The Two-Minute Braves

Braves Radio Net reporter Kevin McAlpin tweeted this Friday night:

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

— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) May 13, 2017

I followed with a tweet of my own:

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

— Tommy Poe (@WalkOffWalk1) May 13, 2017

But I was only beginning a cascade of responses

@WalkOffWalk1 @KevinMcAlpin Ryan Howard

— Outliers (@b_outliers) May 13, 2017

@b_outliers @WalkOffWalk1 @KevinMcAlpin Bronson Arroyo.

— Statline Scout (@tpierce625) May 13, 2017

@b_outliers @WalkOffWalk1 Bronson Arroyo

— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) May 13, 2017

@KevinMcAlpin @b_outliers @WalkOffWalk1 Brian Matusz

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

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

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

Catcher

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

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

Second Base

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

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

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

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

The Outfield

Keith Allison (CC BY SA2.0) via Flickr

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

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

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

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

Left-Handed Starter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Braves Monday Roundup - Fort Bragg, Sims, Trades

Welcome to the return of the Monday Roundup. Haven't been able to do this in a couple of weeks, but glad to be getting back into my regular posting schedule. For returnee fans, I plan to post the rest of my Best/Worst Draft series over the next few days leading up to the MLB Draft on Thursday. I hope you guys are enjoying the series - I know I enjoy writing about it. Once it's completed, I will look for another series of posts to focus on. I'm thinking of looking at who the Braves could trade and what kind of package they might seek. After all, the Braves will likely be busy on that front.

In the meantime, here are 5 stories you may have missed...

By Fish Cop. (Blashfield Sign Company) [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Fort Bragg's "Pop-Up Stadium" Nearly Completion
-One of the most interesting things related to the Braves during this lost season will come next month when they play host to the Miami Marlins at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Crews are putting the final touches on the stadium, including installing bleachers, fencing, a broadcast booth for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, and more. The "pop-up stadium" appears to be an experiment of sorts for baseball as they try to host a game five months after announcing the venture. You have to believe if the event is a success - and it has every reason to be - MLB will continue to attempt similar events. While much of the stadium will be removed after the game, the field will be donated to Fort Bragg, who hope to expand the location into a "larger athletic complex."

Sims Gets Crushed
-After Shae Simmons threw a scoreless inning to open Sunday's tilt with Durham, Gwinnett went with regular starter Lucas Sims. The results were awful. Sims went just 2.2 innings in the loss as he struggled greatly with his control, walking six batters and throwing a wild pitch. He also yielded a pair of homeruns when he did find the strikezone. Sims has given up six or more runs in four of his last seven games for Gwinnett. Suffice it to say, it's a learning experience for Sims, who turned just 22 last month and opened the year with three starts in Double-A. While no one should get too disappointed with Sims so far, it's a sign that one of Atlanta's star prospects is not close to being ready for prime time.

Mock Draft Brings in Number of Bats
-Tomahawk Take's Benjamin Chase was tasked with the role of playing the Braves General Manager at minorleagueball.com's mock draft. Of the six players drafted, Chase took four bats - which would be a stark change from last year's pitching shopping spree. It will be interesting to see if something like that happens. Clearly, the Braves need more offense in the system, but I'm of the belief that they won't make an effort to go bat or arm at any point in the draft. Instead, they will focus on best player available. That might be a bat like Kyle Lewis at #3 as it was for Chase. Or it might be an arm like Jason Groome or Riley Pint. Regardless of which way they go with that pick or any pick after it, I am convinced Atlanta will only go with the player that is on top of their Big Board at that time.

Jon Heyman: "Everyone can be had"
-In his recent Inside Baseball column, Jon Heyman mentioned a variety of Braves' notes, many with a a common theme - trades. According to Heyman, "a few teams have checked in on Nick Markakis," which I wrote about recently with the hope that - if true - Atlanta jumps on a possible trade. Heyman also mentioned Kelly Johnson and Alexi Ogando as possible trade targets, though neither have played well this year and have shown little sign of turning the corner. 2016 was supposed to be bad for the Braves, but the under-performance of so many veterans who appeared likely to attract trade interest hasn't helped.

