Braves Bring Back Suzuki

I can't say that I was a fan of acquiring Kurt Suzuki last January.

Not sure anyone would give more than a nacho order for Suzuki, but okay. It's not the worst signing - just seems unneeded.

— Tommy Poe (@WalkOffWalk1) January 21, 2017

At the time, it seemed just as useful to bring a couple of journeymen catchers to camp to compete with Anthony Recker for the backup job. But someone saw something in Suzuki and fortunately for the Braves, Kevin Seitzer and Suzuki quickly meshed as a combo. The Braves hitting coach worked with Suzuki to alter his swing during practice. After a great deal of work, Suzuki found power he had never shown in previous seasons. For instance, from 2013 to the end of 2016, Suzuki hit 21 homers with a .102 ISO in 1671 plate appearances. Entering play Saturday, Suzuki had hit 18 home runs this season in 287 plate appearances with a .255 ISO.

This newfound success for a guy who was still without a job on January 21 of this year has been astounding. For a signing that angered many because they passed on Matt Wieters, Suzuki has turned into one of John Coppolella's gems. In addition to setting a personal high in home runs, Suzuki will post just his second season of a 100 rRC+ or better along with his second 2-win season since 2009. While his framing continues to be below-average, his other defensive metrics are positive even if he's not throwing out too many runners.

The question turns to how likely Suzuki is to repeat his success in 2018. Well, the answer is not likely, but that's not necessarily going to make this extension not worth the investment. Beyond the price tag, which is a reported $3.5 million base salary, Suzuki has made some adjustments that could lead to continued success in 2018 even if the catcher falls back to Earth a bit. The Braves like to swing as a team and be aggressive at the plate, which may have worked in Suzuki's favor. He grew up in the A's organization, one that preaches patience. While I prefer the approach, it doesn't work for everyone. This season, Suzuki has swung at 53% of all pitches seen, roughly 9% higher than his career rate. With a better swing in general, more swings should lead to better contact and that is exactly what we have seen. With a 34% hard-hit rate, he's 7% above his career average. Finally, Suzuki's not necessarily hitting the ball much harder (about a 2mph average exit velocity better than 2016), but he is making a higher quality of contact. Last year, he averaged 2.1 barrels per plate appearance, ranked 377th. This year, it's up 5.6 brls/PA - or 122nd right behind Corey Seager.

Further, a lot of the so-called luck stats don't apply here. The big one is BABIP and Suzuki is actually below his career average. It's also worth mentioning that his swing mechanics have also led to a higher pull rate, which depending on the player can be a good or bad thing. When it comes to Suzuki, it's difficult to think it's anything but good at this point. He's also put a stop to three years of a below 40% flyball rate. A lot was written earlier this season about Yonder Alonso's flyball rate, which was leading to big power numbers. Suzuki upped his flyball rate 10% in one year and 9% over his career average. The changes at the plate have led to a lot of positive results and to some degree, these results could be sustainable.

To some degree. It would be foolish to expect Suzuki to continue to post a .255 ISO. But it's not foolish to expect Suzuki to post good numbers in 2018, even if it will be his Age-34 season. With Tyler Flowers likely to return after his $4M option is picked up, the Braves have a pair of catchers returning who have combined for a 4.5 fWAR. This situation is perfect for the Braves, who have a wealth of catching brewing in the system led by Alex Jackson, who is likely to open 2018 in Gwinnett.

When Suzuki signed in January, I was indifferent. Now that he's signed an extension, I'm shocked by how little it ultimately cost the Braves. It goes to show that sometimes, the right situation trumps money and playing time.

Braves Trade Garcia for Options

And we’re off. Trading season has begun and the Atlanta Braves and GM John Coppolella fired their first shot Monday afternoon trading LHP Jaime Garcia to the Minnesota Twins for, well, for flexibility.

Officially the trade is Garcia and C Anthony Recker for RHP Huascar Ynoa and some cash. But Ynoa is a 19 year-old pitcher with 5.26 ERA and a 12% walk rate. He did have some pedigree before he signed and Fangraphs threw a 55 on both his change-up and his curveball before the season but his actual production has been abysmal, especially when you consider he's in his 3rd year of rookie a ball and one of his strongest attributes was suppose to be his control. Nice way of saying it; he's a lottery ticket. Probably the more accurate description however is this was a salary dump.

Garcia, in the last year of his deal, had a decent year for Atlanta. The 32 year-old LHP put up 4.14 FIP with a 55% ground ball rate and a surprising amount of durability. The big question when Atlanta acquired Garcia was could he stay healthy. Garcia’s ability to do just that as well as put up respectable numbers made one of the more valuable rentals on the market.

In moving Garcia, Atlanta frees up almost $5M in salary to use on future moves and that’s really what this trade was all about. Between the saved money and the two 40-man roster spots that were cleared, Atlanta has some room to move. It’s been reported that they're strongly pursuing a frontline starting pitcher with multiple years of control and before this trade, they simply didn’t have the salary or space to add one. My guess is over the next week, we'll see strong push to grab Sonny Gray, Michael Fulmer or another controllable young arm for 2018 and beyond.

During the offseason, Atlanta jumped into the free agent pool adding Bartolo Colon, R.A Dickey and Sean Rodriguez for a combined $31M as well as trading for Garcia and his $12M. Add that to the $60M they already committed to Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp, Nick Markakis and Julio Teheran as well the expenses of filling out the rest of the roster and simply put, they were out of money. There’s a reason they started the year with maybe the worst collection of bench players in baseball; they were shopping from the bargain bin.

It was also reported, as well as just being common sense, that the Braves could’ve improved their return had they been willing to pay down some of the money still owed to Garcia but after already paying almost $6M for Colon to pitch for the Twins, they weren’t really looking to bankroll another 20% of Minnesota’s starting rotation. Especially with so little cash available. So this is the deal. 

On its face, this trade is obviously just meh. Any time you give up a real player for what is basically a hope and a prayer, it doesn’t taste great. But this deal probably shouldn’t fully be judged until we see what Coppy is going to do now that he has something he hasn’t had all year. A little cash to play with.

Transaction Tuesday: Wisler, Blair, Medlen, and Wentz

In this weekly review of the Braves' transactions, we focus a good deal on the pitchers. Some are attempting to stay in the majors for good while others are trying to work their way back. Elsewhere, one of Atlanta's best young guns is back on the mound just a week after a liner had Braves fans holding their breaths after it struck him.

A note on this report - moves referenced today took place between May 23 and May 29. I no longer refer to Taxi Squad, but extended spring training which is what sending a player to Danville technically refers to this early in the year. Many of them don't actually head to extended spring, though. Prospect Numbers are derived from my preseason Top 50.

Atlanta

Staff Sgt. Jason Duhr via Wikipedia Commons

Recalled: Matt Wisler...Wisler the Reliever, Part 2. Earlier in the year, Wisler came up and had two good outings and two rough ones - one in which he basically had to "wear it" as the Braves were pummelled 16-5. In two outings since returning, he's thrown four perfect frames with two strikeouts. That, at least, is something to build upon. Wisler's Triple-A ERA was high (5.20), but his FIP and xFIP were much more reasonable at 3.75 and 3.92 respectably. At the very least, I'd much rather see him in long relief than the next guy.

