On the first day of the 2015 calendar year, the Atlanta Braves packaged a pair of useful arms in David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve to acquire Manny Banuelos. A little more than a week later, the Braves sent pitcher Nate Hyatt and third baseman Kyle Kubitza to the Angels. Both players who could have potentially helped a bad Braves team in 2015, but the Braves wanted young left-hander Ricardo Sanchez.
Both trades - and there were others - were a sign that the Braves were willing to cash in high-floor guys for higher-ceiling, but riskier options. Yesterday, the Braves went to the well once more and packaged Robert Whalen and Max Povse for Alex Jackson, formerly of the Mariners' organization. A player to be named later will eventually also be sent from the Mariners. (Ed.: On 12/9/16, Tyler Pike was announced as the player to be named later. For more on him, click here.)
A right-handed outfielder, Jackson was the sixth overall selection of the 2014 draft. That alone makes this a bit of a surprise because the M's were so willing to cash him in. The young man turns 21 on Christmas and just finished a 92-game run with Clinton in the Midwest League (A-ball). While a catcher when he was at the prep level, Jackson has settled into right field since going pro. There are some who believe the Braves may try him again at catcher, but I tend to believe that with his offensive issues (I'll get to that), Atlanta won't try to add on with a move back behind the plate.
When the Braves picked Braxton Davidson 26 picks after Jackson in 2014, people graded Davidson's raw power potential as elite in that year's draft. It's worth remembering that Jackson was right there with him. Entering the draft, Baseball America named him the top position player available. In 135 games in high school, he crushed the opposition for a .375 batting average and 47 homeruns. He was on his way to the University of Oregon to pay baseball, but $4.2 million has a way to change people's minds.
To this point, we have seen a little of that raw power so many raved about (21 HR, .166 ISO), but too many strikeouts (223 in 793 PA). The Braves hope the switch to Atlanta's system will allow Jackson to start over. His swing has been tinkered with and needs even more work. It almost looks like he's fighting himself to get the barrel through the zone. He does show a decent eye at the plate (8.9 BB%) and had a .346 wOBA while playing in a hard park to hit homers as a right-handed batter (89 HR park factor over 3 years). According to Statcorner, his adjusted wOBA was 109, which means when you take into account league and park factors, his production was actually 9% above the average.
And remember...we are talking about a guy who had a bad year. And he did, but beyond the potential, there is some signs here that Jackson could be on the rise. Yes, his swing needs more work, but his line drive rate was up about 6% last year. His strikeout looking rate fell nearly 1%. He hit about 3% less pop-ups. By themselves, these stats tell us little, but taken collectively, they could - and I have to stress could - be a sign that he's "getting it" more than he did in 2015 and responding better to coaching.
But even if Jackson is a lottery ticket that doesn't become a winner, the Braves traded from a strength and didn't unload any top prospects. Max Povse is a personal favorite of mine because he's a freak of nature on the mound. He's a 6'8" behemoth who gets great sinking action with his low 90's fastball. It's tough to even locate the ball when he pitches because all you see is a mess of legs and arms come flying your direction as he cocks and delivers the ball. With his control and groundball tendencies, Povse would have also been a favorite of Roger McDowell, who stressed both.
Also headed to the Mariners is Robert Whalen, who I would classify as a maximizer in that he maximizes everything he has to try to get batters out. He's smart and not just because he's smart enough to realize he can't get by on a plus pitch or absurd stuff. Another groundball guy, Whalen throws a lot of pitches (a half-dozen of them) and knows when and how to use them.
That's a lot of praise for both pitchers and they deserve it. Both could help the Mariners in 2017. Here's the but, though. While both pitchers are prospects deserving of a look, neither rank highly both in terms of their respective placement among top pitching prospects in the system or rank highly in general compared to their minor league peers. To put it more bluntly, if all three reached their best case scenarios, the Braves traded a pair of 2 WAR pitchers for a batter capable of 4.5 WAR and then some. That's not to say any of the previous sentence happens and quite frankly, the better money is on Povse or Whalen posting 2 WAR versus Jackson posting All-Star worthy money.
But...there's a chance it could happen. The Braves followed the safe philosophy under Frank Wren where they valued high floors and depth over lottery tickets. John Coppolella and John Hart have proven that while depth is important, you gotta buy that lottery ticket every now and then. Sure, most will provide no return for your investment, but eventually, there's going to be a win and that, my friends, will be a game changer for this franchise.
Showing posts with label Carp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carp. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Friday, October 7, 2016
Braves Can McDowell
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| By EricEnfermero (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
McDowell replaced Leo Mazzone in 2006 after the latter left for Baltimore. Three years ago, McDowell nearly left the Braves following the 2013 season, but former general manager Frank Wren gave McDowell a boost in pay along with a long-term contract (for coaches) to keep him away from the Phillies. While with the Braves, McDowell pieced together bullpens with castoffs like Eric O'Flaherty, David Carpenter, and more recently - Jim Johnson, who cited his comfortability with McDowell as one of his reasons to forego free agency and reup with the Braves.
One criticism related to McDowell was a similar one lobbed at Mazzone - he didn't relate well with young starters and they rarely seemed to blossomed under his tutelage. Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson both saw their careers slide into mediocrity after All-Star worthy beginnings. Others like Kyle Davies and Jo-Jo Reyes never developed. Another criticism of McDowell was found in the belief that his pitchers too often went under the knife, a stark change from the Mazzone years. When on the mound, righties Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy - along with southpaw Mike Minor - could be excellent. However, they were frequently on an operating table rather than throwing strikes.
Both criticisms are a bit lacking in my mind. Young pitchers flame out all the time. I'm sure McDowell did struggle to reach certain prospects, but on the other hand, he got his fair share out of Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, Craig Kimbrel, Jonny Venters, and some of the aforementioned oft-injured pitchers. Furthermore, considering the rate of pitcher injuries - especially those that result in Tommy John surgery - is skyrocketing, can we really look at McDowell and blame him for that?
McDowell won't be without a job for too long. He's had too much success with the Braves, including a 2007 year where he pieced together a pitching staff that included Chuck James, Buddy Carlyle , Oscar Villarreal, Tyler Yates, Chad Paronto, and the previously mentioned Davies and Reyes and the Braves still finished third in the league in ERA. It was the first-of-seven years in which the Braves finished in the Top 5 in the National League in ERA, including a 3.18 ERA in 2013 to pace the league.
This dismissal means two things. One, the Braves do want a new voice to lead a very young pitching staff. Johnson is the only pitcher on the Braves roster who is definitely going to be on next year's team and is over the age of 30. Sixteen different pitchers took the ball for the Braves this year who were in their Age-25 year or younger. Pitchers like Sean Newcomb and Lucas Sims are a good spring camp away from entering the picture. Whether McDowell did have issues with reaching younger pitchers or not, the Braves definitely want the guy in charge of their young pitchers to have an exemplary record with young guns.
The other thing this firing immediately makes you think of - the Braves might be moving away from Brian Snitker as next year's manager and will be giving the next Braves manager a chance to build his own staff. That could be Bud Black, though I am not very excited by that idea. There is a good chance McDowell is just the tip of the ice berg and long-running coaches like Eddie Perez and Terry Pendleton will also be headed out.
I don't necessarily disagree with letting McDowell go. I think he was very good at his job and the fact that this 2016 team wasn't at the bottom of the league in ERA despite starting 16 different pitchers is impressive (four NL teams finished with an ERA worse than the Braves). Still, I am a firm believer in giving a manager the leeway to bring his guys in and build the coaching staff how he sees fit. Letting him go now simply allows McDowell even more time to secure employment for 2017 - which is actually a pretty good parting gift when you think about it.
