his 14-year career.

Left-Handed Starter

By Ed Schipul [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

There was a time in the spring of 2015 where Wandy Rodriguez looked like he was beginning to put it back together. After a six-year run through 2013 with almost a thousand innings, over 800 strikeouts, and a decent 3.80 FIP ended with a release in 2014 following six ugly starts, Rodriguez came to Atlanta with a good chance to make the roster and hold down the fifth spot. Unfortunately, the inept Eric Stults was pitching just a bit better and the Braves kept him and cut Rodriguez. Both pitchers would play in 2015 and neither were very good - though Rodriguez's 4.33 FIP was a good run less than Stults.

Right-Handed Starter
While many of the players on this list were guys the Braves took a chance on only to watch them fail, Bronson Arroyo is a bit different. An innings-eater and nothing more, Arroyo had signed a big deal to join the Diamondbacks after eight years in Cincinnati. The typically durable righty made 14 starts before needing Tommy John surgery. By June of 2015, he was a year deep into his rehab and hopeful to pitch later that summer. That's when he found out he was headed to Atlanta. Or, at least the bulk of his remaining $15M due to him was going to Atlanta. The Braves had bought a first-round pick from the previous year's draft in the form of Touki Toussaint. All it cost them was Philip Gosselin and Arroyo's contract. Whether or not Arroyo would have ever thrown a pitch for Atlanta is debatable and also moot as a month later, he was included in the often-criticized Hector Olivera trade. He would never play for the Dodgers either. This spring, he resurfaced for the Reds and the now 40-year-old is in their starting rotation.

Left-Handed Reliever
In late May of last year, the Braves continued to find inventive ways to add draft choices. Packaging minor league arms Brandon Barker and Trevor Belicek together, the Braves acquired Brian Matusz and the #76th overall pick of last June's draft. Matusz, a former big prospect, had found his niche with the Orioles as a left-handed reliever. That was until the wheels came off early in 2016 for the southpaw. After the trade, the Braves quickly cut Matusz and he made one appearance - a start - with the Cubs last year. He gave up a half-dozen runs in three innings. He's now in the Diamondbacks system and still struggling to recapture his old glory. Belicek finished the year with the O's, but was cut at the end of spring training a few months ago. Barker's still around for them and pitching in Double-A. Finally, that draft choice was used on Brett Cumberland, who has one of the most interesting slash lines in baseball so far - .191/.433/.353.

Right-Handed Reliever
Preston Wilson, Warren Morris, and Kris Benson were a few of the top rookies in 1999 in the National League, but the winner of the Rookie of the Year award that season was a reliever. Twenty-two-year-old Scott Williamson, a righty who went to an All-Star Game just two years after being picked out of the ninth round. A starter in the minors, Williamson fulfilled a variety of roles for the '99 Reds. He shared closing duties with Danny Graves, saving 19 to Graves' 27. He was also a setup reliever and even long reliever, logging 93.1 innings over 62 games. He K'd 107 that season. He would pitch parts of four more seasons with the Reds, flashing excellence and briefly appearing as a starter. He also wore down due to injury. In 2003, Williamson was traded to the Red Sox which began an ever-increasing collection of jerseys as Williamson played for many cities - never for very long. After failing to make the Giants bullpen in '08, the Braves took a chance. Considering that year's bullpen relied on Jeff Bennett and Blaine Boyer to each throw 70 games, they needed all the help they could. Williamson, though, struggled over 15 games and was released. He would continue to pitch through 2011 with the last three years of his career in independent ball. He hung 'em up after 2011, four years after his last appearance in the bigs.

Special Hall of Fame Section
I've previously wrote about these three situations and didn't want to include them as members of this squad, but they are worth a mention.

First, for about a month in 1943, Lefty Gomez was a member of the Boston Braves. One of the most beloved Yankees of his time, Gomez was in the twilight of his career when the Braves bought him off the Bronx Bombers. The general manager at the time - Bob Quinn - had an odd connection to Gomez. His son was dating the cousin of Gomez's wife. Gomez spent a month on the bench - never getting into a game - before being replaced by one of the pitchers he had been mentoring.

Four years later, the Braves lost Hoyt Wilhelm in the minor league draft. Didn't know Wilhelm had been a Brave? That's okay - he barely was. When he was 25, his contract was purchased by the Boston Braves. They quickly lost him a month later in the minor league draft. I still don't understand how, but I'm betting it was an oversight.