Designated for assignment and outrighted to Gwinnett: Josh Collmenter...Well, that didn't take long. After 19 innings over three starts last September for the Braves, Collmenter can't even duplicate the innings output in 2017. The problem was fairly fundamental. The Braves bought into his brief success without looking at the obvious flaws. His FIP was a good two runs higher than his ERA over those three starts and that's ignoring two very troublesome seasons from 2015-16 as a whole. The Braves rolled the dice and quickly regretted it. Collmenter gave up one run for each of the 17 innings he pitched and often, those runs came on flyballs that haven't landed yet (7 HR!). According to the Braves transaction page, he accepted a demotion to Gwinnett.

Gwinnett
Activated: Enrique Burgos...The often wild, but electric Burgos worked a quiet first frame as a member of the Gwinnett Braves after he was acquired last week. Despite prolific strikeout numbers, the last time Burgos had a better than 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk rate was back in 2014. He's a project and at 26, probably not a project the Braves will have a wealth of patience to wait on.

Outrighted: Anthony Recker...Rarely used in Atlanta, Recker was DFA'd last week after the flurry of trades and roster moves. He passed through waivers and elected to stick with the team.

Promoted from Mississippi: Wes Parsons...For the second time, Parsons is now a Triple-A ballplayer. The first time came on April 28 when he made an one appearance run with Gwinnett. It's been a long - often arduous - road for Parsons to get to this point. After a combined 142.1 innings over the last three years, Parsons had already reached 30.1 innings this year before the promotion. He's probably a bit miscast as a reliever, but he still flashes plus-plus control. He worked a tough inning in his return, allowing three singles and a run while striking out two.

Rehab: Adonis Garcia...So, Garcia had a four-hit game yesterday. He's definitely coming back and it's going to be pretty darn interesting what happens when he does. I have to believe that John Coppolella will wave off any lobbying by Brian Snitker and sent Emilio Bonifacio packing. When Garcia returns, he will likely settle into a platoon option, though knowing Snitker, we may get more of a timeshare than a platoon which ignores the best parts of Rio Ruiz and Garcia's game.

By Jeff Morris. Follow him on Twitter @AtlBravesJeff

Rehab: Eric O'Flaherty...Last week, O'Flaherty hit the DL after aggravating his back giving up a homerun to Jose Bautista playing on the Toronto turf. He'll likely join the Braves soon after already making his first rehab appearance with a perfect frame. But should the Braves really roll out the carpet to welcome back him? We were told that after having his elbow cleaned out last year, he was feeling better than he had in a few years. There were reports he was getting sink on his pitches once again. And then the data came rolling in and said otherwise. According to PITCHf/x, at his best, O'Flaherty was getting between 5.71 and 6.74 of vertical movement on his sinker. It's down to 4.45 this season, which is actually very similar to last year's 4.56. His fourseamer had between 8.11 and 9.27 inches of vertical movement. It's been between 6.23 and 6.47 the last two seasons. He's using his slider a lot more now and getting half of the depth as his best Braves years. In his favor is that he's still handling lefties so far. That might be enough to get him back on the roster. But he's not "back" in the deeper sense. Not even a bit.

DL'd: Aaron Blair...Two years ago, Blair flashed plus-plus control with some newfound ability to induce his fair share of grounders. It made the Braves anxious to acquire him. Since coming to Atlanta, his control has never been worse (12.6 BB% this season), his strikeouts have never been worse, and his groundball rate has fallen ten points. Did the Braves rush him to the bigs last year? I don't think so. Blair's not making adjustments and that's not the fault of the Braves. He quickly fell into the habit of nibbling last year after he got to the majors. It reminds me of how Mike Minor pitched once he got to the majors from 2010-2012. His fear led him to give up baserunners in bunches until he finally started to trust his stuff. When that happened, Minor posted a 3.5 fWAR during 2013. Will Blair follow a similar path or will he continue to regress? Hopefully, it will be the former. I'm not sure why Blair hit the DL, by the way.

DL'd: Joel De La Cruz...He's spent more of the season on the DL than on the active roster. When he has been healthy, the results have been pretty miserable. Remember that this was a guy who threw 62.2 innings for last year's pitching staff.

Mississippi
Promoted from Florida: Kris Medlen...After turning some heads with a six shutout innings in his 2017 debut, Medlen was roughed up by Clearwater last week for five runs in 5.1 ING. Nevertheless, he received a promotion up the ladder as he tries to work his way back into the picture. The control has been suspect, which you might expect from a guy working off the rust. The Braves could use all the help they can get and if Medlen does make it all the way back, he'll certainly force Atlanta to make a potentially tough decision.

Activated: Stephen Gaylor...The left-hand hitting outfielder has played in just a dozen games this season and is off to a 3-for-30 start with two walks. An undrafted free agent back in 2014, Gaylor showed a decent enough hit tool until arriving in Carolina last year. It's gotten much worse at Double-A.

Activated: Danny Reynolds...Picked up after becoming a minor league free agent this offseason, Reynolds' fourth season at Double-A has been a mixed bag. His groundball rate has shot up and his control is a bit improved compared to the previous two seasons, but his strikeouts have declined. His 5.48 ERA is a bit misleading - his LOB% is 56% - but his FIP and xFIP tell two different stories (3.33/4.56).

Demoted to Extended Spring: Connor Lien (#36)...It's hard to be too disappointed with Lien this year. With a deeper system than two years ago, he was no longer a borderline Top 20 prospect. Of course, his injury-riddled 2016 was also a factor. Though, even if he wasn't a major prospect anymore, this season has been tough to watch Lien go through. He was hitting .187/.268/.343 at the time of his demotion with 59 K's in 149 PA. That comes out to a nearly 40% strikeout rate - about 15% higher than his 2015 campaign. He has looked lost and unable to turn it around. Perhaps sometime at extended spring where he can clear his head will help.

By Jeff Morris. Follow him
on Twitter @AtlBravesJeff

DL'd: Bradley Roney (#38)....It's been a tough campaign for Roney, whose talented by wild arm had him pitching meaningful games in the International League playoffs last year. After opening the year on the DL, he headed to Florida in late April before a promotion to Mississippi. He was actually doing okay there and unintentionally walked just four of the first 36 he faced while striking out a dozen, but he's now back on the DL.

Florida
Promoted from Rome: Matt Gonzalez...Picked in the sixth round last year out of Georgia Tech, Gonzalez missed the first month of action while in extended spring training until a call-up after the first week of May. He then spent just 16 games in Rome, hitting .300/.355/.329. He picked up starts at third and in left and made a cameo at second base. It's second base that might help Gonzalez find some playing time in Florida as Alay Lago has underwhelmed to this point.

