Thursday Throwback - David Ross

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(For my take on Hector Olivera, click here.)

Backup catchers are sort of like backup quarterbacks. You might think spending money on one is a waste of resources until you need him to be there and produce. When that happens, you are happy that you had the foresight to get the best possible backup. For four years, David Ross fulfilled that role for the Atlanta Braves and they are still trying to replace him.

Born in March of 1977 in Bainbridge, Georgia, David Wade Ross later attended the aptly named Florida High School in Tallahassee. The Dodgers tried their luck with Ross in the 19th round of the '95 draft, but he passed and went to college - first at Auburn and then at Florida. It was at Auburn that he teamed up with center fielder and sometimes pitcher, Tim Hudson. Several years later, Hudson and Ross would again be teammates, but we'll get to that.

Ross had transferred to Florida for playing time and it led to him getting picked again by the Dodgers in '98, this time in the 7th round. Expected to be a power hitter behind the plate with advanced defensive skills, Ross began his minor league career in style with a .309/.412/.487 slash with Yakima in Short-Season A-ball after he was drafted. Two years later, a return trip to Florida with the Jacksonville Suns gave Ross his second .800 OPS season. He continued the good run with a .297/.384/.519 triple slash the following season with Las Vegas. His solid game got him to the majors in mid-summer of '02 and again in September. He would notably replace Paul Lo Duca in a 19-1 blistering the Dodgers gave the Diamondbacks. Long-time Cub Mark Grace took the ball to pitch the ninth and Ross put the cherry on the top with a first-pitch homerun. It was his first of what is currently 96 homeruns.

Ross missed much of 2003 before settling in as a backup in '04, though the results were terrible (.170/.253/.291). After failing to beat out Paul Bako for the backup job the next spring, Ross was sent to the Pirates. You might have forgotten he played for the Pirates - I know I did. He struggled with Pittsburgh. A late move to San Diego helped his season stats, but he still finished the year with a .671 OPS. Ross was nearing 30 and looked like a journeyman and not a particularly good one at that.

For the second consecutive spring, Ross was squeezed out of the opening day roster - this time by Rob Bowen - and the Padres dealt Ross to the Reds. It was in Cincinnati that Ross found a little stability. In his first year, he took advantage of the Great American Ball Park's generous dimensions to hit a career-best 21 homeruns with a .932 OPS. His follow-up campaign would see the power sustained (17 homeruns), but he simply could not get on base enough (.271 OBP). He would get a third year with the Reds and the results were a mixed bag. He improved his on-base ability, but his power nearly disappeared. The Reds moved on, releasing Ross that August. He briefly caught on with the Red Sox and would even play a game in the postseason.

That offseason, Atlanta was looking for stability behind Brian McCann. They had gone through Corky Miller, Clint Sammons, and Brayan Pena for two seasons. Pena was the only one to provide any element of offense, but the Braves didn't seem convinced he was a capable enough receiver. McCann had played 145 games, which is still his career-high, and by the end of the year, he continued to produce though he lacked the power he had showed so impressively earlier in the season. Ross would help the Braves in a number of ways. The Braves had gifted Todd Pratt to McCann in the latter's first full season of '06, but the still young-McCann could benefit from a guy who had seen much the game had to offer in Ross. Plus, Ross was seen as a leader for a staff that began the year with 23 year-old Jair Jurrjens and later added 22 year-old Tommy Hanson. While little was expected from his bat, the prevailing assumption was that Ross would be able to contribute a few taters and not be a complete zero at the plate like Miller and Sammons.

Year 1 went about as good as the Braves could have hoped. Ross triple slashed .273/.380/.508 with 7 HR. His pairing with McCann was brilliant and the drop-off was nearly non-existent. His leadership was also present for both McCann and the pitchers he worked with. In the second year of a two-year contract, he continued to excel for the Braves, slashing .289/.392/.479 with 13 doubles, the second-best total for any season of his career. He would go on to appear twice that postseason as a defensive replacement. One of his biggest knocks of his first two seasons came in the fifth inning of the August 31, 2010 game against the visiting Mets. The Braves had began the inning down 2-1, but a two-run double by Jason Heyward and a run-scoring single by Alex Gonzalez had put the Braves on top. A batter after Gonzalez, Ross chased Jon Niese with a Grand Slam to deep left.

After bringing back Ross on a second two-year deal, the Braves catching situation remained the best in baseball in 2011. Ross never matched his production from the first two seasons, but he slashed .263/.333/.428 in 171 PA - a stellar effort from a backup. He picked up his second two-homer game as a Brave on April 26 and on July 2, he smacked his second Grand Slam as a Brave, providing the edge against Jake Arrieta and the Orioles 5-4. On July 27, he tied a 1-0 game with an RBI single against Paul Maholm and the Pirates in the sixth and four innings later, hit a walk-off single to win the game. A year later, he remained sturdy with a .256/.321/.449 slash. While the season would go down as the year Ross started over a hurting and struggling McCann in the ill-fated Wild Card Game, I think 2012 should be all about August 8 in Philadelphia. It was on that night, as the Braves cruised to a ho-hum 12-6 win, that Ross reached first base with two outs on an error. On the second pitch to next hitter, Paul Janish, Ross stole second. In his eleventh year in the majors, Ross has finally stole his first base.

But sure, let's focus on that Wild Card Game. McCann's shoulder was shot and he needed offseason surgery to rectify the situation. The two catchers shared a good deal of time in September rather than there being a clear distinction between the two. It was McCann's worst season - well, until he became a Yankee. Over his final 19 games, McCann had hit just .209 with a .260 OBP and .328 slugging. So, it was not too surprising that Ross played ahead of McCann - yet it still seemed like it was. Ross stepped in and gave the Braves a boost, though. He singled twice and homered over four at-bats. And Fredi Gonzalez's decision probably would have been lauded had the umpires not changed what the meaning of the infield fly rule was. I'm half-kidding, of course.

The Braves had gotten away with paying Ross just $1.625M for the final two years of his Braves' run. Over his four years with Atlanta, he had slashed .269/.353/.463. He deserved a pay raise and the Braves couldn't match what he was worth on the open market. That was not a problem for the Boston Red Sox, who inked Ross to a $3.1M average salary. His season got off to a miserable as he hit the DL in mid-June with concussion issues. When he returned, he was able to regain his place as Jon Lester's personal catcher, which became important in keeping him in the mix for the playoffs. He began to steal time beyond Lester's starts from Jarrod Saltalamacchia and in Game 5 of the World Series, he picked up a go-ahead RBI double off Adam Wainwright that helped the Red Sox win and inch closer to a World Series title. Two days later, with Ross behind the plate, the Red Sox beat the Cards 6-1, giving Ross his first World Series ring.

After another year with Boston that included some miserable results, Ross again hit free agency and joined the Cubs. His first year there was miserable at the plate, though his value in the clubhouse and behind the plate still impressed many. He even pitched two games - and did really well (2 ING, 6 batters up, 6 batters down). He returns for a farewell tour this year that has attracted a great deal of attention, which is a testament to Ross the person moreso than Ross the player.