Finally, let's move to 1966. With the draft split up to allow for both a summer and winter draft, the Braves selected Tom Seaver in the January section of the draft. A rising junior at USC, Seaver had been a tenth rounder the previous June, but chose not to sign with the Dodgers. The Braves took their chances and a few weeks later, they were in agreement on a $40,000 bonus to sign the righty. But there was a rule. You couldn't sign a player who played for a school that had already begun their season. USC's regular season hadn't begun, but their exhibition season had. The Braves were slapped with a fine and their contract with the righty was voided. Seaver had signed a contract, though, and was not ineligible to return to USC. So, a solution to the mess was reached. His $40K contract would be given to whatever team was willing to pay in and won a lottery. Three teams stepped up and it was the Mets whose name was picked out of a literal hat.

And that's my team. Do you think I missed a player who was a better fit? Let me know in the comments.

Braves Bring Back the Meds

By Keith Allison on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational
(Crop) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

In 2013, the Atlanta Braves had finally come together. Frank Wren's team was young - Dan Uggla was its only starter over 30. Frank Wren's team was also very powerful and bashed 181 homers led the league. Sure, they struck out a lot, but they also scored runs in bunches.

But lost in all of the feast-or-famine articles about the Braves' offense was its fine pitching staff. While Brandon Beachy would miss most of the season, the Braves got breakout years from Mike Minor and Julio Teheran. Young Alex Wood also pitched in, which became important when Eric Young Jr. shattered Tim Hudson's ankle one night in Flushing.

The 2013 Braves also had a righty who had finally stayed healthy all year and earned an every-fifth-day assignment in the rotation in Kris Medlen. "Meds" had been lethal down the stretch in 2012 after finally receiving a late promotion to the rotation. The Santa Ana College alum followed it up with career highs in most categories in 2013.

But then, like Breachy, Medlen would not make it out of the 2014 spring training before needing a second Tommy John surgery. It was the first couple of dominoes to fall in what would be a franchise-altering season. Wren would be fired and a rebuild would be ordered - one that would not include Medlen, as he was non-tendered after the 2014 season.

There was some hope the Braves might bring him back, but two weeks after Atlanta cut him loose, the Kansas City Royals promised him $8.5 million to come to the midwest. His rehab took a long time, but Medlen finally returned to the majors on July 20, 2014. He had a few stinkers mixed in over a 15-game run with the Royals, but still pitched his way onto KC's postseason roster. He would pitch twice - once as a long reliever after Johnny Cueto got blasted and the other time in KC's World Series Game Three loss to the Mets.

The hope was that Medlen would stabilize a Royals' pitching staff in 2016 that would lose Cueto and was thin beyond newcomer Ian Kennedy, veteran Edinson Volquez, and young Yordano Ventura (may he rest in peace). Instead, Medlen would struggle over six starts - especially with uncharacteristic wildness. His shoulder was hurting, which put him on the shelf He made a pair of comeback attempts, but was never able to get back to the Royals. His final outing of the year included retiring just one of the five Oklahoma City Dodgers he faced before being lifted with a line of 0.1 ING, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER.

Let's try to compare the Medlen the Braves loved so dearly with the Medlen whose 2017 option was declined by the Royals. Pitch-wise, little has changed as far as usage and velocity go. He relies heavily on a low-90's sinker, throwing it 38% of the time last year. In fact, when you combine his four-seamer, about every other pitch on average is a fastball. He'll supplement that with a biting curveball that flutters to the plate at about 78 mph along with a changeup that has averaged 2-3 ticks faster since leaving Atlanta. He started to use a cutter toward the end of his Braves' stay and used it a lot more last year to mixed results.

One clear difference in Medlen since leaving Atlanta is related to release point, which the chart to the right shows courtesy of Brooks Baseball. In 2013, the ball was between roughly 5'9" and almost 6" feet off the ground when Medlen released the ball. Once he returned in 2015, he was releasing at more of a lower 3/4's rather than the high 3/4's of 2013. As a sinker-baller who depends on controlling the ball low-in-the-zone, not being able to get on top of his pitches won't help his effectiveness.