Demoted to Extended Spring: Andres Santiago...Often one of the names that fluctuates on-and-off the roster, Santiago has appeared nine times this year, including seven games with Florida. The results haven't been there for the eleven-year veteran, though the strikeouts look great (21 in 14.2 ING).

Released: J.B. Moss...To make room for Gonzalez, the Braves cut Moss, a seventh-round selection last year. Moss had blitzed the Appalachian League after being drafted, but the former Texas A&M star struggled with Carolina and then this season in his brief twelve games with Florida. Moss's value with the Braves was tied into how much money he saved them by signing under-slot last June. It's the tough thing about being signed less for your potential and more about allowing the team to sign the guys they actually want.

Rome
Activated: Joey Wentz (#14)...Good to see the southpaw Wentz back out there on Memorial less than two weeks after taking a liner off his leg. He tossed four innings of one-run ball in his return with a walk and three strikeouts. On the year, Wentz has a 3.18 ERA and over a strikeout an inning.

Promoted from Extended Spring: Ramon Osuna...With Rome getting little-to-no production from Anthony Concepcion and Kurt Hoekstra at first base, Osuna will get a chance to see if he can help out. A 14th round pick out of Walters State Community College in Morristown, TN last year, Osuna hit .276/.342/.423 with four homers in Danville. He struck out a ton (29%) and the former corner outfielder in college struggled with his new role at first base. Hopefully, an offseason of fine-tuning his skills will help him look more comfortable at first base.

Demoted from Mississippi: Joe Rogers...The late-spring cut by the Tigers has shown up a number of times in this series as he cycled on-and-off the Mississippi roster while only pitching three games.

Demoted to Extended Spring: Raymar Navarro...The Cuban righty has been limited to just five games with Rome this year. They have been successful for the most part, but the 26-year-old is not progressing up the depth chart despite pitching 67 innings last year at High-A.

DL'd: Oriel Caicedo...There have been two Oriel Caicedos in professional baseball. Both were signed out of Panama by the Braves. One is 26 and hasn't played since 2011 while the other recently hit the DL. Caicedo is no spring chicken at 23 years-old and made his debut in 2011...where he played with the other Oriel Caicedo. Seriously, this is something for me to obsess about. New Caicedo has impeccable control (just 71 unintentional passes in 411.2 innings), but also won't pick up many K's. He's been a swingman throughout his career and this marks his third year with Rome. Not sure what sent Caicedo to the DL.

Transaction Tuesday: Ruiz, Gohara, Jackson, and poor poor Freddie

Last week's update included a surprising amount of transactions involving the major league squad - zero. This week was not nearly as quiet. Prepare for an epic journey through the system.

A note on this report - moves referenced today took place between May 16 and May 22. Taxi Squad refers to a Braves minor league team "sending" a player to Danville just to get him off the active roster. In most cases, the player will stay with the team that just demoted him until he is brought back onto the active roster. Prospect Numbers are derived from my preseason Top 50.

Atlanta
Previously, I went over the trades to acquire Matt Adams and Enrique Burgos.

Promoted: Luke Jackson (#24)...Here's a pitcher I hope takes advantage of his callup and sticks this time. It'll come down to control for Jackson and interestingly enough, he hasn't walked a soul in his four innings at the major league level. Of course, that's an exceedingly small sample. The potential has always been there. Will the results come?

Promoted: Rio Ruiz (#20)...This might be the promotion that sticks for Ruiz. Despite being passed over earlier in the week when a certain third baseman hit the DL, Ruiz got called up shortly after and has played in five games since with a 3-for-12 start, including a homer, two walks, and 4 K's. After a bad beginning to the year with Gwinnett, Ruiz turned it and was the top minor league club's hottest hitter before his recall. His defense is much improved and his work ethic can no longer be questioned. Even Brian Snitker has suggested Ruiz will be kept once the former everyday starter at third base returns. Now, Ruiz isn't a huge prospect, but he's definitely worth keeping over the alternatives.

Promoted and Optioned to Gwinnett: Johan Camargo...While Braves fans hoped Emilio Bonifacio would get cut to make room for Adams, it was Camargo getting the boot back to Triple-A. This was the second brief cameo Camargo has made. His defense looks solid, but the Braves are less sure about his bat. He had a big spring and has a .354 wOBA at Gwinnett over 22 games, but never impressed with the bat before. While it would have made some sense to keep Camargo as a platoon option for Ruiz, for now, he's not in the Braves' plans.

DL'd: Adonis Garcia...An Achilles injury and the next injury we'll talk about opened the door for Ruiz. Garcia wasn't providing much value to the team before the injury either. His .274 wOBA was only better than 13 players so far this season. It's beyond time for the Braves to accept that Garcia is a platoon-only bench player.

By Jeff Morris. Follow him on Twitter @AtlBravesJeff

DL'd: Freddie Freeman...You can't replace an elite hitter and the Braves aren't going to be able to. In Adams and Ruiz, they'll try to do the best they can do to replace his production, but Freeman was playing out of his mind before getting his wrist shattered. He'll be out until mid-to-late July.

DL'd: Eric O'Flaherty...The veteran aggrevated his back apparently due to the brief run through Toronto last week - and not the homer he gave up to Jose Bautista. O'Flaherty's metrics early looked better than his ERA and that continues still, but the metrics have continued to decline to the tune of a 4.95 FIP, 4.78 xFIP, and 4.62 SIERA. All three marks are worse than last year. It might be about time to stick a fork in this one.

Transferred to 60-day DL: Chaz Roe...Apparently, his lat strain is worse than originally feared. Outside of one rehab game, Roe hasn't pitched in a game since April 7. Since he was never activated, this only means he's definitely out until after the first week of June. As I mentioned, he did make an appearance for Florida on May 6 and worked an inning.

DFA'd: Anthony Recker...After hitting .278/.394/.433 over 33 games with the Braves last year, Recker saw the Braves flirt with Jason Castro and ultimately sign Kurt Suzuki. Some weird roster math still gave Recker a chance to break camp with the team and he went 1-for-7 in mostly pinch-hit appearances before being optioned out. He bashed three homers in 14 games for Gwinnett, but the big league club needed a spot on the 40-man roster and Recker was chosen. Recker can elect free agency, but I'm sure the Braves are hoping he stays.

Signed and Released: James Loney...Well, that didn't take long. Loney played two games for the Gwinnett Braves. He had one single, a walk, and a strikeout, and he reached base due to catcher's interference. However, Saturday's trade for Matt Adams forced Loney to re-evaluate things and the veteran wanted out. The Braves didn't stop him and cut him yesterday. After it was all said and done, Loney sent out this salty tweet showing his displeasure. He will be missed.

Gwinnett
Promoted from Mississippi: Carlos Franco...On the same day Loney was signed, Carlos Franco was called up. It took Franco four years to get out of rookie ball and with the exception of a decent 2015, Franco has not been on the prospect watch until this year when he smashed the Southern League over 41 games to the tune of .293/.358/.560 with 11 homers. Franco has a reputation of a free swinger, but he takes his walks. One thing that stands out about Franco this season is his ground-ball rate. From 2012-to-2016, Franco's GB% has fluctuated between 53% and 62%. That will limit a player's ability to hit homers. This year, it's down to 42% and he's pulling the ball more as well. It was working for him in Mississippi. Hope it works for him in Gwinnett.