Fare thee well, Second Spitter. May you land with an American League team and enjoy your time there.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Andrew McKirahan To Miss 2016
Well, the relievers are just dropping like flies today.
Shortly after news dropped that David Carpenter and Ryan Kelly had been cut, we found out that southpaw Andrew McKirahan will miss 2016 after he was diagnosed with a torn UCL. He will see Dr. James Andrews next and will soon go under the knife, which would be his second after undergoing his first Tommy John surgery in 2012.
McKirahan was picked up by the Braves on waivers last March after the Marlins selected him in the previous winter's Rule 5 draft. The Braves were one of many teams interested in the lefty, who opened the year with the Braves before being suspended for PED use two weeks into the season. The test had been conducted the previous month while he was in Miami's camp, but it was a blow to McKirahan's placement with the Braves. It ultimately turned into a convenient thing for Atlanta because it allowed them to remove him from the roster for half of the year without losing him. After a brief minor league run (theoretically, a rehab assignment), McKirahan returned in late July and spent the remainder of 2015 with the Braves.
Overall, he had very poor results with a 3.82 FIP and 106 cFIP to go with an ERA of nearly 6, but it should be noted that anyone's ERA will take a hit when your BABIP is .409. Expected to be a suitable option against lefties, McKirahan was definitely better against them than he was vs. righties but was hardly a shutdown option. Almost exclusively a fastball/slider pitcher, McKirahan also has a rarely used sinker that he utilized more as the season progressed. The fastball has enough sinking movement to help induce a good number of groundballs and with his decent control, he certainly had a shot to surprise some people this spring before the news that he was injured.
His injury likely doesn't change the prospects of any other pitcher as McKirahan had a long road to make this roster. One thing that could have helped him would have been the need to roster him to start the year to fulfil the Rule 5 requirements. As you might know, players that are picked in the Rule 5 (even when they are acquired via waivers) must spend the season after being selected on a major league roster. There is a loophole and we saw that with Daniel Winkler* as the Braves punted the Rule 5 decision a season by selecting a player who would spend most of 2015 on the DL. In McKirahan's case, the suspension threw an added wrench into the mess, but the injury exception also applies here. In order to fulfil the requirements of a Rule 5 player, the team needs to either needs to keep the player on the roster the enter season (without a demotion) or keep him on the active roster AT LEAST 90 days. The remainder of the season can be spent on the disabled list or, as in McKirahan's case, the restricted list.
So, let's do the math. The season began on April 6, 2015 and the suspension was announced on April 20. That gives us 14 days. He was reinstated from the restricted list on July 20 and remained on the roster through the final day of the regular season, October 4. That's 76 days. Add the two time periods together and you get exactly 90 days, which seems pretty damn fishy when you think about it.
Because he reached 90 days, the Braves were free to demote him to the minors and begin using his full compliment of options. Instead, his injury will open a spot on the 40-man roster.
*Winkler's case is different and I wanted to go over that. Winkler was activated off the disabled list on September 10, 2015. The time frame between that date and the end of the season is 24 days. To keep Winkler, the Braves will have to keep him on the active roster for the first 66 days of the season (which takes us to June 9).
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| Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images |
McKirahan was picked up by the Braves on waivers last March after the Marlins selected him in the previous winter's Rule 5 draft. The Braves were one of many teams interested in the lefty, who opened the year with the Braves before being suspended for PED use two weeks into the season. The test had been conducted the previous month while he was in Miami's camp, but it was a blow to McKirahan's placement with the Braves. It ultimately turned into a convenient thing for Atlanta because it allowed them to remove him from the roster for half of the year without losing him. After a brief minor league run (theoretically, a rehab assignment), McKirahan returned in late July and spent the remainder of 2015 with the Braves.
Overall, he had very poor results with a 3.82 FIP and 106 cFIP to go with an ERA of nearly 6, but it should be noted that anyone's ERA will take a hit when your BABIP is .409. Expected to be a suitable option against lefties, McKirahan was definitely better against them than he was vs. righties but was hardly a shutdown option. Almost exclusively a fastball/slider pitcher, McKirahan also has a rarely used sinker that he utilized more as the season progressed. The fastball has enough sinking movement to help induce a good number of groundballs and with his decent control, he certainly had a shot to surprise some people this spring before the news that he was injured.
His injury likely doesn't change the prospects of any other pitcher as McKirahan had a long road to make this roster. One thing that could have helped him would have been the need to roster him to start the year to fulfil the Rule 5 requirements. As you might know, players that are picked in the Rule 5 (even when they are acquired via waivers) must spend the season after being selected on a major league roster. There is a loophole and we saw that with Daniel Winkler* as the Braves punted the Rule 5 decision a season by selecting a player who would spend most of 2015 on the DL. In McKirahan's case, the suspension threw an added wrench into the mess, but the injury exception also applies here. In order to fulfil the requirements of a Rule 5 player, the team needs to either needs to keep the player on the roster the enter season (without a demotion) or keep him on the active roster AT LEAST 90 days. The remainder of the season can be spent on the disabled list or, as in McKirahan's case, the restricted list.
So, let's do the math. The season began on April 6, 2015 and the suspension was announced on April 20. That gives us 14 days. He was reinstated from the restricted list on July 20 and remained on the roster through the final day of the regular season, October 4. That's 76 days. Add the two time periods together and you get exactly 90 days, which seems pretty damn fishy when you think about it.
Because he reached 90 days, the Braves were free to demote him to the minors and begin using his full compliment of options. Instead, his injury will open a spot on the 40-man roster.
*Winkler's case is different and I wanted to go over that. Winkler was activated off the disabled list on September 10, 2015. The time frame between that date and the end of the season is 24 days. To keep Winkler, the Braves will have to keep him on the active roster for the first 66 days of the season (which takes us to June 9).
Spring Training Moves & Guys You Don't Know, vol. 4
First thing's first, I published some instant analysis on today's spring training moves that included the releases of David Carpenter and Ryan Kelly along with reassigning Braxton Davidson to the minor league camp.
Another game and a few more names that might have surprised Braves fans in Atlanta's 12-11 loss to the Phillies on Friday. This is the fourth edition of this column and you can read about other random names that have shown up in boxscores by clicking here.
M. Kennelly, C, 1-for-2, R, 3 RBI, BB
Who is he? Matt Kennelly...It was almost appropriate that Kennelly replaced Braeden Schlehuber behind the plate on Friday as the two have been in the system for some time and are essentially the same player. Kennelly got his start after being signed out of Australia about a decade ago. He appeared in his first game in 2007 and spent the next six years plus years in the Braves system with an odd three-game turn in the Arizona Fall League. He reached Gwinnett in 2011 and started there in 2013 before being pushed out by a number crunch. After spending the rest of 2013 in the Reds organization, he returned to the Braves in 2014 and has been a fixture ever since (along with a yearly run in the Australia Baseball League). In nearly 600 games, he has hit just 19 homeruns and OPS'd .630 so you can imagine that his job is dependent on handling a pitching staff well. Kennelly can play a little first and has played the outfield in Australia as well. He even got into a game on the mound last year for Mississippi, pitching a quiet inning in relief. Overall, he's respected by the organization, but that's about it. Kennelly was among the five players reassigned to the minor league camp early this morning.
V. Mateo, P, 0.1 ING, H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, K, HR
Who is he? Victor Mateo...After spending eight years in the Devil Rays organization, Mateo joined the Braves last offseason and was great at Mississippi before spending a rough month or so with Gwinnett. A durable righty who has has logged between 147.2 ING and 166 ING in each of the last three seasons, Mateo gets a decent amount of groundballs and largely avoids homeruns, but routinely has FIPs over 4. Even when his ERA was 2.68 as a Mississippi Brave over 107.1 ING last year, his FIP was 4.09. This is largely due to weak strikeout numbers and good, but not great, control which results in a career 1.8 K/BB ratio.