For four years, the Braves had the best catching situation in baseball with an All-Star and a capable backup. The years since have shown how rare that is to put together. With his career nearly up, one has to wonder what's next after 2016. With how well-liked he is and how his leadership is lauded, hard not to see a coaching future for Ross. Maybe that could be a pathway back to Atlanta. Just spitballing.

Rossy gets some air as Chipper Jones sends a ball through the air against the Phillies on 9/2/12.
Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

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Once a Brave, Always a Brave - AL East

This series serves as an opportunity to see how the former Braves are doing across baseball. I looked at opening day rosters last month, but as we know following the Braves, things can change rapidly from the team that opened the year. With that in mind, let's head to the AL East and see how former Braves are doing. Most of these guys will be major league talents, but some former Braves farmhands will be utilized if I see them. This list is not exhaustive and I may miss a player here and there. Comment if you see one. Stats are accurate entering Monday's games.

Baltimore Orioles
P Pedro Beato (AAA)...It'd be easy to forget Beato played for the Braves last year. He spent just three games in the majors for Atlanta and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings with three walks and three K's. After the season, he returned to the organization he was once a decent prospect in and has looked pretty decent out of the Norfolk pen so far.

IF Paul Janish (AAA)...Janish simply plays in the wrong era. In the late 80's and early 90's when middle infielders were only expected to field, he would stick in the majors. He might not have a long run in one place like Rafael Belliard, but he would have kept getting work in the majors. Janish spent 107 games with the Braves between 2012-13 and received significant time in 2012 as a replacement to the injured Andrelton Simmons. So far this season for Norfolk, Janish has hit .239.

Boston Red Sox
P Zeke Spruill (AAA)...Drafted in the 2008 draft 26 picks ahead of Craig Kimbrel, Spruill was a decent prospect in a system that at the time was full of great pitching prospects when he was traded to the Diamondbacks in the Justin Upton blockbuster. He pitched 12 times, including three starts, for the D'Backs and was traded this offseason to the Sox. After not making the Red Sox, he was optioned to AAA where he has been, for the first time, a reliever.

New York Yankees
P David Carpenter...Traded in the offseason, Carp has struggled so far this year to the tune of a 5.40 ERA. The homer rate is sample size driven, but he hasn't been striking out his traditional amount to this point. Yanks are naturally expecting more.

P Kyle Davies (AAA)...For the first time since 2011, Davies pitched in the majors. For one game. Before being designated for assignment and headed to AAA. His numbers aren't all that pretty so far in the International League and Gwinnett has a win against him so far.

P Chasen Shreve...He spent a game in the minors, but has nine outings in the majors and has looked fairly good even though the Yanks are using him in long relief/mop-up duty to this point. He has struck out 12 in 12.1 ING while posting a 2.19 ERA.

C Brian McCann...In his second year in the Bronx, McCann is hitting a little better, but the now 31 year-old has yet to post the numbers that made him routinely an All-Star. At this point, it seems unlikely he will, either. In his first seven years, McCann slashed .286/.358/.486. Since 2012, that slash looks like .238/.305/.402.

1B Mark Teixeira...If you're like me, you are dealing with Teix's complete lack of a batting average because of how desperate you are for power. Teix has 22 base hits entering Monday. 10 have left the yard, seven are doubles. At least he walks, too. Of course, by the time you read this, there is even money that Teix strained his neck checking out a chick's butt so he's probably headed to the DL.
OF Garrett Jones...It's that time you are reminded that a long, long time ago, Jones was a Braves farmhand. He has had a Ryan Doumit-like beginning to the season.

Tampa Bay Rays
P Scott Diamond (AAA)...Long ago a Rule 5 pick by the Twins, Diamond has been a solid addition for the Durham Bulls this year. Still, that is a fall from starting 58 games for the Twins between 2011-13 with a 4.43 ERA.

Toronto Blue Jays
P Todd Redmond (AAA)...Was it really 2012 the last time Redmond pitched one of his 101 games with Gwinnett? Since being traded for Janish (we've come full circle), Redmond had found a spot on the Jays staff, but younger guys have pushed him back to the minors. After two rough games to open the year in Toronto, he headed across the border to Buffalo to worrisome results so far. This is the point that I remind you that Redmond was once traded for Tyler Yates.

Recently profiled in Once a Brave, Always a Brave...
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Once a Brave, Always a Brave - NL West (Part 1 of 2)

Because there are a lot of ex-Braves in the NL West, I'm going to go ahead and split this division into two posts. To be honest, I was half-tempted to cut the division into four different posts, but that seems like a bit too much.

Arizona Diamondbacks
P Randall Delgado - On the plus side for the D'Backs, only one of the five they acquired in the Justin Upton trade haven't played in the majors for them. On the not-so-plus side, many have pitched or played like Delgado. His ERA is near 5.00 in just over 40 games with the D'Backs with a FIP that is nearly matching. His tendency to give up long balls was only mildly annoying while playing in Atlanta, a park that doesn't tend to help hitters' power. In Arizona, it has nearly impossible to overcome. Mostly a reliever who is out of options now, Delgado will probably get another shot soon to start, but his time with the Diamondbacks looks like it might have a rapidly approaching expiration date.

P Zeke Spruill - At the time Spruill was coming up the system, he was often overshadowed by guys like Delgado. With good reason. Since coming to the Diamondbacks, he has been pretty average in the minors and fairly miserable in the majors in just 20.2 ING over eight games and three starts. Put it this way, 39% of the batters he's faced have reached base by either a hit, walk, or HBP. That's a lot of baserunners.

SS Nick Ahmed - A fast riser since the Braves took him in the 2nd round out of UConn, Ahmed is known for a slick glove and a developing bat. Well, after exploding for a .324/.390/.431 start in AAA, Ahmed got the call after an injury to one of the Diamondbacks infielder and went 1-for-3 in his debut. I doubt he suddenly became a great hitter and the Pacific Coast League often makes hitters look better than they really are, but Ahmed is a superb athlete who will play great defense and swipe 15-20 bases. He probably won't hit that much, not will his defense be as good as the Braves' current shortstop. Still, he might be the best young player out of this trade for Arizona...

3B Brandon Drury (A+) - ...That is, if Drury doesn't continue to put up extra nice numbers. Out of all the players traded in this deal, the one I felt the more apprehensive after the early shock of losing #14 was Drury. A 13th rounder out of a high school in Oregon, Drury had opened up some eyes with a .891 OPS with Danville in 2011 with 8 HR. While he would slump offensively the next year, there was still a lot to like. After the trade, Drury went back to A-ball and posted a .862 OPS with 15 HR. He's still in A-ball this season, though it's "advanced-A," and the results are just as solid with an .870 OPS. His glove isn't great, but neither is the current third baseman for the Braves. The solace of this is that Kyle Kubitza appears to be just as good of a prospect and a better athlete and defender, though Drury is a better power threat.