Medlen is a nice lottery ticket for the Braves to add - even as a relief option rather than a starter. If they can straighten his mechanics and get him to drop his changeup from the 84-85 mph range, it would be a big boost. Whether it was losing feel, the different arm slot, of Royals' coaching, Medlen lost his best pitch when he left Atlanta. In 2012, his changeup had a 16.6 wCH as far as pitch value goes. He didn't have enough innings to qualify for the ERA title so he didn't make the lead leaders list, but that pitch value would have ranked second. The next year, his breakout starter campaign, his changeup had a 12.6 wCH pitch value. That ranked sixth. It was his one true dominant pitch and it's been worth -2.4 since. That has to change.

At his best, Medlen can fool hitters with his fastballs and changeups and go to his curveball for strike outs. We haven't seen that version of Medlen since 2013. If the Braves are lucky, we could see it again in 2017, though it won't be until midseason at the earliest. Until then, it's nice to hope.

Simple Changes to Fix the Braves (About.com)

The Braves have been able to compete, which has surprised many, but have often fell victim to the performances of players who simply aren't giving them major league quality numbers. In my latest column at About.com, I look at a few easy fixes that could help the Braves be a better team. No, these moves won't make the Braves a team to beat overnight, but if the moves bring results, the Braves might simply be a squad better able to compete while also seeing if there if some of the youngsters will be more than just minor league numbers. After all, what is the point of retaining the services of Eric Young Jr. and Nick Masset? Why not bring back Joey Terdoslavich and call up Ryan Kelly?

For more on this, click here.

When You Have One Center Fielder, Try Playing Him

When the season was set to begin with Eric Young Jr. in center field and Melvin Upton Jr. on the mend, I was hopeful that Todd Cunningham would make the team. Why? It's simple. The Braves needed a center fielder. While EYJ has certain attractive qualities (flexibility, speed), he's not a center fielder. While he made some plays this spring, people like me pondered if the plays he made were more a product of getting late starts after flyballs rather than his speed allowing him to get to balls many other players weren't capable of.

We have gotten our answer so far this season. While early season defensive metrics should naturally be taken with a healthy level of skeptism, EYJ has been pretty awful as a center fielder to this point. He has amassed -0.7 UZR, which is largely a product of a below-average range. As a 25th guy, EYJ makes your team better because he could play center field in a pinch along with left field and even second. That is valuable and historically, EYJ has been a stout left fielder where his speed plays up even more and, at the same time, his arm can be hid.

When the Braves traded for Cameron Maybin right before the season, there was no need for Cunningham. Instead, Maybin could play center field regularly. Sure, there are issues with Maybin...he strikes out too much, hasn't on-based .330 in any significant action in the majors, and is injury-prone. But he is something EYJ wasn't. A center fielder. And he was a better option than playing Melvin in center when the latter eventually was capable of returning to the Braves. Clearly, Maybin should be the starting center fielder.

Yet, 23 games into the season, EYJ has received three more starts than Maybin in center field. Fredi Gonzalez hasn't employed a platoon in the typical sense. Instead, he seems to ask a magic 8-ball for the answers. And it's not like EYJ is hitting, either. His numbers have fell to a miserable .169/.239/.292 and even if you accept that EYJ is being hit by an unlucky streak (.216 BABIP, line drive rate within his normal range), those numbers have kept Christian Bethancourt from getting starts. Why not EYJ?

Of course, it's not like Maybin's hit .377/.400/.604 though his first 60 PA, but Maybin has shown some power so far and his .354 wOBA is better than Nick Markakis. Will that continue? Probably not, but if you look at Maybin and EYJ's career marks, there's not a significant enough difference to justify one over the other offensively (EYJ carries a better OBP, Maybin a better SLG). EYJ's a better baserunner, though the only serious difference between the two is one is a capable center fielder and the other is a guy who can play around the field.

That alone should make Maybin the starter. The fact EYJ's not hitting should make the choice even easier. An underlying potential benefit to playing Maybin might be that he could increase his trade value. Maybin's owed $8M next year with a $9M team option for 2017 (or $1M buyout). This offseason, several center fielders will be hitting the open market. That could open a spot on a team searching for a stopgap option and Maybin could be had for a couple of decent prospects.

So, this is my plea. Play Maybin. Every day. Twice on Sunday provided there is a double header. Let EYJ be what he's best suited for and bring him off the bench. Make it happen, Fredi.