Hursh, P, 0.2 ING, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, K, HR
Who is he? Jason Hursh...You really ought to know who Hursh is at this point, but just in case you didn't, here's the book on Hursh. You get a lot of grounders and that's about it. Basically, he's a slightly more impressive Mateo as he keeps the ball on the ground (usually) and avoids homeruns (again, usually). At this point, Hursh seems to be transitioning into a bullpen role, which seems like a weird fit for a sinker baller. Ultimately, Atlanta is trying to get anything from their former first rounder, but it seems unlikely that Hursh will be in the major league picture at any point in 2016.
Another game and a few more names that might have surprised Braves fans in Atlanta's 12-11 loss to the Phillies on Friday. This is the fourth edition of this column and you can read about other random names that have shown up in boxscores by clicking here.
M. Kennelly, C, 1-for-2, R, 3 RBI, BB
Who is he? Matt Kennelly...It was almost appropriate that Kennelly replaced Braeden Schlehuber behind the plate on Friday as the two have been in the system for some time and are essentially the same player. Kennelly got his start after being signed out of Australia about a decade ago. He appeared in his first game in 2007 and spent the next six years plus years in the Braves system with an odd three-game turn in the Arizona Fall League. He reached Gwinnett in 2011 and started there in 2013 before being pushed out by a number crunch. After spending the rest of 2013 in the Reds organization, he returned to the Braves in 2014 and has been a fixture ever since (along with a yearly run in the Australia Baseball League). In nearly 600 games, he has hit just 19 homeruns and OPS'd .630 so you can imagine that his job is dependent on handling a pitching staff well. Kennelly can play a little first and has played the outfield in Australia as well. He even got into a game on the mound last year for Mississippi, pitching a quiet inning in relief. Overall, he's respected by the organization, but that's about it. Kennelly was among the five players reassigned to the minor league camp early this morning.
V. Mateo, P, 0.1 ING, H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, K, HR
Who is he? Victor Mateo...After spending eight years in the Devil Rays organization, Mateo joined the Braves last offseason and was great at Mississippi before spending a rough month or so with Gwinnett. A durable righty who has has logged between 147.2 ING and 166 ING in each of the last three seasons, Mateo gets a decent amount of groundballs and largely avoids homeruns, but routinely has FIPs over 4. Even when his ERA was 2.68 as a Mississippi Brave over 107.1 ING last year, his FIP was 4.09. This is largely due to weak strikeout numbers and good, but not great, control which results in a career 1.8 K/BB ratio.
Hursh, P, 0.2 ING, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, K, HR
Who is he? Jason Hursh...You really ought to know who Hursh is at this point, but just in case you didn't, here's the book on Hursh. You get a lot of grounders and that's about it. Basically, he's a slightly more impressive Mateo as he keeps the ball on the ground (usually) and avoids homeruns (again, usually). At this point, Hursh seems to be transitioning into a bullpen role, which seems like a weird fit for a sinker baller. Ultimately, Atlanta is trying to get anything from their former first rounder, but it seems unlikely that Hursh will be in the major league picture at any point in 2016.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Guys You Don't Know, vol. 3
Only a couple of interesting names you might not know from yesterday's loss to the Tigers. As I have done twice this spring already (here and here), this series focuses on names that show up in boxscores that are neither big prospects, nor established veterans.
Lalli, C, 0-for-2, 2 K
Who is he? Blake Lalli...So far, this is the fourth catcher I've mentioned as part of this series and we are just three games in. Lalli was a late signing this offseason (1/26 to be exact) and is a left-hand hitting catcher originally signed as undrafted free agent by the Cubs in 2006. Before that, he played at Gardner-Webb (go Runnin' Bulldogs!). Lalli had a big 2008 as he climbed from A-ball to AA (with a stop at A+ in between). His triple slash that year was .326/.367/.504. Subsequent campaigns failed to live up to those numbers, but Lalli did play in the majors during 2012 as a Cub, getting a pair of singles in 15 AB. He was traded to the A's later that year and left the organization as a free agent at the end of 2012. He would spend most of 2013 with Nashville, the AAA affiliate of the Brewers, though he did receive a brief cameo in the majors (where he went just 3-for-24). The last two seasons were spent with Arizona's AAA squad in Reno. His overall minor league numbers have been fairly solid, though he won't give you much power. He's also played a good deal of first base and...amazingly...he's pitched a lot. Since 2007, he has appeared in 20 games as a pitcher. Between Lalli, Willians Astudillo's penchant for playing all over the field, and Jeff Francoeur's pitching pedigree, the Braves have some interesting baseball guys to keep track of in the minors who aren't even prospects.
Wooten, P, ING, BB
Who is he? Rob Wooten...Over the last three seasons, Wooten appeared in 71 games for the Brewers with much better peripherals than you might expect at first glance. During his 68 innings in the majors, Wooten has a 3.22 FIP, 3.90 xFIP, 3.62 SIERA, and a 98 cFIP. Now, none of those metrics paint the picture of an overly impressive right-hander, but all give the impression of Wooten being serviceable. He was signed without a spring training invite, but as you can tell by him pitching yesterday, that won't keep him from getting a shot to play with the big league club. He has solid minor league numbers and it's not impossible to see Wooten become the latest David Carpenter (3.0?), but it's a long road and he's going to have a tough time getting noticed in this camp. His time to shine will likely be at Gwinnett where he can get regular innings.
That's it for today as the Braves prepare to play the Phillies today.
Lalli, C, 0-for-2, 2 K
Who is he? Blake Lalli...So far, this is the fourth catcher I've mentioned as part of this series and we are just three games in. Lalli was a late signing this offseason (1/26 to be exact) and is a left-hand hitting catcher originally signed as undrafted free agent by the Cubs in 2006. Before that, he played at Gardner-Webb (go Runnin' Bulldogs!). Lalli had a big 2008 as he climbed from A-ball to AA (with a stop at A+ in between). His triple slash that year was .326/.367/.504. Subsequent campaigns failed to live up to those numbers, but Lalli did play in the majors during 2012 as a Cub, getting a pair of singles in 15 AB. He was traded to the A's later that year and left the organization as a free agent at the end of 2012. He would spend most of 2013 with Nashville, the AAA affiliate of the Brewers, though he did receive a brief cameo in the majors (where he went just 3-for-24). The last two seasons were spent with Arizona's AAA squad in Reno. His overall minor league numbers have been fairly solid, though he won't give you much power. He's also played a good deal of first base and...amazingly...he's pitched a lot. Since 2007, he has appeared in 20 games as a pitcher. Between Lalli, Willians Astudillo's penchant for playing all over the field, and Jeff Francoeur's pitching pedigree, the Braves have some interesting baseball guys to keep track of in the minors who aren't even prospects.
Wooten, P, ING, BB
Who is he? Rob Wooten...Over the last three seasons, Wooten appeared in 71 games for the Brewers with much better peripherals than you might expect at first glance. During his 68 innings in the majors, Wooten has a 3.22 FIP, 3.90 xFIP, 3.62 SIERA, and a 98 cFIP. Now, none of those metrics paint the picture of an overly impressive right-hander, but all give the impression of Wooten being serviceable. He was signed without a spring training invite, but as you can tell by him pitching yesterday, that won't keep him from getting a shot to play with the big league club. He has solid minor league numbers and it's not impossible to see Wooten become the latest David Carpenter (3.0?), but it's a long road and he's going to have a tough time getting noticed in this camp. His time to shine will likely be at Gwinnett where he can get regular innings.