3B Martin Prado - What more can you say about Prado? When the announcement of the trade inititally hit facebook, his name wasn't mentioned. We all got excited about the prospect of one more year of Prado leading off and Justin Upton fitting somewhere in the lineup after him. That wasn't to be, however. After refusing Prado's demands for a long term deal, the Braves traded Prado as the center piece of the deal and Diamondbacks, who love grit if you haven't heard, inked him to a $40M deal over four years. And while Upton might frustrate Braves fans with his streakiness, Prado's falling numbers probably frustrate D'Backs fans more. After averaging .296/.346/.438 in the five seasons before the trade, Prado has hit just .277/.327/.399. While his defense is good, it's hardly great and the D'Backs were probably hoping of more of the 5.6 fWAR guy from 2012, not the 2.3 fWAR guy they got last season. Still impossible not to like, Prado is well received anytime the Arizona comes to town.

3B Andy Marte (AAA) Marte continues to rake at AAA, but that's nothing new. Marte has logged nearly 600 years at AAA during his career and has 94 homers to go with it. While hardly Mike Hessman territory, Marte is a solid player for teams at the second-highest rung. With the Diamondbacks likely selling at the deadline, maybe there will be room for Marte to get back to the bigs for the first time since the end of the 2010 season.

Colorado Rockies
P Matt Belisle - It was forever and a day ago that the Braves took Belisle in the 2nd round out of McCallum High School in Austin, Texas. The 2nd rounder was a starting prospect, but the Braves would give up on him for a mid-August waiver deal for Kent Mercker in 2002. He never had much success with the Reds and was miserable as a starter, but he found himself in his second season with the Rockies in 2010. Since then, the rubber-armed Belisle has pitched 337 times with a 3.62 ERA, 2.99 FIP, and 1.24 WHIP.

P Yohan Flande - In 2012, it looked like Flande was going to break camp with the Braves. After a good spring, the former Phillies farmhand who had just completed his first year at AAA was looking at a job as the long-man, but the lefty was demoted when the Braves signed Livan Hernandez. Flande would spent 2012 and most of 2013 with Gwinnett with an maddeningly average performance before leaving the organization after 2013. He landed in Colorado and despite continued average numbers, an injury got him to the majors and Flande made his major debut in June 25th. He gave up four runs to the Cards in a no-decision before losing last night against the Nationals. Thanks for that, Flande.

P Boone Logan - My favorite little tidbit about Logan is that he came over to the Braves in the Javier Vazquez deal and a year later, he was traded with Vazquez to the Yankees. Hopefully, they were roomies. Logan finally found success as a situational lefty with the Yankees over the last four years before getting $16.5M to come to Denver. The results have been miserable and he's missed nearly a month with left elbow inflammation. A LOOGY might need his left elbow. He's supposed to be returning very soon.

SS Paul Janish (AAA) - Remember how Janish hit .183 with the Braves with a pitcher-like .491 OPS? Yeah, he still can't hit, even in the thin air of Colorado Springs, where Janish has been playing for the Rockies' top minor league squad. A great defender whose claim to fame last season was 52 games to just 45 PA, Janish is a great guy to have around for your minor league team if only to give your pitcher a solid glove behind him.

That's it for this week. Next week, I'll take a look at the Dodgers, Padres, and Giants. The middle team of the three is especially interesting. Thanks for reading!

A Fun Coors Night

Some notes from Tuesday's slugfest in Coors Field...

It was the most runs scored since September 2nd when the Braves smacked the hapless Mets 13-5. It was the most runs during a road game since last July 6th, a 13-4 win over the Phillies. Last year, the Braves scored ten runs in Coors Field with both of the Uptons going back-to-back in a 10-2 win. The last time the Braves scored 13 at Coors Field came on May 5th, 2012. They were down 6-0 after Mike Minor got blasted (sound familiar?), but outscored the Rockies 13-3 after the second inning. Livan Hernandez recorded the final five outs for his only major league save.

The last time the Braves scored at least tens while surrendering ten runs was July 20th, 2012 against the Nationals. That was a game in which the Braves battled back from 9-0 after five to take the lead in the 9th, only to have Craig Kimbrel blow it by giving up a homer to Danny Espinosa. Paul Janish (of all people) singled home Dan Uggla (of all people) on a popfly that eluded the drawn-in infield and Chad Durbin (OF ALL PEOPLE) picked up the save with a shutdown eleventh to conserve the 11-10 win. This was also the last time the Braves scored at least ten runs and a reliever picked up a save. Kimbrel hadn't done it since May 30th, 2012 against the Cardinals, conserving a 10-7 win.

The last time the Braves scored at least 13 runs while surrendering at least ten runs was May 2nd, 2012. Played at Turner Field, the Braves fell behind 6-0 by the bottom of the fifth, battled back and took an 8-6 lead, fell behind 12-8, pulled ahead 13-12, and again Kimbrel blew it in the ninth. In the bottom of the 11th, Chipper Jones hit a two-run walkoff homer that absolutely deflated the Phillies.

The Braves not only scored 13 runs, a season high, but they banged out 16 hits. That was one more than the 15 they had in a 9-3 win against the Marlins on May 19th. The Braves are 10-0 when they have more than ten hits and 13-3 when they have at least ten. The Braves never had exactly 16 hits last season, but they had more than 16 four times, most recently when they finished a 12-5 thrashing of the Phillies with 17 hits last September 29th in the final game of the year. The game included Christian Bethancourt's only current major league at-bat, a strikeout. Elliot Johnson (SERIOUSLY, OF ALL PEOPLE) had 5 RBI and Gerald Laird went 4 for 4. The last road game with 16 or more hits was last July 6th when the Braves had 18 hits while humbling the Phillies.

The Braves have given up ten or more runs twice this season, the other time coming on May 14th against the Giants. Unlike that game, all ten runs this time were earned. The last time that happened was last July 20th, when the White Sox beat the Braves 10-6. That game was started by Paul Maholm, who got the call in all three of the starts the Braves gave up ten runs last season.

Three of five inherited runners scored last night, the most this season. The Braves allowed three inherited runners to score in a 3-1 loss last September 21st to the Cubs.

So...last night was a little weird, though not too strange. Fortunately, it ended in a victory. I had really no problem with Minor being left out as long as he was. In a true Coors Field game, your pitcher forgets about his ERA and just tries to give you innings. Minor didn't have it, but kept the Braves from using the entire bullpen. Hopefully, the offense takes a little of Coors Field with them after the series.

Once a Brave, Always a Brave - AL East

Today, I dust off a return of a weekly column that will look into how former Braves are performing around the majors. Let's start in the AL East where one of Atlanta's big free agents last offseason landed.

Baltimore
P Luis Ayala (AA) - Acquired last season, Ayala dealt with a bout of depression or anxiety or a stomach virus (different stories exist) that sent him to the Disabled List before finally working his way back through the minors for a 37 game run in Atlanta where he gave up a lot of baserunners (1.52 WHIP), but only ten runs and a 2.90 ERA. Unable to secure major league employment, Ayala went back to Orioles and pitched in five games for their AA Bowie team to little success. On Sunday, he opted out of his minor league deal and will head to Mexico to pitch.

P Chris Jones (AAA) - Traded for Ayala last season, Jones has worked in long relief for Baltimore's AAA team, Norfolk. Nothing notable about his numbers. He was originally in the Braves organization for just over a season after the Braves got him from Cleveland in the Derek Lowe deal. In his 8th year in the minors, the left-hander doesn't appear to be a guy who will be a major league fixture.