Random Prospect Sunday: Joseph Daris

Do you know anything about the typical rating scale that is used by baseball scouts? The scale runs from 20 to 80. The higher the rating, the better the skill or its potential. For example, Christian Bethancourt's throwing arm might be rated a 65 or 70. That would rank as an elite number, though there is room for catchers with better throwing arms. Craig Kimbrel's spiked curveball might be rated as a 75 - maybe even an 80. On the flipside, Eric Young Jr.'s power might carry a 20 rating. The scale provides more detail than a simple 1-to-5 stars system that us video game players love to utilize.

Why mention this? Because today's Random Prospect has a skill that has been ranked as an 80 - elite of the elite. His name is Joseph Daris and he might be the only player in the system who can outrun Mallex Smith.

Born November 22 in 1991 - or less than a month after the Braves dream season ended in Minnesota - Daris attended El Camino High School in Oceanside, California, before setting his sights on a continued run with baseball via the Azusa Pacific Cougars. The Christian university, located in the suburbs of L.A., has produced a few recent ballplayers like Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Stephen Vogt, though these names pale in comparison to the great Austin O'Brien. You know...the kid from Last Action Hero, which is quietly one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's best flicks. And it had Tywin Lannister in it. Seriously, if you haven't seen it, you should get on top of that, Rose. And watch Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, too.

Wait...where was I?

Daris was a former running back in high school and I imagine he filled the role of a scatback, the type of back you use on sweeps to the edge to let his athleticism and speed take over. Baseball America, in a review of the 2014 class, referred to Daris as the best athlete from the Braves' selections. Atlanta really went heavy into Cali last June, by the way. In addition to Daris, there was Luke Dykstra from Westlake and Caleb Dirks from Cal Baptist University.

Credit: Bryan Green

How special was Daris's speed? It got him drafted and not just in "eh, I'll take a flier on this guy" territory in the 27th round when teams select sons of scouts. No, Daris was picked in the 14th round, or the 433rd overall pick. It's not that the selection was so much a reach (BA ranked him 476th before the draft), but the only reason he was even in anyone's mind was because he was so fast. He did hit well at Azusa Pacific, though hitting well in the PacWest Conference against the likes of Holy Names University and Chaminade University of Honolulu isn't exactly on the level of the SEC or Big 12. As an amateur, Daris showed a little basestealing ability, though you'd like to think someone with his speed would swipe more than 15 bases his senior year. He has the speed to play center field, but the instincts and arm that must be hid in left field.

How has this worked so far as a professional? Daris opened up his career in the Gulf Coast League, which had to be a little disappointing. At 22, Daris was a couple of years too old for the league and spent most of his time facing guys who only a few months before had been at their Senior Prom. To his credit, Daris hit in the GCL, though doing something you're supposed to be easily capable of doing does little to impress. After a couple of weeks, the Braves moved him to Danville and he would finish the rest of his first year with them. He hit just .264 and of his 33 hits, just two went for extra bases. Also, despite the speed we keep being mesmerized of, Daris stole just 7 bases in 11 tries. Interestingly, despite a .360 OBP over the final month of action, Daris was just 1 for 3 in stolen base tries. Maybe he was dealing with a nagging injury?

Daris received little press coming into the year - even among 2014 draftees. He was just another guy looking to make something happen. He started the year in Rome and remains there. So far, counting last night's efforts, Daris is hitting .208 on the year with a double, two triples, and 16 K's in 60 trips to the plate. He's walked six times and stole his fifth base last night while being caught just once. After playing almost exclusively in center last year, Daris has spent this year in left field. Unfortunately for him, you'd like to see a outfielder with 80 speed be capable of playing center field, but if the instincts aren't there, it's better to find another place for him.

Also unfortunately for Daris, left fielders need to be able to hit and that is where Daris runs into issues. He's showed decent enough on-base skills, but as a slash hitter without any pop, his time is pretty limited. While speed is more valuable in today's game, you still have to hit. The Braves can afford to be a little patient with Daris, but 23 year-olds hitting ninth in low-A ball don't typically turn into big prospects. Still, if you get a chance to watch him, look for his speed from home-to-first. He should make any slight bobble by an infielder interesting.

Taking A Look at the East: New York Mets

Yesterday, I began a short and not so sweet look at the NL East, starting with the Phillies. For fans of other teams that may be visiting the blog, I perfectly realize that I'm not an expert on your franchise. Hell, I might be very wrong about some assumptions I am making. But, my win prediction - you can take that to the bank. I wouldn't call it rock solid unless it was after all.