Teheran Might be a Fit for the Red Sox
-The Braves have little reason to trade Julio Teheran. He's in just year 3 of a 6-year, $32.4M contract extension that also has a very manageable $12M club option for 2020. He's an effective pitcher who could be on his way to a 3 WAR season regardless of what his win-loss record may say. It's for all of those reasons that Teheran makes for such an attractive option for many teams in need of a dependable cog to add to their rotation. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe thinks the Red Sox could be one of those teams, especially with their collection of major-league ready (or nearly ready) talent. Cafardo mentions Blake Swihart, though that took a hit when Swihart hurt his left ankle playing left field (because reasons). Over 383 PA in the majors, Swihart has hit .271/.328/.386 with the Sox and was a Top 20 prospect heading into 2015. A switch-hitting option, Swihart definitely could help the Braves in terms of giving them a catcher-of-the-future option in the majors. Another name might be a better fit, though, and that's Andrew Benintendi. The 7th overall pick of the 2015 draft, Benintendi is already in Double-A, though his numbers have taken a bit of a fall through a couple dozen games there. In 458 PA since joining the Sox organization, Benintendi has a .206 ISO. A lefty masher who still might have room to grow, the Braves would be hard pressed to refuse an offer centering around Benintendi.

Bonus Link - Leudys Baez Reviewed
-A few weeks ago, I pointed you to a review on Mike Soroka by notesfromthesally.com. Over the weekend, John Calvagno posted another review on a current Rome Brave in Leudys Baez. The article quickly stands out as Calvagno says, "He (Baez) has some of the loudest tools in the league and no one is talking about him." Give the link a read.

Trivia Question
-The last time I did this, I asked, "In the expansion era (1961-to-present), and excluding the streak-shortened 1981, what three teams have tied for the fewest players on the team to hit at least one homerun?" No one ventured a guess even though I gave a hint. 10 players is the answer and it has been accomplished three times by the Cubs in 1967, the Royals in 1972, and the New York Mets in 1980. With Brandon Snyder's homer Sunday, the Braves reached ten. Here's today's trivia question. Freddie Freeman now has six intentional walks. What is the franchise record for walks in a single season? If you know the answer, send me a tweet.

Birthdays
Happy birthday today to Tony Graffanio, who began his 13-year major league career with the Braves in 1996 and turns 44 today. Wednesday is Pete Orr's 37th birthday. The Canadian utility guy last played in the majors in 2013 and is currently a free agent. On Thursday, Joel De La Cruz, who has been promoted to the majors twice and never used, turns 27. Not-a-Brave Zoilo Almonte turns 27 on June 10 (Friday). Atlanta had hoped Almonte would earn a platoon job last spring, but he ultimately was cut and didn't play organized ball again until last winter. He's currently doing well in the Mexican League. Also celebrating their birthday Friday will be Jeff Bennett (36 years-old), who I profiled awhile back. Rick Camp would have been 63 on Friday as well. Odalis Perez turns 38 on Saturday while Ryan Klesko celebrates his 45th birthday on Sunday.

Shameless Plugs 
Worst 5 Drafts Since 2000 - #4 ...The fourth worst draft might be one of the worst drafts in just talent for the Braves since the draft's inception. It was that ugly.

Transaction Tuesday: Thayer, Shae, Parsons, McCreery ...Weekly recap of the minor league moves. Analysis includes the recent addition of Dale Thayer, Shae Simmons' setback, Wes Parsons inability to stay healthy, and Adam McCreery getting his first taste of minor league ball as a Brave.

Braves Throw Away the Grill(i) ...Atlanta deals away Jason Grilli as they continue to add potential pieces for the future.

By EricEnfermero (Own work)
[CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Braves Shift Tyrell to the Pen ...Last week, the Braves made the choice to move right-hander Tyrell Jenkins out of the rotation and into the bullpen. In my article, I looked at how the move could mimic a similar move to the pen in 2010 for Jonny Venters.

Freddie Freeman's Power Numbers are Fine ...Where does Freeman rank among power hitters in the game and at his position? Certainly not with the elite, but his numbers are better than many give him credit for.

Braves Saturday Stats Pack ...Some of the topics discussed include Mallex Smith's odd stolen base success rate, Tyler Flowers' hard-hit rate, and Arodys Vizcaino's heat.

Minor League Saturday Stats Pack ...Sean Newcomb might be turning the corner and so might Braxton Davidson. See the column for more.

Best 5 Drafts Since 2000 - #4 ...As aggressive as the Braves were in last year's draft, my ranking of the draft in context with every draft since 2000 might be more aggressive.