Boston
P Chris Resop (AAA) - Continuing to just stick around, Resop, now 31, has struck out about a batter an inning, even though his numbers outside of that are mediocre. Resop originally played with the Braves in 2008 and after a trip to Japan, pitched in one game in 2010 where he allowed five runs in two innings. Originally a fourth-rounder by the Marlins who played outfield for the first three seasons of his career before being switched to the mound.

C David Ross - In his second go-around with the Sox, Ross has struggled to match his production from his time in Atlanta and while a team leader, as evident by recent bench clearing incidents with the Rays, Ross doesn't seem likely to continue to get paid $3.1M as he has been since leaving the Braves. In four seasons as a backup to the new starting catcher in the Bronx, Ross hit .269/.353/.463. Wonder if a return to Atlanta after this season is in the cards?

New York Yankees
C Brian McCann - After an eight-and-a-half year run in Atlanta that included 176 homeruns, McCann left Atlanta last December for the bottomless pit known as the Yankees' wallet. The Braves had already replaced him with Evan Gattis. McCann has struggled in his new city, OPSing under .700. He's also began to get used to the idea of playing first base, receiving four games there with one start. McCann is currently a .730 OPS guy since the beginning of 2012. The Yankees may go on to regret this deal.

1B Mark Teixeira - They almost certainly haven't felt like they have received the proper production from Teix's deal. Now in his sixth season with the Yankees, he has spent pieces of the last three years on the DL, including playing just 15 games in 2013. While his first season was an elite campaign, follow-up years have seen him incapable of posting a SLG that touches .500. Still owed $45M over the next two seasons, Teix has been productive of late and might turn in a very good season after all. In his 157 games in Atlanta between trades, Teix hit .295 with a .943 OPS and 37 HR. At least he hit while he was here, I guess.

IF Kelly Johnson - Still only 32, KJ is a long ways away from his 2007-2009 run as the Braves starting second basemen. His .831 OPS in 2007 made me a fan, though follow-up efforts were not as successful. Since leaving Atlanta, outside of one year in Arizona, KJ has been disappointing and over the last two seasons, he has turned into a utility player. His career .760 OPS only looks that good because of a .795 OPS while in Atlanta.

OF Antoan Richardson (AAA) - Drafted four times before he finally signed a contract, Richardson joined the Braves after the Giants cut him during 2009. He spent 2010 and 2011 with the Braves, mostly in the minors with Mississippi. He did make it to the majors for his speed during September of 2011, appearing in nine games and getting four trips to the plate. He is currently 2-for-4 in his career with a stolen base. He is posting career-norms for Scranton/Wilkes Barre this season which means a high OBP and stolen bases and not a lot else.

Tampa Bay
SS Yunel Escobar - Kelly Johnson's former double-play partner in both Atlanta and Tampa Bay, Escobar has found a home in Tampa Bay to go along with a four-year contract. He spent parts of four seasons in Atlanta, impressing the Braves with his offensive skills and defense while frustrating them with his attitude. After an .801 OPS in his first three seasons, Esco has only once posted an OPS over .700. Still valuable because of plus-plus defense, Esco remains frustrating for his team and a pest for opposing teams.

3B Wilson Betemit (AAA) - Once one of the game's top prospects, Betemit is back in the minors this season for Durham. While he's among the league leaders in homers, Betemit's other numbers are meh at best. If he gets to the majors with the Rays, it will be his eighth different major league team. While he has been productive at times in the majors, it's a far cry from the expectations Betemit had when he originally reached the majors as a 19 year-old in 2001.

Toronto
P Todd Redmond - After spending over four years in the Braves organization following a trade from the Pirates, Redmond was traded to the Reds for Paul Janish in the summer of 2012 and finally pitched in the majors with the Reds. He has spent the last two seasons with the Blue Jays, posting average numbers both as a starter and reliever.

OF Melky Cabrera - Even though he spent just one season in Atlanta, Melky reached Keith Lockhart-like disdain while posting a miserable .671 OPS. He would produce well in KC the following year and had an All-Star campaign working in 2012 with the Giants before being busted for steroids. After an ugly 2013 in Toronto, Cabrera has rebounded well. Still a douchebag.

3B Juan Francisco - Old Fat Juan belted 14 homers in 128 games with the Braves, often in part-time action, before being unleashed on the Brewers. His power played well there, but he quickly wore out his welcome. Amazingly, he has been explosive with the Jays, OPSing over .900 with nine homers in around 120 PA and hasn't shown signs of slowing while taking over the everyday job at third.

See ya, Elliot!

How considerate for former crappy Braves utility infielders to do me the solid of giving me a quick, easy column to write as my wife gave birth.  I'm actually writing this two days before it posts, yet through the magic of words, I will make it seem like it's Wednesday.

Happy hump day, everyone!  Hope you are enjoying your January 29, 2014.  (nailed it)

Two days ago, as yesterday's star Paul Janish was signing with the Rockies, another former Brave headed elsewhere as well as Elliot Johnson inked a minor league deal with the Indians.  While Janish at least got a year-and-a-half to look awful as a Brave, EJ got two months, yet he still played a bigger role for the Braves than Janish ever did.

Also unlike Janish is that Johnson doesn't excel defensively anywhere.  His value is found in his flexibility and a gritty almost Ecksteinian approach to this thing we call baseball.  An undrafted free agent, Johnson originally made it to the majors with the Rays in 2008, but arrived to stay in 2011.  Well, he stayed for two years, playing nearly 200 games with woeful offensive numbers.  However, in his time with the Rays, he certainly wore many hats.  Well, no, he didn't, but it's just an expression meaning he played several different positions.  First base, second base, shortstop, third base, left field, center field, and right field.  Now, he didn't do any of these things particularly well, but it's decent value.  He also showed a nice ability to maximize underwhelming speed and steal bases, swiping 18 in 24 attempts in 2012.

Johnson was the player-to-be-named in the gigantic James Shields/Wil Myers trade during the offseason of 2012-13, going from the Rays to the Royals.  He sucked fairly hard in KC, slashing a Janish-worthy .179/.218/.241, though he was successful in all 14 stolen base attempts.  Surprisingly for a team that was willing to look past the miserable play of Jeff Francoeur, the Royals cut bait on Johnson and in a shocker, the Braves picked him up last August 21st.  Usually, it's the Royals digging through Atlanta's garbage like a stalker.

While Johnson would move around and start games in left, at third, and once at shortstop, his primary position with the Brave was at second, where he garnered much internet support as a replacement for Dan Uggla.  With the Braves, he had one of his best runs in the majors, slashing .261/.317/.359 in 32 games, including adding eight steals.  The Braves were so sad in stolen bases that Johnson was tied for third on the Braves in steals.

With Uggla's lazer-eyes still not working so well, the Braves made the controversial decision to start Johnson at second in the playoffs.  In his first 13 plate appearances, he was hitless with a walk, four K's, and he grounded into a double play.  In his 14th, he hit a one-out triple in the seventh inning of Game 4 and would score the go-ahead run.  Something happened later to negate the importance of that.  In his final plate appearance with the Braves, Johnson stranded a pair of runners with a flyout.  The odd, never discussed thing, is that after that at-bat, he was removed from the game.  Why, say Jordan Schafer, didn't pinch hit for him is pretty strange.  Oh, well.