New York Mets
Additions: Michael Cuddyer, John Mayberry Jr.
Subtractions: Eric Young Jr. (!)
Rock-Solid Win Prediction: 77-85

It was a pretty quiet offseason for the 79-win Mets, who added Cuddyer to the surprise of many. A 35 year-old who has missed significant action in 2-of-3 years since leaving the AL, Cuddyer was great as a Rockie when he played, but do we really expect him to produce in a park that isn't quiet as nice to hitters no matter how many times they bring the fences in? Well, his projections aren't exciting. Steamer is down on him (.254/.313/.414), though ZiPS has a much rosier view (.271/.325/.450). Will that be enough to help an offense that finished eighth in runs scored? Well, they started EY Jr. a lot in left field last year so probably. Wait, that hurt.

Lucas Duda had a quiet 30 homers last year to lead the Mets, who suffered down years from David Wright and Curtis Granderson. Juan Lagaris is the Mets' version of Andrelton Simmons. His defense is fantastic, but can he hit enough?

On the mound, the Mets should be young and improved, especially with the return of Matt Harvey. However, Bartolo Colon will continue to spearhead the rotation despite turning 42 in May. He had two hits in 69 trips to the plate last year with 33 K's. And that swing...oh, that swing. The pen lost Josh Edgin, but recently added Alex Torres and his helmet-hat so that's a decent trade-off. Jenrry Mejia saved 28 last year, but the pitcher I like out of their pen is Jeurys Familia. 1.18 WHIP last year and a 3.07 FIP.

I like the rotation, but not much else about this team stands out especially in the wake of Zack Wheeler's injury. The offense is depending heavily on bounceback seasons from their veterans while their kids mature into productive major leaguers. That said, the rotation could get even better with the much-anticipated arrivals of Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz. There's a couple of of hitters on the verge of being ready for the the move up the chain as well. They could soon be an exciting young team, but they might be at least a year away. I see the Braves battling them for third, but I imagine the Mets will be a few games better.

Roster Prediction: Where the 25 Stand (March 29 Final Edition)

Time to make one last 25-man roster prediction for the season. By this time next week, we will know what the roster is finally. It's been as wide-open as any spring in recent memory and I am willing to bet at least two of the guys I have on the 25-man won't be there when the season opens. But...hey, gotta try to guess. Although, the Braves threw me a curveball when a guy I thought was pretty safe, James Russell, was released.

For the first three versions of this series, click here or here or even here.

Starting Rotation
1. Julio Teheran
2. Alex Wood
3. Shelby Miller
4. Wandy Rodriguez
5. Eric Stults

My Take? No change here unless we see a trade open up things. Michael Foltynewicz had a bat outing and Manny Banuelos was optioned. Cody Martin is still around, but at this point, I think the Braves are going with these five until Mike Minor returns.

Bullpen
Closer - Craig Kimbrel
RH - Jason Grilli
RH - Jim Johnson
---
LH - Luis Avilan
RH - Michael Kohn
RH - Brandon Cunniff (added)
LH Josh Outman

My Take? My best when we saw Mark Bowman talk this week about what it would take to release Outman or Russell that something was going to happen. I figured it would be Outman getting the heave-ho, but instead, it was Russell, who has forced me to edit this from the original draft from last night. I still think that a trade will add a buy-low, high-reward guy to this mix and Cunniff won't be there when the season opens, but with Russell gone, Cunniff has made a good case to be the best internal option. Martin still could drop into this role for a long guy. Of course, the Braves could also cut Outman.

Lineup
1. Eric Young Jr., CF
2. Nick Markakis, RF
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Chris Johnson, 3B
5. Jonny Gomes / Zoilo Almonte, LF
6. Andrelton Simmons, SS
7. Jace Peterson, 2B
8. Christian Bethancourt, C

My Take? With the season so close, I want to talk a little bit more about the lineup. It's hard to ever get a feel for how Fredi Gonzalez, or really any manager, wants to use the lineup in spring training because you rarely see all of the regular starters together. I've seen C-Beth clean up and we've seen a lot of Jace batting second. We've also seen Markakis hit second and third with Freeman pushed to cleanup. Above represents my best guess, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Jace leadoff rather than hit second. I don't think Fredi wants to go with a trio of lefties following Young.