Activated: Dustin Peterson (#15)...With little fan fair, Dustin Peterson just showed up back in the lineup this weekend. A year after vindicating the Braves for wanting him in the Justin Upton trade, Peterson came to spring training looking to impress the team coaches before an inevitable trip to Gwinnett to start the season. He was doing that, but a broken hand took him out of action. He's 2-for-11 so far with a double, two walks, and a pair of strikeouts. Last year, in 132 games with Mississippi, Peterson hit .282/.343/.431 with a .356 wOBA. With Nick Markakis's recent struggles against left-handers, could bringing up Peterson at some point later this year be something the Braves may consider? It's possible if his bat takes off in Gwinnett.

Activated: Braeden Schlehuber...This will mark Year 10 for Schlehuber when he steps up to the plate for the first time. A well-regarded receiver, Schlehuber was a Carolina League All-Star back in 2012 and that's his career highlight.

DL'd: Emerson Landoni...After spending the first month on the DL, Landoni is back on it. The minor league veteran and utility player was hitting .091 in 23 PA before this most recent trip to the trainer's.

Activated and later Released: Blake Lalli...A year after being utilized as a top pinch hitter in the season's final month, Lalli gets his walking papers. He wasn't playing too much in Gwinnett and when he was, the results weren't there.

Mississippi

By Jeff Morris. Follow him on Twitter @AtlBravesJeff

Assigned: Rex Brothers...There was a time the left-handed reliever became an impressive option coming out of the Rockies bullpen. From 2011-13, he was worth 2.6 fWAR - good for 32nd among relievers during the time period. But his strikeouts fell and his walks ballooned the next year and then the injuries began. After missing 2016, he's back in the saddle with the Braves and has looked dominant against the seven Southern League batters he's faced so far as he's amassed five strikeouts and a walk. He's a long shot, but if early impressions are any sign, the Braves will be ecstatic with their pickup.

Activated: Reed Harper...His time on the DL was short. Harper's just a guy in the Braves system who last posted an wOBA over .285 in 2013 in rookie ball.

Activated: Evan Phillips...Things were ugly for Phillips before the move to the DL with an 11.93 ERA. In his defense, over half of the 19 runs he had surrendered in 14.1 innings came in just two outings. Relievers will spend much of the season working off the effects of a six-run and five-run barrage over a three-game run. Since returning, he's logged three innings with a walk and four strikeouts.

DL'd: Luiz Gohara (#7)...Unfortunately, Gohara left his first start in Double-A with a triceps injury. The move to the DL is apparently precautionary and the hope is that he'll return this week. Considering how much he dominated the Florida State League before his promotion (2.11 FIP/2.67 xFIP), definitely hoping some injury won't keep his rise in the prospect lists from not continuing now that he's with Mississippi.

DL'd: Danny Reynolds...Signed after finishing up last year in the independent American Association, Reynolds has struggled to the tune of a 6.20 ERA. The weird thing is that Reynolds has only allowed an opposing OPS of .670. Sure enough, he has a tragically low LOB% of 53.3%.

Florida
Assigned: Kris Medlen...With little press coverage, Medlen worked his way back and this weekend, Meds tossed six scoreless innings in his first game since last September 2. He gave up just one hit, walked three, and struck out three. By now, we all know Medlen's story, but just in case, here is a brief recap. After a monster 2012 (1.57 ERA in 138 innings) and respectable follow-up season, Medlen missed 2014 with his second Tommy John surgery. After the Braves non-tendered him, he tried his luck in Kansas City. He never was able to reclaim his former glory there, though. Now, could it happen in Atlanta? He definitely has the support of legions of fans that recall how well he once pitched for the team.

Promoted from Rome: Tanner Murphy...Before the Braves started to add catching prospects to the mix, it was Murphy who was their biggest hope for a long-term option behind the plate. Murphy struggled with Carolina for half of the year last season, but made some adjustments and slashed  .288/.412/.390 with 3 homers over his final 45 games with more walks than strikeouts. However, the numbers game worked against him and he opened the season with Rome. Playing time has been tough with Lucas Herbert and Brett Cumberland also getting reps behind the plate, but Murphy did use his superb plate discipline to walk 17.7% of the time and slash .227/.362/.320. He'll share time behind the plate in Florida with Jonathan Morales.

Activated off Taxi Squad and later demoted to Rome: Carlos Martinez...Martinez has been used as a fill-in catcher for the Braves and even appeared in a game for Florida - his first of the year. He's got a strong arm, but the bat is nearly non-existent.

By Jeff Morris. Follow him on Twitter @AtlBravesJeff

DL'd: Alex Jackson (#21)...It's unfortunate to see Jackson hit the DL considering the season he's had to this point. In 39 games, he's bashed ten homers - or one less than he hit last season - and slashed .297/.355/.568. The strikeout and walk rates are still substandard, but other than that, it has big a big bounce back from the former sixth overall pick who the Mariners basically gave away. His work behind the plate hasn't received many glowing reports, but he's got time to improve there. I am not sure of the nature of the DL trip, though Braves GM John Coppolella mentioned in last week's #AskCoppy that it's soreness and not a fracture.

Taxi Squad: Andres Santiago...A long time Dodgers minor leaguer, Sanitago has appeared in eight games this year - including two with Rome - and pitched pretty well (FIP and xFIP well under 3.00). He's also 27, so dominance against Single-A hitters isn't all that impressive.

Rome
Activated off Taxi Squad: Thomas Burrows (#37)...You have to assume Burrows might be next-in-line for a promotion to Rome. Acquired in the Gohara deal last winter, Burrows has a 2.01 ERA and a near 55% groundball rate over 22.1 innings with Rome.

Activated off Taxi Squad: Tucker Davidson...It's a weird dynamic with Davidson. His control is pretty good and he gets a bunch of strikeouts, but he still gives up a lot of hits. Some of that is the less-than-stellar infields in the lower minor leagues compounded with iffy defenses, Another part is that he racks up dominating stats against lefties, but faces a lot of righties and he's not that good against them.

Activated off Taxi Squad: Raymar Navarro...The Cuban righty opened the year in extended spring training and since late April, has been a regular member of this column as he gets shifted onto the team and back off. In five innings, the 26 year-old has yet to allow a run. He had a 5.78 ERA in 28 games with Carolina last year.

Demoted to Taxi Squad and later activated: Yeudi Grullon...Last week's pitching appearance for Grullon wasn't his first - he actually made two for Rome last year. He worked around a double and an intentional walk in the 17th, but gave up a two singles (with a pair of steals mixed in) to give up a go-ahead run in the 18th. A slick-fielding infielder, Grullon has flashed decent plate discipline and not much else.