I will not miss EJ.  I don't think anyone will. He was just a sign of how sad the once-deep bench regressed to.  Good bye Elliot and may the Indians need a guy who can't, can't really field that well, but can show grit and determination and all-around whiteness while playing several positions.

See ya, Paul!

There comes a time in the life of every member of the Atlanta Braves baseball club where he must say good bye.  Sometimes, it's a forceful good bye.  We all remember the public shunning of John Rocker by sending him to Cleveland.  Other times, a member of Atlanta leaves on his own, often with money bags provided by other poaching ballclubs.  Rarely, there are tears as that member is headed off into retirement, which we all know means death.

And then, there is Paul Janish.  Sometimes, you forget that the player was even a member of the team last season.  Janish signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies yesterday because in the mile-high environment of Denver, maybe he will be able to hit his first major league homerun since 2010.  Probably not, but there is a chance.

Janish joined the Braves in a 2012 trade that sent Todd Redmond to the Reds.  Janish had progressed quickly in the Reds system, reaching the majors during the 2008 season, but he was never a capable hitter in the minors or in the majors.  In 2011, playing in a career high 114 games, he posted a -0.6 fWAR.  That's difficult to do when you post a 7.9 UZR.  Not so difficult when you OPS .521 in over 350 PA, though.  Janish was demoted to AAA to open 2012 and that's where the Braves plucked him from after Andrelton Simmons suffered an injury.  The Braves had already given the Tyler Pastornicky experiment two months and the last thing they wanted to see was a regular occurrence of Rev at short.

Janish hit...well...like Janish during his run with Braves, slashing .186/.269/.234 in just over 175 plate appearances after the trade from the Reds in 2012.  Showing himself to be no fluke, Janish followed up his 2012 campaign with an even worse 2013 season (.171/.222/.220).  Again, injuries got Janish to the bigs as Ramiro Pena's bum shoulder brought Janish to the majors as a caddy for Chris Johnson's woeful defense.  Bad sign when you get to the bigs simply because of injuries and not your talent.

While a good defender, his defense is not Simmons' level.  Combine that with a bat that might as well be made out of that nerf material and you have a player you are not likely to miss.  However, it should be said that since this guy needs injuries to get to the majors, he made a good decision on employment.  I mean, it's not like Troy Tulowitzki has been the epitome of health.

Howdy Elliot!

Earlier this season, the Braves looked like they had a wealth of depth in the middle infield.  In addition to their unquestioned starters, Ramiro Pena provided excellent numbers off the bench to go with valuable defense.  In the minors, there was last year's opening day starter at shortstop, Tyler Pastornicky, and defensive wiz Paul Janish.

But baseball has a way of destroying depth with unmatched quickness.  First, it was Pena's shoulder.  Recently, it was Dan Uggla going all Blind Guy McSqueezy.  That brought Pastornicky back from Gwinnett.  At least, it did until Jason Heyward decided that his presence was unacceptable and decided to murderball him.  The middle infield depth was reduced to Janish and Ryan Gosling's brother to go with Andrelton Simmons.  

So, it wasn't all that surprising that the Braves claimed a middle infielder.  What was surprising was that they passed on others for him.  

The Royals waived Elliot Johnson, a super utility guy who they just acquired in the offseason in the James Shields/Wil Myers trade.  He came up to the majors with the Rays in 2008 and played in 200 games in three seasons.  The majority of that came in 2012 when he hit .242/.304/.350 with 18 steals.  After the trade, he came off the bench with a fair bit of regularity for the Royals, but he only OPS'd .458 in the process.  He was 14 for 14 in steals, though.

Johnson has some value.  He has played everywhere except behind the plate and on the mound.  He's a good base-runner with 38 steals in 52 attempts and a career 2.4 BSR.  And that's the end of the "Johnson has some value" narrative because after defensive flexibility and base-running, there comes the bat and Johnson has yet to have much to provide there.  A career .212 hitter with a .580 OPS, Johnson is not a post-hype sleeper who had stellar minor league numbers.  He's just a light-hitting backup.  You might call him a scrapper.  

As a depth pickup, Johnson helps.  Just not a great deal.

Gotta wonder why the Braves passed on Ryan Roberts for him.  Possibly Frank Wren was stuck on the idea of adding a backup infielder capable of batting left-handed as Johnson can switch-hit.  That's the only reason I can come up with.  Oh, well, all the same...Howdy Elliot!

Once a Brave, Always a Brave - AL East

...excluding John Rocker.

I think I am clear that I love having a regular series to write about.  Random Prospects, Random Ex-Braves, Favorite Braves List, the now defunct Twitter Feed (better in the offseason)...suffice it to say, I like having ongoing segments because, mainly, it takes out the difficulty of trying to be creative.  As a stay-at-home dad with a second kid on the way, I can't always be a creative master.

So, in the first on an ongoing series that I'll aim to release every Wednesday, let's catch up with former Braves around the league.  If I miss a former Brave for a team, feel free to hit me with a baseball bat.

Baltimore

P Jairo Asencio - Who?  Oh, yeah, he was picked up before 2008 from the Pirates system and got to the bigs the following season.  Expected to battle for a spot in 2010, visa issues torpedo'd his year.  He did get into a half-dozen games with the Braves in 2011.  He's in his third different organization since and has spent most of the season doing a nice job at closing games for Norfolk with four games in Baltimore.

IF Wilson Betemit - He's hurt and he sucks.  So hurt he has missed the season to this point from knee surgery.  I'd look up how his rehab is going, but as I established previously, he sucks.  Remember when he came up in 2001 as a 19 year-old?

OF Nate McLouth - Screw him.  No, really, screw him.  You know how your .283/.350/.420 current slash with 25 steals would have come in handy when you sucked it up badly in Atlanta?  He actually is a good guy and I'm glad he has found success, but still, screw him.

Boston

P Ryan Dempster - Wait, he's a dick.

P Oscar Villarreal - El Vulture started the year with Pawtucket, but he's back in the Mexican League.  Don't miss him.

C David Ross - He played in 23 games and wasn't hitting like the Rossy we remember.  He's been on the DL for a long time now with a concussion.

C Jarrod Saltalamacchia - Here's a funny possibility.  The Braves might target Salty if Brian McCann signs elsewhere and they don't have confidence in Evan Gattis.  He's hitting .261/.331/.445 and strikes out a ton.  Lower that batting average and you're an honorary Brave.

IF Drew Sutton - He was kind of a Brave. At least, everyone wanted him to be in 2012 as he was toiling around in Gwinnett to start the year.  Instead the Braves sold him off to be a Pirate who sold him off a day later to be a Ray.  Yeah, that's not a lie.  Neither was the fact he was selected off waivers a month later by the Pirates.  And there were a good deal of Braves fans who thought the Braves made a mistake with Sutton.

New York Yankees

P Boone Logan - Also known as Javier Vazquez's squire (traded with him to the Braves, traded with him to the Yanks), Logan remains a solid LOOGY.  41 K's in 30.1 ING with just seven walks.  Not too shabby even if he's given up 5 homers.