Worst 5 Drafts Since 2000 - #3 ...Three years ago, the Braves struck out on nearly every pick. Let's hope for better luck Thursday as you review how it all went wrong in 2013.

Thanks for reading and remember to follow me on Twitter.

Braves Roster Beat: March 23 (About.com)

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

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

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

Starting Rotation

1. Julio Teheran

2. Alex Wood

3. Shelby Miller

4. Wandy Rodriguez (up from #5 starter)

5. Eric Stults (downgraded to #5)

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

Bullpen

Closer - Craig Kimbrel

RH - Jason Grilli

RH - Jim Johnson

LH - James Russell

LH - Josh Outman

---

LH - Luis Avilan

RH - Michael Kohn

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

Lineup

1. Eric Young Jr., CF

2. Nick Markakis, RF

3. Freddie Freeman, 1B

4. Chris Johnson, 3B

5. Jonny Gomes / Zoilo Almonte, LF

6. Andrelton Simmons, SS

7. Jace Peterson, 2B

8. Christian Bethancourt, C

Bench

C - A.J. Pierzynski

IF - Kelly Johnson (added to bench)

IF - Alberto Callaspo

OF Eury Perez 

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

Dropping: 1B/OF Joey Terdoslavich (dropping)

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

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

What Does Options Even Mean? A Baseball Primer (About.com)

One of the most misunderstood aspects of the business of baseball is options. When players like Jose Peraza get optioned to Gwinnett, sometimes we just don't understand what that really means. This article attempts to explain what options are, when they are used, and how they might affect the decisions the Braves must make over the next few weeks. Should we keep Zoilo Almonte and Eury Perez to avoid exposing them to waivers over Joey Terdoslavich, who may have hit better then them this spring?  Incidentally, I also have a new article on Terdo below. I hope you give them both a read and comment with any questions/comments you might have.

Read the article!

Why Not Terdo?

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

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

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

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

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

Stacy Revere | Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roster Prediction: Where the 25 Stand

Ah, yes, it's that time of spring where we make often wrong predictions of what the 25-man roster will look like when the season opens. I'll even go the extra mile with a lineup. I hope to do this every Sunday morning until the season begins.

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

My Take? Simply put, Stults out-pitched Wandy Rodriguez in their first outings and I think Michael Foltynewicz is a little behind them both in perception and as a result of the Braves hoping to get Folty some more development time. That said, things can change and I believe Folty's chances of making the roster would improve dramatically if Mike Minor's MRI doesn't come up looking good.

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

My Take? Tough to get a real read on the bullpen due to a lot of pitchers having a bad first outing, but Avilan took a step forward with his effort against the Tigers and we all know Fredi Gonzalez loves him. Unless his production falls to unacceptable levels, I imagine Avilan will be in the mix unless traded. Jose Veras is definitely on the bubble with Michael Kohn and Arodys Vizcaino around.

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

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

My Take? Again, it's tough to get a read this early in camp or to know what the lineup will look like, especially since Markakis is hurt, but if he does start the year with the team, I imagine he'll be in the first or second spots. If it were me, I'd have Jace hitting first, but I am going with Fredi's love of VROOMMMMM! Eury Perez could be a fit for added defensive flexibility and a guy like Philip Gosselin could also make some noise. Both could also benefit from Markakis opening the year on the DL. Personally, I'd keep Eury over EY, but this is a prediction of what will happen and not so much what will happen.

Is it me or could you literally bat any player not named Freeman in four-or-five other spots? I don't think I've ever seen a harder to predict Braves lineup before.

The Atlanta Braves Outfield: 7 to Watch For (About.com)

The left field battle already had a enough guys vying for playing time before Melvin Upton Jr.'s injury. With Nick Markakis possibly missing the start of the season, the opening day infield might not last for long, but someone's got to play out there. Will Jonny Gomes take on a larger role? Can Zoilo Almonte hit major league pitching? Will Eury Perez hit enough to supplement the best defense of the group? Can either Todd Cunningham or Joey Terdoslavich break through after spending most of the last two seasons with Gwinnett? Can veteran utility players like Eric Young Jr. and Kelly Johnson show that they still deserve a platoon assignment? And what of Cedric Hunter? Could he come out of nowhere and land a major league spot?

The only thing missing is Jose Constanza and that's a good thing. The Braves outfield will be one to watch all spring training for the guys that help their cause or hurt it.

Please read the article and comment below on who you think is a favorite to open the season with a starting gig. Thanks!