Bench
C - A.J. Pierzynski
IF - Kelly Johnson
IF - Alberto Callaspo
IF/OF - Philip Gosselin (added)
OF - LF Platoon Guy Not Starting (Gomes/Almonte)
Dropping: OF Eury Perez

My Take? The bench got a little cleared up with the demotion of Eury this week. For the time being, I've added The Goose to the bench and I think it's a pretty reasonable addition. Obviously, Pedro Ciriaco has been hitting the lights out of the ball and I could easily put him there, but I still think the sheer amount of the spots that would have to be cleared on the 40-man roster for non-roster guys might play a role before the beginning of the year. From this roster, I am looking at finding room for two starting pitchers, a reliever, a starting player, and a bench guy. That's five spots total. Not that the 40-man roster is packed with irreplaceable talent, but do the Braves want to move on from so many guys? Something might get cleared up by a trade and there are reports the Braves are in the market for an outfielder. Of course, Russell getting cut helped out a little.

Braves Roster Beat: March 23 (About.com)

Added a blog to the About.com page about today's game, which, if you missed it, was a bit of a non-pitcher's dual. The Braves scored 14 times. All in one game. The Astros scored ten times, though six of them came in the later innings when the Braves played the junior varsity kids. Nick Markakis finally got into a game and was solid while Zoilo Almonte's bat started to sizzle. We also saw good games from Andrelton Simmons and Chris Johnson, along with Eric Young Jr. On the negative side, James Russell is not a starter. Alberto Callaspo isn't either. And Eury Perez wasn't all that impressive either. Check out the blog for more.

Roster Prediction: Where the 25 Stand (March 22 Edition)

Another week in and some new changes to the roster for the third edition of "Where the 25 Stand." For previous editions, you can click here or here.

Starting Rotation

1. Julio Teheran

2. Alex Wood

3. Shelby Miller

4. Wandy Rodriguez (up from #5 starter)

5. Eric Stults (downgraded to #5)

My Take? No one has outpitched Wandy so far in camp so it's not difficult to understand why he's already just about claimed the fourth spot. Stults hasn't been great and he won't strike out anyone, but really, the challengers aren't there to take this spot from him. Michael Foltynewicz and Manny Banuelos needed to have ridiculous camps to really claim a spot and veterans James Russell and Chien-Ming Wang haven't exactly been intriguing. Then...there's Cody Martin. If the Braves are able to cash in Wandy or Stults for a decent enough prospect, Martin could leapfrog into the fifth spot to start the year.

Bullpen

Closer - Craig Kimbrel

RH - Jason Grilli

RH - Jim Johnson

LH - James Russell

LH - Josh Outman

---

LH - Luis Avilan

RH - Michael Kohn

My Take? I still haven't made a change since my first edition and I feel comfortable with this seven. That said, I'm not married to the idea. Arodys Vizcaino has shown some life of late and some pitchers in other organizations will get pushed out due to being out out of options. Juan Jaime has to be considered because he is actually out of options, but retiring just 13 of the first 24 he faced this spring won't help considering he's been so poor. I'd put Martin as a possibility, but I think they'll want him at Gwinnett if he's not in the majors stretched out. That said, if Stults falters, could Martin push Stults to the pen? Doubtful, but I guess it's possible.

Lineup

1. Eric Young Jr., CF

2. Nick Markakis, RF

3. Freddie Freeman, 1B

4. Chris Johnson, 3B

5. Jonny Gomes / Zoilo Almonte, LF

6. Andrelton Simmons, SS

7. Jace Peterson, 2B

8. Christian Bethancourt, C

Bench

C - A.J. Pierzynski

IF - Kelly Johnson (added to bench)

IF - Alberto Callaspo

OF Eury Perez 

OF - LF Platoon Guy Not Starting (Gomes/Almonte)

Dropping: 1B/OF Joey Terdoslavich (dropping)

My Take? Last week, I had Eury replacing KJ, but KJ's shown signs of life over the last week and Terdo has began to struggle. I'm starting to think Zoilo's job, which I've assumed was set in stone, might be up for grabs. He hasn't looked that good this spring, but he is out of options and the Braves can afford to take an extended look at him. If this bench holds, it would be shame for both Terdo and Todd Cunningham, who would be ticketed for a third trip to Gwinnett even though both have had good camps. I've kept Pedro Ciriaco off the list because I don't think he's a major league talent, but Fredi might be fooled. 