1B Mark Teixeira - He's hurt.  Semi-related, but look at the baseball-reference page for the Yankees and take a gander at their normal starters.  And laugh.

IF Brent Lillibridge - Lillipad was just designinated for assigment when means he wasn't good enough to stick with a team that has employed the likes of Reid Brignac and Ben Francisco.

Tampa Bay

P Kyle Farnsworth - Formally a two-time Brave, Farny has been fairly bad for the Rays this season and has been relegated to low leverage situations.

SS Yunel Escobar - Still a good defender, Escobar has been the regular shortstop for the Rays after getting traded twice this winter.  In a lineup that is really good, Escobar's .694 OPS stands out as a sore thumb.  On the other hand, Esco has always stood out as a sore thumb.

UT Kelly Johnson - My mancrush is now a utility player.  How sad.  Still, he's having a decent year for the Rays while receiving time at 1B, 2B, 3B, FS, SG, NCIS, and LF.  He's OPSing .783 with 15 homers, second most on the team.  His time has been cut in by the arrival of Wil Myers.

Toronto

P Buddy Carlyle - "My Buddy" started 20 games with the 2007 Braves, but that was more a sign of how desperate the Braves were.  He also appeared in 45 games as a regular pen guy in 2008.  The Braves were his seventh organization he had played for at the time and the bulk of his major league career (all but 62.1 ING) came with the Braves.  He played overseas in 2010, with the Yankees in 2011, and back in Gwinnett last year. He has been coming out of the pen for the Buffalo Bisons this year and remains a good organizational guy to have at AAA.

P Todd Redmond - For three-and-a-half years, Redmond pitched in Gwinnett.  He wasn't so much refining his game as he was AAAA material.  The Braves got him before 2008 for Tyler Yates.  Last season, desperate for a guy who could play shortstop because no one was interested in seeing Tyler Pastornicky suck some more, the Braves dealt Redmond to the Reds for Paul Janish.  He's now with the Jays and has made five starts in Toronto.  He's actually not sucked. So, there's that.

IF Mark DeRosa - He's still got pop and can hit lefties, but DeRosa's lost every bit of range he once had.  He deserves better than to have to play on this shitty team at 38, though.

OF Melky Cabrera - Funny how his numbers have crashed since being busted for PED's.  Couldn't happen to be a more deserving douche.

Trade Target: Placido Polanco

According to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo, a few of the first players to be placed on waivers with a trade in mind were reported.  One of the most interesting players so far, at least for Atlanta, is Placido Polanco.  As a Braves fan, I hated him as a Cardinal, despised him as a Phillie, and forgot that he played in Detroit at some point.  He signed a one year, $2.75M contract before the season with the Marlins.  That says to me that no team was willing to offer him a starting spot coming into this season except for the Jeffrey Loria's.

Ever since Ramiro Pena went down, the Braves have not had an option to caddy the defensively challenged Chris Johnson with that was also capable of hitting a pitch, any pitch.  I'm looking at you, Paul Janish.  Love your defense, but you should try to come to the plate without your typical Louisville Invisible Slugger.

Polanco's best days are well in his past.  At his highest, he was a superb fielder who could hit well enough with his top-notch bat control for a solid WAR, including a pair of 5 WAR seasons earlier in his career.  Now 37, Polanco has been limited to third base the past two seasons and his pop, which was never great, is all but gone.  He really shouldn't be starting at this point of his career, but the Marlins are pathetic desperate.  His splits tend toward a guy who hits LHP very well and struggles badly against LHP (.347 AVG vs. .220 this season).  In two of the last three years, that split difference has shown up so there is a degree of value in saying that he can hit left-handers fairly well at this point.

Owed around $880K for the rest of the year, Polanco would be a cheap investment for the Braves, but is he is a good one?  Defensively, Polanco would become Johnson's caddy.  I'll give Johnson some credit here and say he has played better defense of late, but I still struggle to have confidence in him in the late innings with a lead.  Polanco has been a tremendous defender at third throughout his career.  For example, in his first two seasons as an everyday third baseman for the Phillies 2010-11, he posted UZR's of 11.7 and 13.9.  In about 400 fewer innings in 2012, he still posted a 4.4 UZR.  However, his UZR is a career-worst -2.2 this year.  Sometimes, a fluky year can show up in UZR so I tend to value a three-year sample vs. one-year.  The only problem with that is aging players tend to become worse defensively so age might be an issue here.  I'd have to lean on my scouts, of which I have none.  However, Atlanta has more disposable income to put into scouting, of which I have, again, none.

Even if they come back saying he's lost a step, but is still a decent third baseman, do the Braves have a spot for him?  Let's look at the usual bench since the injury to Reed Johnson.

Bench: Gerald Laird, Janish, Joey Terdoslavich, Jose Constanza, and Todd Cunningham.  Recently, Laird was DL'd, but he should be back soon.

B.J. Upton is supposed to return today so that would eliminate one outfielder.  Also, Jordan Schafer is expected to begin his rehab assignment with Gwinnett so he would likely replace the other outfielder.  Grabbing Polanco was supposed to replace Janish, who is limited to pinch running and defensive replacement duties, however Polanco would actually replace Terdo.  Janish would need to remain with the team to back-up shortstop and second.  Polanco was once a super second baseman, but he hasn't played the position since 2011 and he only logged an inning that year.  The previous season, he played 82 innings at second, but that's three years ago.  He last played shortstop in 2005.

Acquiring Polanco seem like it would be, at best, a lateral move, but more likely a move that hurts the Braves because I have more confidence in Terdo's bat than Polanco's at this point.  Not to say I wouldn't make the deal, but this is a deal I am only interested in come the end of August when I could do some fancy roster-work to keep Polanco around for the playoffs.  If Polanco goes unclaimed, he is not the guy right now for the Braves to acquire, even if he would be super cheap.

Discussion: Jason Heyward to Center

Before Sunday's game with the White Sox, Dave O'Brien tweeted that the Braves were going to move Jason Heyward to center field for the time being with B.J. Upton out.  This move does have both positives and negatives so I'll look at both.

Positives

Outside of Heyward, the Braves have two players with experience in center.  Reed Johnson does a few things rather well at this level.  He hits lefties at a good rate.  He's competent in a corner outfield slot.  And that's a few.  One thing Johnson is simply not capable of doing is playing center field.  It's not a slight on him, but he's just not able to play center field.  Very few can.  If Heyward and Johnson aren't playing center, the only other option is Jose Constanza.  The little spark plug hasn't played much center at the major league level and when he has, he has been horrific.  He also hasn't been an everyday option in center since 2009.  Typically, if you can play center, you will stay there.  That's not to say that Heyward will be a plus in center where Heyward has only four starts and 29 innings.  In the minors, he only had 17 games there.  Since he was drafted, Heyward has played right field nearly every night, except for the ones where he was injured (and too many times, that has been the case).  Nevertheless, Heyward's superb range in right makes him one of the best, if not best, right fielders defensively in the game.  While playing center is different and picking up the ball off the bat is also more difficult, Heyward is definitely athletic enough.