That's it for today as the Braves prepare to play the Phillies today.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
More Minor League Free Agent Analysis
With the snow bearing down on the mid-Atlantic states, I have some extra time to take a look at some of the minor league free agents that have joined Atlanta's organization since the end of 2015. Today's subject focuses specifically on guys who have already appeared in the major leagues. For a fairly comprehensive list of players who have joined the Braves on a minor league deal this offseason, click here. Links to further analysis are also included there.
Reid Brignac
From 2007-2010, Brignac was a fixture in the Top 100 rankings produced by multiple outlets, but has never been able to turn that hype into success in the majors. At his height, he was a middle infielder capable of a .321/.376/.549 slash in his Age-20 season while playing in A+ and AA. But his numbers since have largely been underwhelming as he's a .256/.326/.389 hitter over 480 AAA games. He's also never hit at the major league level outside of a 2010 season when he hit 8 homers in 326 PA, but still only OPS'd .692. A shortstop by trade, he has experience all over the infield and a little time in LF. His chances to make the roster were much higher when he signed in November than now considering the signings of Gordon Beckham, Emilio Bonifacio, and Kelly Johnson. Brignac is part of the group who might not be praying for an injury, but could definitely benefit from one (or three) affecting those in front of him on the depth chart.
David Carpenter
The Braves keep cycling through Carp like a fish market. The original will seek to make his return to the Braves bullpen after a year spent struggling with the Yankees and Nationals. He, like Atlanta, are hoping that by coming back to the Braves, Carpenter will get closer to his 2013-14 numbers where he had a 2.63 ERA and 2.88 FIP in 126.2 innings with 141 strikeouts. He also didn't hurt himself with walks (just 33 unintentional free passes). His velocity was down a tick last year, but the bigger issue was his slider. With the Braves, it was a pitch he could target at will and had a tight spin and fall to it. Last year, he lost control of it. If that is just a question of fixing some mechanical problems, Carpenter could be a great asset for the Braves bullpen this season. If not, the Braves will probably track down the other David Carpenter.
Chase D'Arnaud
I saw Chase when he was a quick moving Pepperdine product who played for the Lynchburg Hillcats in the second half of their Carolina League title-winning 2009 season. At that time, he looked like a pretty impressive prospect. But his power numbers quickly trailed off and bat stopped hitting for average. Similar to Brignac, though D'Arnaud started as a shortstop, he has since moved around with games at second, third, left field, and even center field. Also similar to Brignac, his chances of competing for a spot worsened as the offseason progressed. Likely ticketed for his sixth consecutive year in AAA where he hopes to earn a promotion to improve his .205/.231/.277 major league slash.
Nate Freiman
He's definitely tall enough to play first at 6'8", but the former 8th rounder out of Duke has simply not hit enough. Sure, his numbers don't look too bad in the minors, but those stats are probably aided by some notorious hitting leagues. Twice, he's made it to the majors and while he's flashed some power (9 HR in 301 PA), he doesn't get on base enough. Despite his height and presumably large strikezone, he doesn't actually strikeout that much. Limited to first base, he'll likely perform that role for Gwinnett in 2016 as there are few other options. He didn't receive an invitation to spring training. As an aside, looking at his size, I'm surprised he wasn't with the Duke basketball team as a last guy off the bench guy. I'm way more surprised that he was listed as a catcher/infielder for Duke. Can you imagine his giant frame trying to block balls in the dirt?
David Holmberg
Once traded for Edwin Jackson, Holmberg was a 2nd rounder by the White Sox in 2009 who made it to the majors for a start with the Diamondbacks in 2013. He spent the last two years with the Reds organization and the results were...let's say...awful. Of pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings the last two seasons, only four have a FIP over 6.00. Only David Holmberg has a FIP over 6.60. For that matter, only Holmberg has a FIP over 8.00. To be exact, it's 8.07!!! It's actually really hard to earn a -1.7 fWAR in just 58.1 ING. It took Ross Detwiler 121.1 ING to get to -1.1. Unsurprisingly, Holmberg didn't get an invite to spring training. He throws five pitches and none of them are particularly good. If he pitches for the Braves in 2016, something went very wrong.
Ethan Martin
A decent prospect after the Dodgers took him with the 15th overall selection of 2008, Martin's career appeared to take off after he was dealt to the Phillies in 2012. He would appear in 15 games the following season in the majors, though the results were not pretty. The Phillies moved him to the pen and he got back to the majors, but only briefly in 2014. Last year, he spent most of the season at AA after injuries kept him out until June. He relies heavily on a hard sinker that's actually a pretty good pitch as far as whiffs go, but it doesn't sink enough and produces a lot of flyballs. His slider is his next choice and he can sprinkle in a change and curve as needed. He could at 26, develop into a half-decent reliever, but the Toccoa, GA product needs to refine his pitches and quickly to catch the eye of anyone.
Alexi Ogando
Probably the most intriguing player on today's list. The 32 year-old became a big name back in 2010-11 as first, a great setup reliever, and then a fairly impressive starter, earning him All-Star honors. He was moved back to the bullpen in 2012 and again was very good (if not homer prone) before injuries and struggles with his control finally led to Texas cutting him after the 2014 season. He spent 2015 for a bad Red Sox bullpen and though his ERA wasn't terrible at 3.99, his FIP of 5.32 and 1.7 HR/9 were less noteworthy. A big part of that was a nearly 17% HR/FB ratio (8% higher than his career norm), but he also benefited from a 83.3% LOB% so it's impossible to say he was unlucky. His velocity is still very good at 95 mph and though he can't hit triple digits anymore, he still had 98 mph heat in October of last year. The effort to re-work Ogando's delivery has taken away some of the bite of his pitches, specifically his slider, as the Rangers and Red Sox have looked to limit the violence in his delivery to the plate that led to his slim body breaking down. He's essentially coming from a higher delivery point. It's smart as it should keep him healthier, but to be effective, he's going to have to adjust his game. It's a good piece to bet on because he can still bring the heat and come after hitters. If tweaked just right, he might even become a solid asset that can be moved for a prospect later.
Matt Tuiasosopo
This guy. Should we talk about his brother, Marquis? Or should we talk about his cousin, Ronaiah (a.k.a Manti Te'o's dead girlfriend)? Neither because this is a Braves blog. A third rounder all the way back in 2004, Tuiasosopo has played 12 years in the minors with a few callups to the majors mixed in - most recently in 2013 when a good Tigers team called on him 81 times. He didn't suck (.351 OBP, .171 ISO), though the Tigers still waived him as soon as the season was over. He's mostly limited to 1B and the corner outfield spots, but has played a little second base and third base in recent years. A career .255/.355/.401 hitter in the minors, Tuiasosopo will be spring training fodder before heading to Gwinnett to help out there.
Chris Volstad
It's easy to forget about Volstad because he was the first signing of the offseason. The 16th overall pick of the 2005 draft, Volstad has thrown 10.1 major league innings since the end of the 2012 season. It's a quick fall from the 2008 rookie with a 2.88 ERA in 84.1 ING. He played three more years for the Marlins after that and was consistently bad. Volstad's basic issue is that he's a sinker ball pitcher who lacks an out pitch. When the ball elevates at all, hitters murder it. He basically has no margin for error. At his best, he's the 2010-11 Volstad - 6 K/9, 2.75 BB/9, 1 HR/9, 50% GB%, 4.30 FIP. Now, he was very good in AAA last year for the Pirates and his 3.16 FIP there was his best since he posted a 3.09 FIP with the Marlins' AA club before being promoted in '08. Pitching wise, you're going to get a lot of 91-92 mph sinkers, some curveballs, and a fairly hard changeup. He's also been known to throw fourseamers and sliders. Volstad is kind of lost in the minor league free agent starter battle since the additions of Jhoulys Chacin and Kyle Kendrick, but he probably has as good of a shot as anyone if he has a nice spring.