Demoted to Taxi Squad and later activated: Kurt Hoekstra...A 21st rounder in 2015 out of Western Michigan (go Broncos!), Hoekstra has received regular playing at first base over Anthony Concepcion, but neither have hit well. Hoekstra is a max-effort utility infielder, but is a long shot to make it to Triple-A.

Demoted to Taxi Squad and later activated: Adam McCreery...Acquired in the Jhoulys Chacin trade last year, McCreery has been up and down with Rome this year with a few absolute stinkers mixed in. Beyond that, he's been mostly reliable. He worked last week's 18-inning affair and tossed three innings. He allowed no hits, faced two over the minimum and struck out four. The control he showed last year, which was much improved over his Angels' days, has not always been there for the southpaw this year, but the strikeouts are aplenty (28 in 17.2 ING).

Demoted from Mississippi and later demoted to Taxi Squad: Joe Rogers...After a two-game run with Mississippi was interrupted by a trip to the DL, Rogers got into his first game in nearly three weeks and pitched extremely well by striking out three of the seven he faced and not allowing a base runner. Presumably, he went to "Danville" for a fresh arm.

DL'd: Luis Mora...A recent addition to the Rome roster, Mora hit the DL after just 4.2 innings. He is notable for having triple digit max velocity, but struggling to pair that heat with secondary pitches.

DL'd: Joey Wentz (#14)...The Braves didn't need something like this to happen this weekend after watching Freeman, Gohara, and Jackson all hit the DL. I have not seen any updates, but we do know Wentz's trip to the DL came after taking a liner off his left leg. So far this season, Wentz had struck out over a batter an inning with impeccable control (1.8 walks per nine). His 2.13 FIP/3.03 xFIP was helping Wentz to live up to the early hype.

Special thanks to Jeff Morris, who takes some tremendous pictures of Braves minor leaguers. Follow him on Twitter @AtlBravesJeffAtlBravesJeff.

Braves Pull Off Two Deals

By Keith Allison [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Flickr

What a day to spend most of it out with the family at the annual Monacan Powwow here in central Virginia. We have two trades to digest - one far more interesting than other so let's start there as the Braves agree to a one-for-one exchange with the Cardinals in which first baseman Matt Adams heads to Atlanta for minor leaguer Juan Yepez. Unknown cash considerations will also be part of the deal to help pay for the remainder of Adams' $2.8M salary. The Braves also designated Anthony Recker for assignment.

Let's talk about Yepez first. The 19-year-old was hitting .275/.309/.387 this year and was mostly playing third base this season after being stuck at first base for the majority of his first two seasons. Overall, Yepez has hit .281/.335/.407 in parts of three years, including notably worse numbers over 59 games with Rome.

I had Yepez ranked #27th in the system before spring training and he does have some good projection left in his bat. He was Frank Wren's last big signing on the international market and if the power ever became legit, his hit tool would help Yepez climb up some prospect lists. But you can say that about any number of prospects. The bigger problem for Yepez is one, I, and I don't think I am alone, was not convinced he had the chops to stay at third base. Once you take him off third base and put him at first, his prospect status is hurt. It'll be interesting to see if Yepez continues at the hot corner after the trade, but even though I liked Yepez, his loss just doesn't do much for me. Of course, if Yepez starts to perform up to his best-case projections, this deal won't look so hot in five years.

Moving on to Adams, the Braves have acquired a stopgap first baseman who should be playing with a chip on his shoulder. Adams posted a combined 3.6 fWAR in his two seasons as an unquestioned major leaguer, but injuries and poor play have resulted in a 0.7 fWAR since the beginning of 2015. Things were so bad this season that Adams not only lost a timeshare ownership of first base - he became a backup as the Cardinals moved Matt Carpenter to first base. Early on, the Cardinals tried him out in left field, but he's ventured into the outfield just once since April 10 and it happened to be the game in which he hit his only homer of the year against the Braves. Other than that, he's been a pinch hitter who occasionally plays a little first base.

Overall, Adams has played 31 games this season and picked up 53 PA. With those trips to the plate, he's hit .292/.340/.396. He carries a negative fWAR mainly because his time in left field has looked extra-strength terrible so far.

Let's dive deeper into Adams. A left-handed hitter, Adams has a .332 career wOBA and 110 wRC+. Basically, that's Jason Kipnis territory without the added bonus of being a very good second baseman. Adams displays plus-pop (.183 ISO) and while strikeouts can be expected (23.2%), it's worth noting that since 2011, Adams ranks 94th of 395 players in strikeout percentage. Adams is not going to walk that frequently and will depend on a solid BABIP to keep his average and OBP in decent standing.

Don't expect many groundballs off Adams bat. He ranks 50th since 2011 in GB/FB ratio. Similar to former Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche, Adams gets under the ball a good deal in order to drive it. Unlike many guys who have such a pronounced uppercut to their swing, Adams isn't a hyper-pull hitter (actually, he's just about average).

The comparison to LaRoche also continues into their hit profile. These numbers are since 2011.

Name	GB/FB	LD%	GB%	FB%	IFFB%	HR/FB	Soft%	Med%	Hard%
LaRoche	0.90	21%	37.4%	41.5%	6.8%	13.9%	12.1%	52.5%	35.3%
Adams	0.91	21.2%	37.5%	41.4%	6.5%	12.5%	14.7%	50.0%	35.3%

Uncanny.

This is the part of the article where I talk about splits data. The Cardinals, who again rarely started Adams this season, have been able to keep the first baseman from facing lefties as a result. Just three times this season has Adams faced a lefty - he's 0-for-3, by the way. Let's roll those three plate appearances into the last three seasons of his data and we see a sad result. Since the beginning of 2014, Adams has been owned by lefties. He's managed just a .256 wOBA against them and a putrid 59 wRC+. Hence why the Cardinals realized pretty early that Adams was not meant to be a full-time starter.

Defensively, Adams ranges from adequate to above-average at first base over his career with a 15 career rPM and 12 total DRS to go with a 2.0 UZR/150. His range isn't great and he's a bit prone to lapses in judgment. Plus, he's not one of those guys who starts a bunch of double plays (like Freddie Freeman). Basically, he's not bad, but he's never going to look like a Gold Glover.

The acquisition of Adams cost the Braves a potentially good prospect. Could it also bring in a good prospect should Atlanta choose to trade him before the July trading deadline? It's doubtful. Another team will have to be as desperate as the Braves are right now because Adams is a flawed player. To use him properly, you need a right-handed option at first base which, by the way, Atlanta also lacks. But if Adams bashes a dozen or more homers during his run with the Braves, a team could be willing to give him a longer look.

Moving forward, Adams looks like the everyday starter at first base. There are a few issues related to this. #1, who goes down? It would appear that answer is Rio Ruiz just because he was only brought up because of Freeman's injury. That might be a mistake - nearly as big of a mistake as Max Scherzer's pitch that Ruiz jumped on for his first career homer yesterday. Obviously, it's premature to base much on one game, but Ruiz was scorching at Gwinnett and many of us felt he had earned an opportunity in the majors. Like Adams, he needs to be protected against lefthanders, but as the Braves search for offense to replace Freeman, having both Adams and Ruiz in the lineup against righties is a good move.