Second, Heyward in center with Justin Upton almost certainly moving to right opens left field for Evan Gattis to get his fair share of consistent at-bats.  There are concerns with Gattis playing every day.  As a starter, Gattis is hitting .222/.281/.467 in his first 46 starts.  He seems to be better when Fredi Gonzalez can pick the spot he comes to the plate.  Still, the only way he Braves find out how he will handle being a starting player is to start him.  Johnson and Constanza will likely have to be ready to be a defensive replacement as Gattis in left is scary.  Sometimes, though, you have to sacrifice defense for hitting.

Negatives

Heyward is coming off a hamstring injury.  Is the best course of action to put him in center, where he probably has some level of discomfort, and let him try to range from gap-to-gap?  Especially considering if Gattis is in left, Heyward has to be counted on to make up for some of Gattis's complete lack of range?  If Heyward is feeling any soreness in his hamstring, playing center field could either cause him to nurse it or hurt himself further.

Plus, as much difficulty as Heyward has had with getting comfortable at the plate, making him more uncomfortable with a strange position is worrisome.

Beyond that, using Gattis and Chris Johnson in the same game means the Braves will likely be using two defensive replacements in late games with the lead.  This could be dangerous when the Braves do give up the lead, forcing the Braves to rely on the bats of Paul Janish, Reed Johnson, and/or Constanza late in games, even in extra innings.  The five-men bench quickly becomes a three-men bench at best.  That handcuffs how aggressive the Braves can be in crunch time.  Replacing Brian McCann with a pinch runner would probably fall on a pitcher.

Conclusion

Bottom line, the Braves don't have many options.  Todd Cunningham's defense in center is probably the best of the possible options, but he's in Gwinnett.  So excusing him, the three options presented to Fredi Gonzalez clearly point to Heyward being the best.  While there is a valid amount of concerns about a move like this, especially from an injury side, getting the better lineup options to the plate brings more value.

The Braves might find themselves dealing with the occasional short bench because of defensive replacements, but that doesn't seem like a problem they will face very often.  And how much more of an injury concern Heyward has in center vs. right is debatable.  My gut tells me he won't be more adversely at risk than if they were playing him in right.

Though it does feel very odd to agree with Fredi.  

Two Birds, One Stone

Frank Wren has shown a willingness to deal, deal, and deal some more at the deadline.  Twice since being named general manager of the Braves, he has pulled off what is a pretty rare feat.  Acquiring two major league talents from the same team to attempt to answer two perceived holes on your roster.  In 2010, the Braves acquired Kyle Farnsworth and Rick Ankiel to solidify the bullpen and replace the awful Nate McLouth in center.  Last year, Paul Maholm and Reed Johnson were brought over in efforts to provide depth to the rotation and outfield.  Maybe lightning will strike again and the Braves will go the Costco route of shopping for quantity.

What better team to attempt that with than the Toronto Blue Jays.  They even provide credence to this post's title because the Blue Jay is a bird!  Have I sufficiently beat this dead horse enough already?

We all know the story of the 2013 Blue Jays.  After a mega deal with the Miami Marlins and other smaller-scale acquisitions, the Jays were a hot choice for a playoff contender in 2013.  A rough 10-21 start put the Jays in a hole and in a tough AL East, picking up ground has been difficult.  They started to get hot, even climbing to two games over .500 on June 23rd, but followed that up by dropping 13 of their next 20 and entered the All-Star Break 11.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox and 8.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot.

Clearly, it's been a miserable season for a team with incredibly high expectations and a payroll that jumped almost $40M.  There is good news, though.  Their misery could be Atlanta's gain.  Let's take a look at some players that might intrigue the Braves.

Casey Janssen, rhp
2013 Salary: $3.9M
2014 Status: $4.0M club option, no buyout

Janssen has never looked back since taking over as the Jays' closer during last season.  So far this season, Janssen has 18 saves, a 2.55 FIP, and a 50.0 GB%.  His K numbers are a little down and his LOB% has been higher than it probably should be, but Janssen gets it done despite not having an overpowering fastball.  He brings it in the early 90's, but uses a devastating cutter to keep the batters off-balanced.  Plus, he will whip out a good curveball and even an occasional slider or changeup.  Affordable at $4M for his productivity, acquiring Janssen could be a sign the Braves are cashing their chips in for a run this season as the asking price will likely be large.

Dustin McGowan, rhp
2013 Salary: $1.5M
2014 Status: $1.5M

McGowan has been trying this major-league thing since 2005, but has struggled to stay healthy.  After starting throughout his career, this season, McGowan has returned as a reliever and the results are promising thus far.  Since getting activated in early June, McGowan has used a power fastball that can reach 98 mph to help mow down hitters to the tune of 11.6 K/9.  His slider has been tremendous so far.  But it is a small sample because McGowan has only faced 46 batters in 11 games.  McGowan is team-controlled through 2015 with a $4M club option and the Blue Jays might not be interesting in dealing a cheap, potentially devastating arm.

Darren Oliver, lhp
2013 Salary: $3M
2014 Status: Free Agent

Old Man River has been pitching in the majors since 1993.  That's staggering.  My oldest niece was born in 1993.  In 745 games at the major league level, Oliver only has seven career saves.  His career, especially since he transitioned to the bullpen in 2004, has been readily defined.  He is there to get out lefties.  His numbers thus far haven't been anything to write home about against left-handed hitters, however, you just have to go back to 2012 to see Oliver getting out lefties at a good clip.  His "struggles" this season are likely sample size-driven.  He spent some time on the DL earlier this season, but returned June 10th.

Emilio Bonifacio, utility
2013 Salary: $2.6M
2014 Status: Arbitration-eligible for third time

One of the lesser publicized names out of the Marlins/Jays mega-deal, Bonifacio hasn't enjoyed his time north of the border.  He's hitting just .207 and not walking at all after working his BB% over nine percent the last two seasons.  Like many first-year Blue Jays, he seems to scream another change of scenery and a return to the NL East might bring back the guy who posted a 2.8 WAR for the Marlins in 2011, or at least, a semblance of that guy.  Bonifacio has played all three outfield spots, second base, and a game at shortstop this season and also has recent experience at third.  However, he won't replace Ramiro Pena's glove at third.  But considering Jordan Schafer is out till September, the Braves could keep Paul Janish for D and replace Tyler Pastornicky with Bonifacio.

Where would Wren go with these four?  My gut says he would likely grab Oliver and Bonifacio.  A package to acquire the two would likely be minimal as the Jays have to be considering non-tendering Bonifacio and likely won't sign Oliver if the latter returns for his 70th year in the bigs.  Giving up scraps like Pastornicky and a pitcher at A-ball could be plenty to acquire the two pieces.

However, to make a splash, Janssen would be more attractive.  He has a resume, can be team-controlled for another season, and can handle a considerable role in the bullpen.  With Bonifacio hopefully rebounding with a return to the NL East and Janssen handling a high-leverage role deep in the game, the Braves could head into August a much-improved team.

The best value might come from McGowan, but it requires him to do something he hasn't had much luck at so far.  Stay healthy.