Rob Wooten
A 13th rounder in 2008 by the Brewers, Wooten has been a reliever from day one. Probably considered a closer-of-the-future guy by Milwaukee, Wooten put up some sick stats before getting hurt and missing 2010. Since then, he's been mostly good in the minors but hasn't stood out. It should be noted that his best success came when he was dominating sub-AA hitters who he was older than. In 71 games over the last three years with Milwaukee, Wooten has been pretty medicore. A strikeout artist before his injury, he's a sinkerball pitcher who mixes in a slider, curve, splitter, and even a fourseamer. Max velocity is about 92-93 mph. Wooten is minor league filler that bad Brewers pitching staffs have given chances to in hopes he somehow reaches his pre-2010 numbers again. It's probably not happening. He didn't receive a spring training invite and presumably will be part of what is likely to be a veteran bullpen for Gwinnett.
Out of these guys, I'd keep an eye on Carpenter and Ogando over any others. Carpenter has the familiarity angle and if he's able to be successful this spring, I'd give him a great chance to open the season with the team. Ogando's a bit of an x-factor. He could, theoretically, even be involved in the starter competition. While that's very unlikely, both Carpenter and Ogando have a good fighting chance to make the roster depending on how they perform this spring.
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| Brignac - Kirk Irwin/Getty |
From 2007-2010, Brignac was a fixture in the Top 100 rankings produced by multiple outlets, but has never been able to turn that hype into success in the majors. At his height, he was a middle infielder capable of a .321/.376/.549 slash in his Age-20 season while playing in A+ and AA. But his numbers since have largely been underwhelming as he's a .256/.326/.389 hitter over 480 AAA games. He's also never hit at the major league level outside of a 2010 season when he hit 8 homers in 326 PA, but still only OPS'd .692. A shortstop by trade, he has experience all over the infield and a little time in LF. His chances to make the roster were much higher when he signed in November than now considering the signings of Gordon Beckham, Emilio Bonifacio, and Kelly Johnson. Brignac is part of the group who might not be praying for an injury, but could definitely benefit from one (or three) affecting those in front of him on the depth chart.
David Carpenter
The Braves keep cycling through Carp like a fish market. The original will seek to make his return to the Braves bullpen after a year spent struggling with the Yankees and Nationals. He, like Atlanta, are hoping that by coming back to the Braves, Carpenter will get closer to his 2013-14 numbers where he had a 2.63 ERA and 2.88 FIP in 126.2 innings with 141 strikeouts. He also didn't hurt himself with walks (just 33 unintentional free passes). His velocity was down a tick last year, but the bigger issue was his slider. With the Braves, it was a pitch he could target at will and had a tight spin and fall to it. Last year, he lost control of it. If that is just a question of fixing some mechanical problems, Carpenter could be a great asset for the Braves bullpen this season. If not, the Braves will probably track down the other David Carpenter.
Chase D'Arnaud
I saw Chase when he was a quick moving Pepperdine product who played for the Lynchburg Hillcats in the second half of their Carolina League title-winning 2009 season. At that time, he looked like a pretty impressive prospect. But his power numbers quickly trailed off and bat stopped hitting for average. Similar to Brignac, though D'Arnaud started as a shortstop, he has since moved around with games at second, third, left field, and even center field. Also similar to Brignac, his chances of competing for a spot worsened as the offseason progressed. Likely ticketed for his sixth consecutive year in AAA where he hopes to earn a promotion to improve his .205/.231/.277 major league slash.
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| Freiman - Noah Graham/Getty |
He's definitely tall enough to play first at 6'8", but the former 8th rounder out of Duke has simply not hit enough. Sure, his numbers don't look too bad in the minors, but those stats are probably aided by some notorious hitting leagues. Twice, he's made it to the majors and while he's flashed some power (9 HR in 301 PA), he doesn't get on base enough. Despite his height and presumably large strikezone, he doesn't actually strikeout that much. Limited to first base, he'll likely perform that role for Gwinnett in 2016 as there are few other options. He didn't receive an invitation to spring training. As an aside, looking at his size, I'm surprised he wasn't with the Duke basketball team as a last guy off the bench guy. I'm way more surprised that he was listed as a catcher/infielder for Duke. Can you imagine his giant frame trying to block balls in the dirt?
David Holmberg
Once traded for Edwin Jackson, Holmberg was a 2nd rounder by the White Sox in 2009 who made it to the majors for a start with the Diamondbacks in 2013. He spent the last two years with the Reds organization and the results were...let's say...awful. Of pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings the last two seasons, only four have a FIP over 6.00. Only David Holmberg has a FIP over 6.60. For that matter, only Holmberg has a FIP over 8.00. To be exact, it's 8.07!!! It's actually really hard to earn a -1.7 fWAR in just 58.1 ING. It took Ross Detwiler 121.1 ING to get to -1.1. Unsurprisingly, Holmberg didn't get an invite to spring training. He throws five pitches and none of them are particularly good. If he pitches for the Braves in 2016, something went very wrong.
Ethan Martin
A decent prospect after the Dodgers took him with the 15th overall selection of 2008, Martin's career appeared to take off after he was dealt to the Phillies in 2012. He would appear in 15 games the following season in the majors, though the results were not pretty. The Phillies moved him to the pen and he got back to the majors, but only briefly in 2014. Last year, he spent most of the season at AA after injuries kept him out until June. He relies heavily on a hard sinker that's actually a pretty good pitch as far as whiffs go, but it doesn't sink enough and produces a lot of flyballs. His slider is his next choice and he can sprinkle in a change and curve as needed. He could at 26, develop into a half-decent reliever, but the Toccoa, GA product needs to refine his pitches and quickly to catch the eye of anyone.
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| Ogando - Mitchell Layton|Getty |
Probably the most intriguing player on today's list. The 32 year-old became a big name back in 2010-11 as first, a great setup reliever, and then a fairly impressive starter, earning him All-Star honors. He was moved back to the bullpen in 2012 and again was very good (if not homer prone) before injuries and struggles with his control finally led to Texas cutting him after the 2014 season. He spent 2015 for a bad Red Sox bullpen and though his ERA wasn't terrible at 3.99, his FIP of 5.32 and 1.7 HR/9 were less noteworthy. A big part of that was a nearly 17% HR/FB ratio (8% higher than his career norm), but he also benefited from a 83.3% LOB% so it's impossible to say he was unlucky. His velocity is still very good at 95 mph and though he can't hit triple digits anymore, he still had 98 mph heat in October of last year. The effort to re-work Ogando's delivery has taken away some of the bite of his pitches, specifically his slider, as the Rangers and Red Sox have looked to limit the violence in his delivery to the plate that led to his slim body breaking down. He's essentially coming from a higher delivery point. It's smart as it should keep him healthier, but to be effective, he's going to have to adjust his game. It's a good piece to bet on because he can still bring the heat and come after hitters. If tweaked just right, he might even become a solid asset that can be moved for a prospect later.
Matt Tuiasosopo
This guy. Should we talk about his brother, Marquis? Or should we talk about his cousin, Ronaiah (a.k.a Manti Te'o's dead girlfriend)? Neither because this is a Braves blog. A third rounder all the way back in 2004, Tuiasosopo has played 12 years in the minors with a few callups to the majors mixed in - most recently in 2013 when a good Tigers team called on him 81 times. He didn't suck (.351 OBP, .171 ISO), though the Tigers still waived him as soon as the season was over. He's mostly limited to 1B and the corner outfield spots, but has played a little second base and third base in recent years. A career .255/.355/.401 hitter in the minors, Tuiasosopo will be spring training fodder before heading to Gwinnett to help out there.