Obviously, this leads me to think Emilio Bonifacio or Danny Santana would be better players to kick off the team. Neither have options, but neither are long-term assets that the Braves need much of a look at. Atlanta could also demote a pitcher rather than carry eight for the bullpen.

That said, I do expect it to be Ruiz. Atlanta has had many opportunities to get rid of Bonifacio. Instead, he has played in 30-of-40 games. Brian Snitker loves what Bonifacio brings to the table.

For reasons.

Turning back to Adams, his time with the Braves could be short. Atlanta could decide to repackage him in a deal in July - theoretically, around the point Freeman is ready to return. The chances of that and how well the Braves might do in a trade would be dependent on Adams' performance. Either way, it's difficult to see Adams playing for the Braves beyond 2017. He's arbitration-eligible for one more year and the Braves could bring him back, but he would be due a raise beyond his $2.8M and the Braves simply aren't going to pay a backup first baseman that kind of cash - even if you can occasionally swing him into left field to answer the question of who was the better defensive left fielder, Evan Gattis or Adams?

Before I forget, in an unrelated move, the Braves acquired righty Enrique Burgos from the Diamondbacks for cash. Burgos had recently been designated for assignment by Arizona to open up a spot on their 40-man roster. He's pitched often the last two seasons for the big league club (73 total games) and struggled with control and keeping the ball in yard. Burgos can strikeout a small village, but like many young arms the Braves take a chance on, he's prone to losing the strike zone on the regular. This season, in 13 innings, he's walked eleven. His walk rate has fluctuated between 11.5% and 22.7% during his career, but it's typically in the 13%-15% range. That puts a lot of unneeded stress on a pitcher.

His control issues also present themselves in another way - because he can't control the strike zone, when a pitch does flutter into the zone (typically in hitter's counts), it leads to good contact. AZ Snake Pit put it this way when referring to his numbers in the majors the last two years, "If we look at the 214 relievers with 60+ innings in 2015-16, Burgos’s BABIP of .339 ranks ninth. And his LOB% (runners left on base) of 65.8% ranks 209th. Put another way, when batters put the ball in play against him, they were considerably more likely than usual to get on base. And when runners got on base, they were considerably more likely to come around and score, rather than be stranded. The former is partly on Burgos; his hard-hit rate was 34.3%, ranking him 21st, and those hard-hit balls are more likely to turn into hits."

Burgos has a good fastball that averages 95.7 mph in the majors. He pairs that with a slider that is roughly 8 mph slower. If he can get ahead on the fastball, the slider has swing-and-miss properties.

If you are curious, Burgos has used his final option this season.

Whether or not Burgos joins Adams in the major leagues at some point is unknown. His numbers don't warrant a call-up. Right now, he's a project for the Braves to work with. A scout probably saw something that might be fixable. Hopefully, it is. Either way, you always take a chance on power arms when you can get them for cheap.

Spring Roster Battles Preview - The Bench

Read previous Spring Roster Battles Previews
Fifth Starter
The Bullpen

I've given the Atlanta Braves plenty of time to make a few more moves - even suggested a couple here and here - but here is the final Spring Roster Battles Preview. Much like the last preview on the bullpen spots, this article will focus on players vying for at least two spots rather than one particular spot up for grabs. Remember that the Braves could go with a four-man bench if the bullpen is eight-large when the season opens. If they go with a more modern seven-guy setup in the pen, the bench will have five spots available. To be clear, I highly doubt that the Braves don't sign or trade for at least one other player to take up one of the open spots, however there may be. Nevertheless, here is where we are right now.

There are two guys we can pretty much write in with pen for 2017 - catcher Kurt Suzuki and utility do-everything-guy Jace Peterson. I'll point out a possible contender for Suzuki, but short of an epic collapse this spring, I am willing to bet the former Twin will break camp with the team. As for Peterson, he has done enough over the last two seasons to stick around. He's better suited for this utility role than the one he tried to fill since coming over from the Padres.

Who will fill the other two - possibly three - spots? Let's meet the contenders.

d'Arnaud by Editosaurus (own work) via Wikipedia Commons

The Can-He-Do-It-Again? Guy and the New Guy: Chase d'Arnaud and Micah Johnson

I am rocking my Lynchburg Hillcats hat at the moment and before the team was an Indians/Braves/Reds affiliate, they developed many of the Pirates prospects - including former fourth round pick Chase d'Arnaud. The shortstop was part of the Mills Cup-winning Hillcats of 2009, a team that featured former Braves farmhands Jamie Romak and Jeff Locke. I loved watching that team and d'Arnaud looked like a good prospect. Unfortunately, he never repeated his success of '09 (.838 OPS) and despite four callups to the majors before 2016, d'Arnaud never impressed. But an arrival with the Braves last spring appeared to unlock some of the potential the Pirates once saw in him. In his first 35 games, including 27 starts, d'Arnaud hit .299/.364/.393. With the failures of Erick Aybar, d'Arnaud became a much preferred option. His early success is why it's a little easy to forget that he slashed .190/.271/.276 over his final 49 games. In the larger scheme of things, it was a successful year for a person void of any success in the majors. In the even larger scheme of things, it was still an underwhelming season.

That said, d'Arnaud has an excellent chance of making this team. The Braves are comfortable with him and he played six positions last year. Historically, his best position is third base, where his limitations in range play up the least, but he can slide over to short and not looked lost there. With no natural backup to Dansby Swanson on the team, d'Arnaud could be a good fit. Also, considering the Braves may decline to carry a fourth outfielder and go with more flexible utility options like Peterson, d'Arnaud could help provide depth there.

A little over a month ago, the Braves acquired Micah Johnson for either cash considerations or a player to be named later. Like d'Arnaud, Johnson was an interesting prospect at once who flamed out in the majors. Unlike d'Arnaud, Johnson has some pretty good minor league stats. I mentioned this when he was picked up, but Johnson has two distinct swings - one that has more torque and power and another that is contact-orientated. I prefer the first as it gives him more value.

Despite a potentially intriguing bat, Johnson's chances to make this club might be completely dependent on his ability to play center field - a position that isn't natural to him. If he fails to impress, he will head to Gwinnett and play more outfield and other infield positions as a way to up his value. That said, the Braves, especially if they go with a five-man bench, might opt for Johnson's speed as a late-inning weapon.

The Prospects: Dustin Peterson (WOW #15) and Rio Ruiz (WOW #20)

It was the kind of season that Peterson needed. A player heavy on projection, but short on results, Peterson had not impressed much over his first three years and then 2016 happened. In his defense, he was extraordinarily young at each level, including last year in Double-A. Nevertheless, his ISO jumped from the low 100's to .149 while his walk rate, a saving grace from an ugly first season in the Braves system, held steady. The biggest difference came in a better display with his hit tool with the aid of a higher, but likely sustainable .327 BABIP. Adjustments in his swing also lead me to believe he's due for similar, if not better results as he moves up to Triple-A. Short of an injury, Peterson is not a serious candidate to make the 2017 roster, which is okay. He needs more at-bats and experience.