Stock Report: Midseason Edition (Part 2 of 3)

Relief Pitchers (continued)

Eric O'Flaherty
2013 Salary: $4,320,000
2014 Status: Free Agent

For four years, O'Flaherty had proven himself to be a stellar left-hand option out of the bullpen, most noticeably during a tremendous 2011 run where he finished with an 0.98 ERA over 73.2 innings.  However, with his velocity down and pain increasing, O'Flaherty hit the DL and the news was delivered that he would undergo Tommy John surgery and his season was over.  With it, his run as a Brave seemed likely to come to a close.  A free agent at year's end, where O'Flaherty lands in 2014 is up in the air.  Possibly, his injury might make him more affordable with O'Flaherty looking for a make-good short-term contract.  However, considering the going-rate for left-hand relievers, I find it doubtful to believe he won't find good money on the free agent market.

2014 Projection: Leaving via free agency

Cory Rasmus
2013 Salary: Prorated minimum
2014 Status: Not arbitration-eligible

Brother of Toronto's Colby Rasmus, Cory made his major league debut earlier this season after joining the 40-man during the offseason.  The results weren't pretty as Rasmus struggled to keep the ball in the yard over a small, small sample size.  Still, tough to stay up in the majors after 4 homers in 6.2 ING.  Rasmus, who was moved to the bullpen for good in 2012, has an electric arm, but struggles to harness it, walking 4.91 BB/9 during 58.2 ING at Mississippi in 2012 and 5.79 BB/9 thus far in 32.2 innings at Gwinnett.  Rasmus is not a big prospect, but if he can throw more strikes, he will be a good arm out of the pen.

2014 Projection: Renewed contract

Anthony Varvaro
2013 Salary: $490,000
2014 Status: Not arbitration-eligible

Varvaro went north with the team and didn't need an injury to get him to the bigs.  Since breaking camp, he has a 2.68 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.  Solid, right?  Overall, he has been pretty decent.  3.47 FIP with a slightly concerning 4.16 xFIP.  Despite SEVEN wild pitches, Varvaro has avoided walks.  However, much like his xFIP, there are so many numbers that make you not buy into Varvaro.  A rapidly decreasing K% and a possibly unsustainable .248 BABIP are enough for me to leave Varvaro in low leverage situations and playing again for his job in the spring.

2014 Projection: Renewed contract

Jonny Venters
2013 Salary: $1,625,000
2014 Status: Arbitration-eligible for the Second Time

Mr. Sinker struggled with his health in the spring before eventually going under the knife.  He might make it back for spring training, but regardless, Venters has an important season coming up.  A spike in BABIP made his 2012 look a good deal worse than it actually was.  He has been as solid as they come for three seasons and with O'Flaherty likely gone in 2014, there is an integral role for Venters and Atlanta needs him to take it.

2014 Projection: One-year deal through arbitration

Jordan Walden
2013 Salary: $541,500
2014 Status: Arbitration-eligible for the First Time

How important has Walden been this season?  Considering the high leverage hurlers the Braves have lost, the Braves needed Walden to step up and he has. He's pitching with his best control of his career with a 2.18 FIP and a 3.54 xFIP.  Amazingly, this is despite losing a mile per hour on his fastball.  But the big difference for Walden was the difference that made Craig Kimbrel a star.  Control.  He's been over 10% the last three seasons, but 7.2% this season.  It's the difference between a WHIP over 1.20 and his current WHIP of 1.04.

2014 Projection: One-year deal through arbitration

Alex Wood
2013 Salary: Prorated minimum
2014 Status: Not arbitration-eligible

Few pitchers in recent Braves history have climbed to the majors so soon after a draft like Wood.  After 13 starts at Rome where he posted a 8.9 K/9, 3.7 K/BB, and a 2.38 FIP, Wood skipped Lynchburg and headed to Mississippi this season.  Another ten starts in AA this season where he struck out over a batter an inning and kept his impeccable control, Wood was promoted to help a bullpen badly in need of a live arm.  The results thus far have been awesome.  10.6 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, and a 1.79 FIP in his first 22 innings.  Wood was recently demoted to allow the Braves to recall Jose Constanza, but the smart money is Wood will be back soon after the All-Star Break.

2014 Projection: Renewed contract and possibly promoted to starter

Catchers

Evan Gattis
2013 Salary: $490,000
2014 Status: Not arbitration-eligible

There's not much else that can be said about Gattis at this point.  He is a productive second half way from securing a starting spot 2014.  But there are concerns that most don't seem interested in.  Gattis' numbers do take a tumble in starts vs. coming off the bench.  In his first 43 starts this season, Gattis has hit .229/.289/.484.  The power is nice, but that's enough, is it?  On the flip side, how valuable are those numbers?  I consistently make the argument against splits being a tell-all because lowering your sample size decreases the ability for the numbers to tell a story.  It's an important second half to say the least.

2014 Projection: Renewed contract, possibly promoted to starting catcher

Gerald Laird
2013 Salary: $1,500,000
2014 Status: Signed - $1,500,000

I am surprised by how Laird has performed to this point, even if it's in-line with his 2012 effort.  While Laird won't ever replace David Ross in anyone's heart, he is a solid backup and will continue that next season.

2014 Projection: Returns, backup catcher

Brian McCann
2013 Salary: $12,000,000
2014 Status: Free Agent

It took awhile, but the old McCann seems to be on his way back.  Over 53 games, McCann has posted a .246 ISO, a .910 OPS, and a .387 wOBA.  After a full-season worst 1.8 WAR last season, McCann has already eclipsed that with a 2.2 WAR.  Unfortunately, no matter how he may perform this season, McCann's future seems to be with another team.  The more Gattis succeeds, the less likely it becomes for McCann to return.  Even if there are concerns about Gattis, the money may not be there to bring back McCann for 2014.

2014 Projection: Leaving via free agency

Infielders

Blake Dewitt
2013 Salary: Likely minimum
2014 Status: Arbitration-eligible for the Second Time

Dewitt lasted four at-bats before a back strain sent him to the DL. He hasn't been heard of since.  If you have any information on the whereabouts of Dewitt, please contact Atlanta Braves Missing Persons Division.  Thank you.

2014 Projection: Non-tender

Freddie Freeman
2013 Salary: $560,000
2014 Status: Arbitration-eligible for the First Time

I have spoke extensively on Freeman's first half here.  There's little more to say about his first half, but if he continues to perform at such a solid rate for the second half, the Braves will be pressed with a question they have may also face with Mike Minor.  Is it time to extend the arbitration-eligible Freeman?  Absolutely.  There are concerns with Kris Medlen's fallback campaign or with Jason Heyward's maddening inconsistent production.  However, Freeman has simply developed and been better with each season.  If Paul Goldschmidt got $32M over 5 years, can Freeman truly garner much more?

2014 Projection: Extension

Paul Janish
2013 Salary: $725,000
2014 Status: Arbitration-eligible for the Third Time

While Janish is arbitration-eligible for a third time after this season, he is still roughly two years away from free agency.  Janish has value, but that value is not something you typically pay around a million for.

2014 Projection: Non-tender

Tomorrow, this series will finish with a look at the rest of the infield and the outfield.