Chris Volstad
It's easy to forget about Volstad because he was the first signing of the offseason. The 16th overall pick of the 2005 draft, Volstad has thrown 10.1 major league innings since the end of the 2012 season. It's a quick fall from the 2008 rookie with a 2.88 ERA in 84.1 ING. He played three more years for the Marlins after that and was consistently bad. Volstad's basic issue is that he's a sinker ball pitcher who lacks an out pitch. When the ball elevates at all, hitters murder it. He basically has no margin for error. At his best, he's the 2010-11 Volstad - 6 K/9, 2.75 BB/9, 1 HR/9, 50% GB%, 4.30 FIP. Now, he was very good in AAA last year for the Pirates and his 3.16 FIP there was his best since he posted a 3.09 FIP with the Marlins' AA club before being promoted in '08. Pitching wise, you're going to get a lot of 91-92 mph sinkers, some curveballs, and a fairly hard changeup. He's also been known to throw fourseamers and sliders. Volstad is kind of lost in the minor league free agent starter battle since the additions of Jhoulys Chacin and Kyle Kendrick, but he probably has as good of a shot as anyone if he has a nice spring.
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| Wooten - Mike McGinnis/Getty |
A 13th rounder in 2008 by the Brewers, Wooten has been a reliever from day one. Probably considered a closer-of-the-future guy by Milwaukee, Wooten put up some sick stats before getting hurt and missing 2010. Since then, he's been mostly good in the minors but hasn't stood out. It should be noted that his best success came when he was dominating sub-AA hitters who he was older than. In 71 games over the last three years with Milwaukee, Wooten has been pretty medicore. A strikeout artist before his injury, he's a sinkerball pitcher who mixes in a slider, curve, splitter, and even a fourseamer. Max velocity is about 92-93 mph. Wooten is minor league filler that bad Brewers pitching staffs have given chances to in hopes he somehow reaches his pre-2010 numbers again. It's probably not happening. He didn't receive a spring training invite and presumably will be part of what is likely to be a veteran bullpen for Gwinnett.
Out of these guys, I'd keep an eye on Carpenter and Ogando over any others. Carpenter has the familiarity angle and if he's able to be successful this spring, I'd give him a great chance to open the season with the team. Ogando's a bit of an x-factor. He could, theoretically, even be involved in the starter competition. While that's very unlikely, both Carpenter and Ogando have a good fighting chance to make the roster depending on how they perform this spring.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Reviewing Hart's Trades: Carp/Shreve for ManBan
The Braves have been active in John Hart's first season at the helm to the tune of SIXTEEN TRADES! Sixteen deals involving major league talent going one direction or in both. Sixteen deals that include over 50 different players, a few draft picks, lots of cash, and two Uptons. It's been friggin unreal to see what the Braves have done.
With most of the season in our rear view, it's time to start reviewing each one of these trades. This series is going take a little while to get through, but hey, it gives me something to write about.
Trades Already Reviewed
La Stella for Vizcaino
Heyward/Walden for Miller/Jenkins
Varvaro for Kurcz
J. Upton for Jace Peterson and prospects
The Trade
David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve to the Yankees for Manny Banuelos. I looked at the deal here.
The Rationale
This trade look a lot of people by surprise. The year of 2015 had just began and the Braves sent two relievers, including a pretty established one at that, to the Yankees for an often-injured left-hander who had last thrown a hundred innings in a season in 2011. Back then, Banuelos was a huge prospect. As the 2014 season came to a close, he was just a guy with some potential, but limited to about 100 innings over the previous three years.
But what the Braves saw with the help of Gordon Blakeley, who they had hired away from the Yankees, was a guy who wasn't properly valued by the Yankees considering his former status as a Top 50 prospect in baseball. It wasn't that he lost his stuff or that his control was especially bad - he simply was having trouble staying on the mound. If the Braves had any luck, ManBan would be able to increase his innings and show what he had.
For the Yankees, it was simple. Banuelos had the highest ceiling of the three players, but probably the toughest time reaching it. Meanwhile, the Yankees could add depth to their bullpen in Carp and Shreve. Carp had been excellent for the Braves. Over two years, he struck out 141 in 126.2 innings and rarely walked anyone. He was a bit homer prone, especially to Juan Uribe, but the Yankees were confident that they were getting a great middle reliever to aid in their re-worked pen. Shreve was a bit of icing on the cake. A lefty, Shreve had arrived in 2014 to the tune of 12.1 ING, 15 K's, and had not been embarrassed by righties. He held some minor platoon differences in the minors (more groundballs vs L), but there was some hope he could be a full inning pitcher.
The Braves showed in this trade that they felt if they found enough arms, some would stick and the bullpen would be fine. Regardless, a high-end pitcher with no major league experience had more value to them to a pair of relievers.
Short-Term Results
Carp never got going in the Bronx. His velocity was there, but he couldn't strike out anyone. He depended on K's to get outs, but now was pitching to contact - something that relievers in general are not very good at. His control, which was so good in Atlanta, got away from him. He couldn't get ahead of hitters and even when he did, he got roughed up. Carp was also terrible in big money situations. By June, the Yankees grew tired of him and sent him packing to the Nationals for a middle infielder named Tony Renda. A former second round-pick, Renda had a sub-.700 OPS in 2015 in AA.
Shreve stuck around and after spending some time in the minors, he became a pretty trustworthy member of the bullpen. In the first half, he appeared in 32 ballgames with an ERA of 2.02, over a K an inning, and a WHIP under 1.00. It looked like even after Carp bombed, Shreve would pick up the ball and become a solid addition for the Yankees. However, his numbers flipped in the second half. Since the beginning of August, he has surrendered 7 homers, walked 17 batters in 22 games, and gotten increasingly bad. His 2.79 ERA for the season looks nice, but he's lost the confidence of his manager, who only uses him in games they are already losing or extra innings forces his hand.
On the other hand, Banuelos was great earlier this season for Gwinnett. His 2.23 ERA was probably a bit nicer than it deserved to be considering his 1.23 WHIP, but he was productive and mostly healthy. The highlight of his season came on June 22 when he threw a 101-pitch two-hit shutout against Indianapolis. He faced just one over the minimum and struck out five. By July, he was in the majors. He started off well with 5.2 scoreless innings and 7 K's against the Nats, but a trip to the DL later that month sidelined him. He was able to get back for a couple of starts, but a bone spur in his elbow ended his 2015 season.
Long-Term Outlook
The short-term was rough as the bullpen struggled mightily without Carpenter and Shreve, who had both been expected to play significant roles for the Braves in 2015, but long-term, this deal still has a shot to be a winner. Banuelos still didn't have a completely healthy season and will likely still have an innings-limit in 2016, but he's got a good chance to be in the picture. The Braves liked Banuelos a lot and it's easy to see why. Now can he translate it into success? We shall see.
As for the Yankees, while they were able to get something from the hyper-desperate Nats for Carp, losing a guy with Banuelos's high-end potential for essentially a LOOGY is a tough price to pay. Banuelos isn't a sure thing so I wouldn't lost sleep if I'm the Yankees. After all, if he does become a star, you can buy him back on the free agent market later.
With most of the season in our rear view, it's time to start reviewing each one of these trades. This series is going take a little while to get through, but hey, it gives me something to write about.
Trades Already Reviewed
La Stella for Vizcaino
Heyward/Walden for Miller/Jenkins
Varvaro for Kurcz
J. Upton for Jace Peterson and prospects
The Trade
David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve to the Yankees for Manny Banuelos. I looked at the deal here.