Finally, there is a developing issue. With two starters, a reliever, and two other position players - the Braves would have to find five spots on the 40-man roster for non-roster invitees. I have them at 39 currently so that would be room for one of the spots. Putting Daniel Winkler on the 60-day DL will open up a second spot. But three other players would have to be designated. Not that the room can't be found, but it makes me think Hart's not done dealing. 

Why Not Terdo?

On Sunday, I got into a discussion on twitter with Grant McAuley, who works for the Atlanta-based radio station 92.9 - The Game. Grant is a wonderful guy to follow on twitter and is very approachable. After Joey Terdoslavich blasted a three-run bomb against the Blue Jays, he tweeted...

Joey Terdoslavich with a 3-run HR. He's making a case to grab a spot on the bench - batting .333 with 5 XBH in 24 AB this spring. #Braves
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) March 15, 2015

My comment to him and what started a short discussion yesterday was...

@grantmcauley At this point, he might be making a case to be in the opening day lineup.
— Tommy Poe (@WalkOffWalk1) March 15, 2015

He laughed it off and said let's not get carried away, but did mention later that Fredi Gonzalez, after the game, said that Terdo would get a look at a couple of positions on the team., including a bench spot.

Stacy Revere | Getty Images

Obviously, we are a long way away from getting to the point where Terdo has claimed much playing time for the Braves, but as Jim Powell on Braves radio pointed out, this Braves team is void of much power. That happens when you trade away Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, and Evan Gattis. The trio combined for 62 of the team's paltry 123 homers last season. Quick - name a guy capable of hitting 20 homeruns for the Braves in 2015. If you've named more than one player, you are really optimistic.

But maybe not...if that second player is Terdo. Now, that is still a little high for Terdo, who's 150-game average in the minors is about 17 HR, but at least we are in the neighborhood, right? So, again, why are we so convinced Terdo only profiles as a guy battling for bench time?

Joey T originally came onto the scene in 2011 for the Lynchburg Hillcats when he blitzed the pitcher's league for a .286/.341/.526 slash line, helped out by a Carolina League-high 52 doubles and 20 homers. That 52nd double, by the way, didn't just lead the league. It broke a 65-year-old record. Overall, it was an impressive season that only became more impressive when he was one of the hitting stars of the Arizona Fall League after the season. In 99 plate appearances, Terdo OPS'd .972. Pretty good 2011 to hang your hat on.

The only problem was that the player development team saw something no one else did. "Let's move him to third to give us a potential replacement for Chipper Jones. He's occasionally played there. Oh, and let's bump him up to AAA." Frank Wren's team gets a lot of blame for things they probably shouldn't be blamed for, but that was a bonehead move. I watched Terdo a lot that year with Lynchburg as I lived minutes from City Stadium at the time. I loved him. He was a fan favorite. He was also defensively limited at first base. Simple baseball logic states that if your range is average-to-bad at first, it'll be even worse at third.

And it was. And the bypassing AA at the same time hurt Terdo's development. After two ugly months where he couldn't field and it probably hurt his hitting, Terdo was sent to Mississippi and retired his third baseman glove. He rebounded with a great summer for the M-Braves and was back on track, even if he wouldn't increase his value by becoming a third baseman. He did play more left and right field as he moved to Gwinnett in 2013. He was tremendous for the G-Braves, posting a .557 SLG with Gwinnett and eventually getting a promotion to the majors on July 4th of that year. Fredi used him as a bench bat, taking advantage of his switch-hit capabilities, while starting him just 14 out of 55 games he appeared in. He didn't hit particularly well, though he showed good patience.

It looked like Terdo was a favorite to make the 2014 roster, but he was a late cut and it appeared to affect him. He got off to a decent start, but soon was in a nose dive that lasted until the end of June. We'd like to think a demotion would start a fire under a player's butt, but it seemed to do the opposite to Terdo. He would rebound, though, and hit .300 in July and sustained an OPS over .820 over the final two months. The Braves utilized Terdo at the end of the season largely in a PH role.

I've been pretty consistent with one theme that I think the Braves have to look at this spring and into the season. If a guy can hit and will hit, the Braves have to be willing to give him a chance. Look at this roster - I'll wait. Where's the offense coming from? That's a legitimate question. The Braves offense from 2014 was miserable and this offseason saw 3 of their best 4 hitters traded. Now, maybe Kevin Seitzer's new philosophy will help unearth some new production from the holdovers, but even with that, the Braves still have massive offensive questions. If Terdo can hit, why not him in right if Nick Markakis misses time? Why not Terdo in left platooning with Johnny Gomes?