Ruiz by Tate Nations (CC by 4.0) via Wikipedia Commons

Like Peterson, Ruiz had a nice bounce-back campaign. However, whereas Peterson is a super longshot to make this roster, Ruiz has a chance if he's able to turn in a solid spring. Part of the trouble with Ruiz in 2015 came down to a lack of commitment to improve his body and bust his butt. He changed that in 2016 and according to a Q&A with Braves GM John Coppolella last Friday, he looks even better. It's difficult to project stardom, but there's enough here to believe Ruiz can carve out a nice career as the left-hand portion of a platoon. His defense, while not eye-opening, is good enough and he has a great arm. His hit tool is strong and he has good pop in his bat that he is still working to develop into game power.

With Adonis Garcia in the mix and seemingly well-loved by Braves management, Ruiz will not be given a spot - he'll have to show he has earned it. Even if he does, the Braves might not opt for a strict platoon and give Garcia his fair share of time against righties. What could really hurt Ruiz is the Braves willingness to go with an eight-man bullpen. There doesn't exist a lot of room for platoon players who are limited defensively in terms of flexibility. That said, his left-hand bat could come in handy late in games when he's not in the lineup.

The Longshots: Emilio Bonifacio, Ronnier Mustelier, Mel Rojas Jr., Adam Walker, Christian Walker, Colin Walsh

I actually worry that Bonifacio is less of a longshot. Bonifacio was last relevant as a major league player in 2014, when he posted a career-best 2.2 fWAR. He's only received 125 PA since, but has a -1.3 fWAR for his troubles. At nearly 32, his speed is not nearly the weapon it once was though it does remain a weapon. His other skill is his defensive flexibility, which might make him preferable for the Braves to other players who are a bit more limited. He's solid enough at second base, average at third base, and a train-wreck at shortstop. He's decent enough in the outfield corners and historically, average to slightly below-average in center field. If your bench is full of guys you believe can give you a pinch-hit option, finishing the bench off with a super-utility player like Bonifacio doesn't seem so bad. However, it's difficult to say that about this bench, when includes offensively-limited players like Suzuki and Jace Peterson.

Mustelier and Rojas Jr. return after decent years in the Braves' system last year. Mustelier slashed .291/.353/.394 in Gwinnett and has recent experience at third base. That said, ignoring the Mexican League, he hasn't played center since a cameo there in 2012. Rojas Jr. was picked up for depth from the Pirates' system and hit well in Triple-A, hammering ten homers there between Indianapolis and Gwinnett (along with two more in Double-A). Down the stretch, he was one of Gwinnett's best options. He's much more comfortable in center field than Mustelier. However, neither outfielder received an invite to spring training. That's not enough to completely rule them out, but doesn't bode well for their chances.

Adam Walker. Adam Brett Walker. Walk-Off Walker. However you know him, there are two certainties with Walker. He's going to hit the ball a long way and he's often not going to hit the ball at all. 30% of his plate appearances since being drafted 97th in 2012 have ended in a strikeout. Meanwhile, 124 - or one every 18 AB - have turned into homeruns. ZiPS even projects 29 homeruns for Walker in 2017 if he received 531 PA in the majors. Unfortunately, it also projects a 44.6% strikeout percentage. To put into that perspective...Chris Carter set the record for strikeout percentage in a season where a batter reached 500 PA. In 2013, Carter K'd 36.2% of the time - a good 8% fewer than the ZiPS projection for Walker. As a project, he's a fun one because if the Braves can get him to make more contact without sacrificing power, he becomes a viable major league option. I doubt that will happen in 2017, but he's worth a look.

Christian Walker (no relation) was just picked up by the Braves off waivers form the Orioles. He has his own contact issues, though not nearly as severe as Adam. His power isn't an 80-grade skill, either. I'm honestly not sure why the Braves were enamored with Walker outside of depth. He was a decent enough prospect in the O's system and he does have an option remaining should the Braves not be inclined to try to sneak him through waivers. Or Christian could impress this spring and land a spot as a right-handed bat off the bench who spells Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis against a tough lefty. Certainly, it's possible, but I'm not very confident.

Colin Walsh gets lost in the when we talk about a bench bat, but least we forget his ridiculous 2015 season when he slashed .302/.447/.470 in the Texas League (Double-A). Now, the Texas League isn't known for depressing offense by any means, but those numbers are eye-popping. So much so that the Brewers took him in the Rule 5 after the season. He struggled tremendously in 63 PA (four hits), though he did walk enough to post a .317 OBP. He was returned to the A's where he held his own in Triple-A. Walsh can play second, third, and the corner outfield positions and oh, he's a switch-hitter. In fact, it's hard not to think of another A's middle infielder with a switch-hit bat who the Braves once picked up - Brooks Conrad. Defensive liabilities aside, Conrad was an excellent bench bat for the Braves in 2010. Could Walsh be one for the Braves in 2017? For what it's worth, he did not receive an invite to spring training.

The Super Longshots: David Freitas, Balbino Fuenmayor, Blake Lalli, Anthony Recker

Freitas is a catcher/first baseman with a decent hit tool and already has experience in four different organizations since the Nats drafted him in 2010. He's never rated highly as a prospect and has often served as the backup catcher despite a career .273/.361/.421 slash. Freitas will turn 28 before the season and doesn't have much of a shot to make this team. Neither does Fuenmayor, though a strong spring could make things a little interesting. Fuenmayor had a mega 2015 after spending the previous year in independent ball. Playing mostly in Double-A, Fuenmayor hit .358/.384/.589 with 17 homeruns in less than 400 PA. While certainly not a prospect, it was the kind of year that will attract more attention the following year...which did not go so hot. Last season, while at Triple-A, Fuenmayor hit .291, but with him being allergic to walks and not being able to flash his good power from the Texas League, his numbers soured into a line resembling a middle infielder without any speed (.291/.325/.405). He's pretty limited to first base, though he did play 59 games at third in 2014 with Quebec. While his name deserves consideration, his bat probably doesn't.

Blake Lalli made it back to the majors last year for the first time since 2013. The 33 year-old went 2-for-13. Small sample size, but he set a new personal best with batting average (.154) and slugging (.231). That might tell you something about his first two gigs in the majors, which also were small cups of coffee (16 PA in 2012, 24 PA the following year). Lalli's bat has been substandard the last three years and he's battling to stick on the Gwinnett roster, which could be tough to do. That is especially true with Anthony Recker likely to be in Gwinnett. With the backup catching situation a problem in Atlanta last year, Recker got an opportunity and ran with it. Over 33 games, he hit .278/.394/.433. A .343 BABIP helped compared to his career .268. The Braves were not convinced that Recker was a good bet in 2017 and signed Kurt Suzuki to replace him. While Recker will be given an opportunity to unseat Suzuki, his best chance to be on a major league roster come opening day will be from injury or being traded to a team in need of catching depth.