The Rationale
This trade look a lot of people by surprise. The year of 2015 had just began and the Braves sent two relievers, including a pretty established one at that, to the Yankees for an often-injured left-hander who had last thrown a hundred innings in a season in 2011. Back then, Banuelos was a huge prospect. As the 2014 season came to a close, he was just a guy with some potential, but limited to about 100 innings over the previous three years.
But what the Braves saw with the help of Gordon Blakeley, who they had hired away from the Yankees, was a guy who wasn't properly valued by the Yankees considering his former status as a Top 50 prospect in baseball. It wasn't that he lost his stuff or that his control was especially bad - he simply was having trouble staying on the mound. If the Braves had any luck, ManBan would be able to increase his innings and show what he had.
For the Yankees, it was simple. Banuelos had the highest ceiling of the three players, but probably the toughest time reaching it. Meanwhile, the Yankees could add depth to their bullpen in Carp and Shreve. Carp had been excellent for the Braves. Over two years, he struck out 141 in 126.2 innings and rarely walked anyone. He was a bit homer prone, especially to Juan Uribe, but the Yankees were confident that they were getting a great middle reliever to aid in their re-worked pen. Shreve was a bit of icing on the cake. A lefty, Shreve had arrived in 2014 to the tune of 12.1 ING, 15 K's, and had not been embarrassed by righties. He held some minor platoon differences in the minors (more groundballs vs L), but there was some hope he could be a full inning pitcher.
The Braves showed in this trade that they felt if they found enough arms, some would stick and the bullpen would be fine. Regardless, a high-end pitcher with no major league experience had more value to them to a pair of relievers.
Short-Term Results
Carp never got going in the Bronx. His velocity was there, but he couldn't strike out anyone. He depended on K's to get outs, but now was pitching to contact - something that relievers in general are not very good at. His control, which was so good in Atlanta, got away from him. He couldn't get ahead of hitters and even when he did, he got roughed up. Carp was also terrible in big money situations. By June, the Yankees grew tired of him and sent him packing to the Nationals for a middle infielder named Tony Renda. A former second round-pick, Renda had a sub-.700 OPS in 2015 in AA.
Shreve stuck around and after spending some time in the minors, he became a pretty trustworthy member of the bullpen. In the first half, he appeared in 32 ballgames with an ERA of 2.02, over a K an inning, and a WHIP under 1.00. It looked like even after Carp bombed, Shreve would pick up the ball and become a solid addition for the Yankees. However, his numbers flipped in the second half. Since the beginning of August, he has surrendered 7 homers, walked 17 batters in 22 games, and gotten increasingly bad. His 2.79 ERA for the season looks nice, but he's lost the confidence of his manager, who only uses him in games they are already losing or extra innings forces his hand.
On the other hand, Banuelos was great earlier this season for Gwinnett. His 2.23 ERA was probably a bit nicer than it deserved to be considering his 1.23 WHIP, but he was productive and mostly healthy. The highlight of his season came on June 22 when he threw a 101-pitch two-hit shutout against Indianapolis. He faced just one over the minimum and struck out five. By July, he was in the majors. He started off well with 5.2 scoreless innings and 7 K's against the Nats, but a trip to the DL later that month sidelined him. He was able to get back for a couple of starts, but a bone spur in his elbow ended his 2015 season.
Long-Term Outlook
The short-term was rough as the bullpen struggled mightily without Carpenter and Shreve, who had both been expected to play significant roles for the Braves in 2015, but long-term, this deal still has a shot to be a winner. Banuelos still didn't have a completely healthy season and will likely still have an innings-limit in 2016, but he's got a good chance to be in the picture. The Braves liked Banuelos a lot and it's easy to see why. Now can he translate it into success? We shall see.
As for the Yankees, while they were able to get something from the hyper-desperate Nats for Carp, losing a guy with Banuelos's high-end potential for essentially a LOOGY is a tough price to pay. Banuelos isn't a sure thing so I wouldn't lost sleep if I'm the Yankees. After all, if he does become a star, you can buy him back on the free agent market later.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Random Ex-Brave: Freddy Garcia
His career with the Braves lasted just 27.1 regular season innings, but Freddy Garcia humorously became a part of Braves lore by uttering a simple statement. "I just make pitch." Yes, Freddy, that you do.
Garcia originally arrived in the majors in 1999 for a Seattle pitching staff that was still looking for answers in the post-Randy Johnson world. Speaking of the Big Unit, that's how Garcia joined the Mariners after being an Astros prospect. In his rookie year, he threw his first of a dozen career complete games on August 7, but took the loss. 17 days later, he toyed with a Detroit team that would lose 92 games that year, shutting them down for his first of four career shutouts while striking out 12. He needed 139 pitches to do it and the game was a career best for him in terms of Game Score (89) and set what would be his career high for strikeouts in one game (matched three years later against the Rangers).
Limited to just 21 games in 2000, the 24 year-old Garcia had his finest single season the following year. He paced the American League in ERA and innings while picking up a trio of shutouts. He was even better in the second half, increasing his strikeout numbers while walking fewer as the Mariners won 116 games. Garcia was an All-Star that season and in 2002, though his numbers aren't nearly as good. With the Mariners slumping two years later, they sent the righty to the White Sox for a trio of players, including Mike Morse. He stuck with the White Sox for two more seasons and pitched his final 200 inning campaign in 2006 - the 7th time in 8 years he had accomplished the feat. His highlight in the South Side came on October 26, 2005. With the White Sox leading the Astros 3-0 in the World Series, Garcia faced Brandon Backe. Yeah, pitching wasn't all that good back then. Each pitcher went seven scoreless innings with seven K's before the Astros went with Brad Lidge in the 8th. Willie Harris hit for Garcia and singled. Two outs, another former Brave, Jermaine Dye drove him in with a single. When Bobby Jenks induced a groundout from Orlando Palmeiro, Garcia was credited with a win in his only World Series game - a deciding one at that.
It might be tempting to read ERAs like 4.51 in his final year with the M's and 4.53 with the White Sox in 2006 and think that Garcia wasn't a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm, but over six years where he logged 200 innings or more (2001-06), Garcia averaged 3.7 fWAR. He was a good performer - often underrated as a result of never being overpowering. He was a bit better than Russ Ortiz or essentially a pitcher that's good, but looks even better on a great team.
But Garcia would struggle badly in 2007-10. Dealt by the White Sox to the Phils for Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez (ouch) because his former GM, Pat Gillick, still liked him, Garcia couldn't stay healthy for the Phils in 2007. He finished the year with 58 innings over eleven starts. Despite pitching for a team that finished 16 games over .500, the Phillies were just 5-6 with Garcia on the mound. He reached free agency for the first time and nobody came calling to his liking. It wasn't until August 12 of 2009 that he finally got signed - by the Tigers. He made three starts in September and got beat around a little. After the year, he signed with the Mets, but failed to make their 2009 squad and was cut before the season.
A few months later, the White Sox brought him back and he would start nine games with them, showing improved control. That bought him a return trip in 2010 and he made 28 starts, though all of his numbers suffered and despite a nine-start run the previous year being worth 1.5 fWAR, he managed just 1.4 in three times as many starts in 2010.
Still, Garcia was now a guy who provided veteran "presents" and a team looking for depth could use that. Right before pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report to camp in 2011, the Yankees added Garcia. Along with Bartolo Colon, the two righties helped to stabilize the staff while youngins' Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes matured. Garcia posted the second lowest ERA of his career at 3.62 and appeared in his first game out of the pen since 2011. The Yankees resigned Garcia for the following year, but he couldn't stay in the rotation this time and suffered through a 5.20 ERA in a shade over a hundred innings.