Well...there are potential issues with Terdo. First, his defense is pretty bad and would require a caddy option for late inning games (but so would Gomes). Second, he has yet to hit major league pitching, but neither has pretty much any of the other options. Third, his name is really long. Not sure if that matters, but I'm told lists require at least three things.

On the plus side, like expected platoon option Zoilo Almonte, Terdo has historically hit right-hand pitching significantly better than left-hand pitching (which is why Gomes is here).

We have talked all camp about how many spots are wide-open for players to swoop in and take them. The fifth starter, two bullpen spots, the infield bench slots, and yes, the outfield. If Terdo hits and there is a right-hander on the mound on opening day, Terdo should be in the starting lineup...but that's where the business of baseball comes in. Almonte, like Eury Perez, is out of options. That might push the Braves to give them a longer look, especially in Melvin Upton Jr.'s absence. If Markakis makes it back, that takes up another spot. Since Eric Young Jr. is so beloved by Fredi, it would appear with Markakis in the mix along with Gomes, there might be one or two extra outfield spots. Maybe the Braves keep Almonte and Perez until Upton's return forces a decision. That would appear to push out Terdo, who can only play first on the infield.

Again, it's supposedly wide open for any player to take a spot. If that's true, why not Terdo?

Roster Prediction: Where the 25 Stand (March 15 Edition)

Last Sunday, I had my first 25-man prediction. Obviously, we are still a couple of weeks before having a better idea of where the Braves stand, but it's still fun to guess. Let's see how things have changed. Spoiler: Not too much yet.

Starting Rotation
1. Julio Teheran
2. Alex Wood
3. Shelby Miller
4. Eric Stults (up from #5 starter)
5. Wandy Rodriguez (added to rotation)
Dropping: #4 Mike Minor

My Take? With the news this week that confirmed that Minor will miss the start of the year, it opened a spot for someone to step in and after a weak first start, Wandy has looked much better. This may come down to the Braves wanting to see if Stults or Wandy can have some early success and possibly turn that into a trade. Cody Martin has looked impressive at times, but he has options. Chien-Ming Wang had been a bit of a sleeper until stinking it up on Saturday.

Bullpen
Closer - Craig Kimbrel
RH - Jason Grilli
RH - Jim Johnson
LH - James Russell
LH - Josh Outman
---
LH - Luis Avilan
RH - Michael Kohn

My Take? The first five are set in stone (though roles aren't set), but that still leaves two open spots for competition. After a week of action, I haven't wavered from my original two picks. You can look at Brady Feigl, who profiled here, but I imagine injuries will have to pile up for Feigl to jump to the bigs. Justin Jackson and Sugar Ray Marimon have also looked good, though I think they are playing for a look later in case a spot opens in May or June. If Martin makes a surprising jump to the rotation, could we see Wandy or Stults go to the pen? Possibly.

Lineup
1. Eric Young Jr., CF
2. Nick Markakis, RF
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Chris Johnson, 3B
5. Jonny Gomes / Zoilo Almonte, LF
6. Andrelton Simmons, SS
7. Jace Peterson, 2B
8. Christian Bethancourt, C

Bench
C - A.J. Pierzynski
1B/OF - Joey Terdoslavich
IF - Alberto Callaspo
OF Eury Perez (added to bench)
OF - LF Platoon Guy Not Starting (Gomes/Almonte)
Dropping: UT Kelly Johnson

My Take? Not yet ready to make a lineup adjustment, though I am leaning toward dropping Almonte from the LF platoon in favor of Terdo, who has raked this spring. His minor league numbers don't scream platoon like Almonte's do, but if he's going to hit, who cares? If Almonte drops from a time share at one of the outfield slots, could he lose his job on the team? Absolutely and in that case, I imagine Phil Gosselin will get a longer look. As for KJ...he hasn't hit...at all. That said, if Markakis misses the start of the year, it could open a spot for KJ to sneak onto the team. Also, in that case, I imagine Jace will bat second. He might hit there anyway and maybe Markakis will be in the five spot regardless.

Truthfully, I could spend all days with just those eight guys and come up with a billion different examples.