To Sum Up...

There are a lot of options, but a few stand out: Chase d'Arnaud, Micah Johnson, and Emilio Bonifacio. Rio Ruiz might force his way in and if Atlanta goes with a more typical seven-man bullpen, that could help his chances, but regardless, Atlanta is seeking a versatile mix of players. Judging by early usage of Johnson in center field, Atlanta seems interested in using him as the primary backup to Ender Inciarte. Such a move would help Johnson's chances of making this roster. With shortstop needing depth, d'Arnaud is a good bet as well.

The biggest problem with this bench is related to what they can bring you in pinch-hitting situations. A National League bench will be counted on in late innings for high-leverage opportunities against good relievers. Peterson, d'Arnaud, and Johnson aren't prove offensive contributors at the major league level. Such a realization is likely weighing on John Coppolella as he fine-tunes the team heading into 2017. Because of this, I imagine the Braves will bring in a veteran bat like Kelly Johnson even if they do go with a four-man bench. Someone has to step in and give the Braves some kind of offense after all.

What does your bench look like? Is a four-man bench a potential problem should Atlanta go with it? Should the Braves go outside the organization for help and who should they pick up? Let me know in the comments.

Should the Braves Bring Back Kelly Johnson and/or Jeff Francoeur?

By Arturo Pardavila III [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

It seems inevitable.

Maybe it shouldn't, but it really does seem like only a matter of time.

It is so expected that should the Atlanta Braves sign either Kelly Johnson or Jeff Francoeur over the next few days, it would surprise no one. The Braves have proven that when it comes to depth, they like to go to players they are comfortable with. Both Johnson and Francoeur were brought back last year and given a chance to win a job on their bench, which both did. For Johnson, it was actually the second time he re-Braved. Eric O'Flaherty, Emilio Bonifacio, and Kris Medlen are a few other players brought back for this year's roster that could eventually play for Atlanta in 2017. With the bench wide-open, why not Johnson? Why not Francoeur? Why not both?

Let's see if either, or both, are good fits for the Braves in 2017.

As I previously went over in a spring training battles preview for the bullpen, the Braves appear convinced to give the eight-man bullpen experiment a shot. I don't like the idea for an NL team that must utilize its bench on a nightly basis. Last season, the Braves did not use their bench nine times and six came in AL parks. That leaves just three times when the Braves did not use their bench for a pinch hitter, pinch runner, or defensive replacement when they didn't have the aid of the DH. It's a rarity that a manager won't have to go to the bench two-or-three times under traditional National League rules. Yet, the Braves want to limit the bench to four players, which includes a backup catcher that managers will be apprehensive about using in case a catcher is needed later in the game.

Where does that leave the bench? Well, right now, we have a good idea about half of it. Kurt Suzuki was given a one-year, $1.5 million contract last month to support Tyler Flowers. While Anthony Recker will be given a chance to unseat Suzuki, there is a high probability that short of an injury, Flowers will be in the starting lineup on opening day with Suzuki on the bench. The other fairly known player in the mix is Jace Peterson. After 214 starts at second base the last two years, plus 13 additional starts at third base, left field, and center field, Peterson looks destined for the utility bench role many felt he would be best suited for as a prospect. With Sean Rodriguez out for potentially the whole season, Peterson will be asked to do much of what they expected out of Rodriguez, minus the lefty-bashing bat, as the newly acquired Brandon Phillips takes over at second base.

Plenty of other names are in the mix, including the aforementioned Bonifacio, Micah Johnson, Chase D'Arnaud, and Rio Ruiz. Would adding Johnson or Francoeur be an improvement?

Let's look at what each player brings the Braves. Kelly Johnson's third go-around with the Braves was brief. He played in just 49 games with Atlanta before being traded for the second consecutive season to the Mets. All in all, it was a down year for Johnson after a bit of a surprise resurgence in 2015. That year, he hit .265/.314/.435 with most of his best work coming before his July trade to New York. Last year, his numbers fell across the board, though this time, his numbers dramatically improved after joining the Mets. Throughout his career, the left-hand hitting Johnson has shown little preference between left-handed and right-handed pitchers with a slight edge in favor of facing southpaws.

By Sgt. Anthony Hewitt [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Francoeur was included in a late season trade to the Marlins. After playing in 100 games for the first time in three years with the Phils in 2015, Francoeur joined the Braves last year - seven years after the disappointing end to his run with Atlanta that included epic highs and massive lows. Francoeur hit just .249/.290/.381 before his trade and hit better, though with no power, with the Marlins. On the season, he had a .254/.297/.378 slash. Where he did shine, somewhat, was against left-handed pitching. His OPS saw a 90-point improvement when he had the platoon advantage. That's pretty close to his career marks, though it should be said that his .253/.293/.402 lifetime slash against right-handers makes his value limited.

Beyond the differences at the plate, what truly separates these players is defensive flexibility. The only time Francoeur has ventured away from the outfield was for a two-inning stint on the mound in 2015 and a one-inning fill-in job with the Marlins on the season's final day - a game former Braves player Martin Prado managed. Meanwhile, Johnson has played six different positions, including each position on the infield and both corner outfield positions.

If the Braves were to sign one, the final position on the bench would also be directly impacted. If the Braves signed Francoeur, it would improve D'Arnaud's position as the Braves might be more apt to keep a player with a wealth of experience at shortstop. Signing Johnson may also force that, though Peterson was a shortstop until 2014 and Johnson has made cameos at shortstop with the Mets the last two years. Neither should get much time there, but their experience may be enough to prompt the Braves into rolling the dice and only bringing up a shortstop if Dansby Swanson were to miss time.

If it were me, I'd consider Johnson because he can provide more support at multiple positions. That said, having both Johnson and Peterson could be considered redundant, though Johnson's success against lefthanders helps to differentiate himself from Peterson. As for Francoeur, you might be able to argue that he would be a decent pickup if you felt he could play all three outfield spots and possibly first base. The last time he ventured into center field was 2014 for four innings in Triple-A and he's never played first base. His bat would have to be his saving grace and we are talking about a guy who has slashed .237/.279/.372 over his last 1561 PA (five years). Again, you might say "But we need a right-handed bat off the bench for late inning lefthanders." Here's where I say "don't confuse Francoeur with Matt Diaz." If you recall, Diaz was the definition of a platoon-hitting right-handed batter who bashed lefties. Remember that five year sample I referenced a couple of sentences back? Francoeur has slashed .240/.292/.363 against southpaws since 2012. That comes out to a 73 wRC+. While his career numbers, and especially last year, are more slanted to a guy who hits lefties noticeably better, he's still only an average bat career-wise against lefties (101 wRC+). Kelly Johnson carries a 103 wRC+ against lefties and is not inept against righties (101 wRC+).

With that in mind, if I'm the Braves, I'm definitely trying to bring back Johnson. And bonus, you can trade him to the Mets again. Win-win.

What say you? Johnson? Francoeur? Both? Neither?