2013 would be an interesting year for Garcia. He signed with the Padres, but couldn't earn a spot on a rotation that sported the likes of Eric Stults, Edinson Volquez, Jason Marquis and Clayton Richard. Instead, he was cut and picked up by the Orioles. It would be his first extended stint in the minors since 1998. Over 13 starts, he did his job to the tune of a 2.84 ERA. He also saw time with the major league club, though the results were ugly (5.77 ERA, 6.73 FIP, 2.7 HR/9). By late August, he was back in AAA and probably looking at a possible recall to the majors in September for blow-out game duty only, but luckily for him, the Braves were desperate.
Atlanta had seen Tim Hudson go down in a heap in Shea Stadium and Paul Maholm was working his way back from his own injury. Atlanta was looking for adding support in case Alex Wood, who was in his first full professional season, faltered. Enter Garcia, who started one game for Gwinnett after the Braves "purchased him" before joining the influx of players once rosters expanded for September. He appeared in three games out of the bullpen with his first outing lasting 4.2 scoreless in relief of Wood, who had surrendered seven runs to the Marlins. The Braves ultimately flip-flopped Wood and Garcia with the latter joining the staff for three starts between September 12-24. The Braves won two of them and Garcia pitched well enough to win the one that Atlanta lose (7 ING, 1 R to the Nats).
The Braves chose Garcia as the fourth starter over Maholm and prepared for the NLDS. Atlanta would split a pair of games at home before heading to LA and getting smacked around 13-6 in Game 3. With a win-or-go home game tabbed for Monday, October 7, the Braves saw the Dodgers go with Clayton Kershaw on short rest while Garcia took the ball for the Braves. Kershaw, who graduated high school the same year of Garcia's final 200 inning campaign, was a tough task even on short rest, but Garcia wasn't worried. He told David O'Brien, "I don't panic. I just make pitch." It was a stupid rallying cry, but it gave us hope. Maybe he could just pitch and get this series back to Atlanta.
His fifth pitch to Dodgers leadoff batter Carl Crawford was a homer. His sixth pitch to Crawford in the third was also a homer. But the Braves bounced back in the 4th. A single, an error, and a wild pitch set up Chris Johnson, who singled in a run. A groundout led to a game-tying run and Garcia was back even with the Dodgers' ace. He was pinch-hit for in the seventh with Elliot Johnson on third after a triple. Jose Constanza rocketed a 2-1 pitch up the middle for an RBI. Suddenly, Garcia was the pitcher of record. Just need nine more outs.
But had the Braves done that, we would have never seen dejected Craig Kimbrel with his arms crossed. So, I guess that's something. After Juan Uribe broke David Carpenter and the Braves lost, Atlanta was still impressed enough to bring back Garcia to compete for a starting spot. Injuries seemed to help his chances, but the signing of Ervin Santana and surprising pitching of David Hale led the Braves to cut Garcia. He would not pitch again until the winter leagues. He was a late spring pick-up by the Dodgers heading into 2015, but lasted a month before being cut from their AAA roster. Since June, he's pitched in the Mexican League.
Garcia has slightly more than 2,250 innings in the major leagues and been a part of some good teams. He rarely impressed so much that fans of other teams wanted him on their team, but - especially before 2007 - he often pitched well enough that his own team's fans were pretty confident they had a good chance to win after Garcia took the mound. Now 38, Garcia may try to stick around through next spring and hope he gets an opportunity to make a roster. Hey, if his old teammate Colon can still do it, why not Garcia?
More Random Ex-Braves
John Thomson
Kent Mercker
George Lombard
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| Stephen Dunn | Getty Images |
Limited to just 21 games in 2000, the 24 year-old Garcia had his finest single season the following year. He paced the American League in ERA and innings while picking up a trio of shutouts. He was even better in the second half, increasing his strikeout numbers while walking fewer as the Mariners won 116 games. Garcia was an All-Star that season and in 2002, though his numbers aren't nearly as good. With the Mariners slumping two years later, they sent the righty to the White Sox for a trio of players, including Mike Morse. He stuck with the White Sox for two more seasons and pitched his final 200 inning campaign in 2006 - the 7th time in 8 years he had accomplished the feat. His highlight in the South Side came on October 26, 2005. With the White Sox leading the Astros 3-0 in the World Series, Garcia faced Brandon Backe. Yeah, pitching wasn't all that good back then. Each pitcher went seven scoreless innings with seven K's before the Astros went with Brad Lidge in the 8th. Willie Harris hit for Garcia and singled. Two outs, another former Brave, Jermaine Dye drove him in with a single. When Bobby Jenks induced a groundout from Orlando Palmeiro, Garcia was credited with a win in his only World Series game - a deciding one at that.
It might be tempting to read ERAs like 4.51 in his final year with the M's and 4.53 with the White Sox in 2006 and think that Garcia wasn't a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm, but over six years where he logged 200 innings or more (2001-06), Garcia averaged 3.7 fWAR. He was a good performer - often underrated as a result of never being overpowering. He was a bit better than Russ Ortiz or essentially a pitcher that's good, but looks even better on a great team.
But Garcia would struggle badly in 2007-10. Dealt by the White Sox to the Phils for Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez (ouch) because his former GM, Pat Gillick, still liked him, Garcia couldn't stay healthy for the Phils in 2007. He finished the year with 58 innings over eleven starts. Despite pitching for a team that finished 16 games over .500, the Phillies were just 5-6 with Garcia on the mound. He reached free agency for the first time and nobody came calling to his liking. It wasn't until August 12 of 2009 that he finally got signed - by the Tigers. He made three starts in September and got beat around a little. After the year, he signed with the Mets, but failed to make their 2009 squad and was cut before the season.
A few months later, the White Sox brought him back and he would start nine games with them, showing improved control. That bought him a return trip in 2010 and he made 28 starts, though all of his numbers suffered and despite a nine-start run the previous year being worth 1.5 fWAR, he managed just 1.4 in three times as many starts in 2010.
Still, Garcia was now a guy who provided veteran "presents" and a team looking for depth could use that. Right before pitchers and catchers were scheduled to report to camp in 2011, the Yankees added Garcia. Along with Bartolo Colon, the two righties helped to stabilize the staff while youngins' Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes matured. Garcia posted the second lowest ERA of his career at 3.62 and appeared in his first game out of the pen since 2011. The Yankees resigned Garcia for the following year, but he couldn't stay in the rotation this time and suffered through a 5.20 ERA in a shade over a hundred innings.
2013 would be an interesting year for Garcia. He signed with the Padres, but couldn't earn a spot on a rotation that sported the likes of Eric Stults, Edinson Volquez, Jason Marquis and Clayton Richard. Instead, he was cut and picked up by the Orioles. It would be his first extended stint in the minors since 1998. Over 13 starts, he did his job to the tune of a 2.84 ERA. He also saw time with the major league club, though the results were ugly (5.77 ERA, 6.73 FIP, 2.7 HR/9). By late August, he was back in AAA and probably looking at a possible recall to the majors in September for blow-out game duty only, but luckily for him, the Braves were desperate.
Atlanta had seen Tim Hudson go down in a heap in Shea Stadium and Paul Maholm was working his way back from his own injury. Atlanta was looking for adding support in case Alex Wood, who was in his first full professional season, faltered. Enter Garcia, who started one game for Gwinnett after the Braves "purchased him" before joining the influx of players once rosters expanded for September. He appeared in three games out of the bullpen with his first outing lasting 4.2 scoreless in relief of Wood, who had surrendered seven runs to the Marlins. The Braves ultimately flip-flopped Wood and Garcia with the latter joining the staff for three starts between September 12-24. The Braves won two of them and Garcia pitched well enough to win the one that Atlanta lose (7 ING, 1 R to the Nats).
The Braves chose Garcia as the fourth starter over Maholm and prepared for the NLDS. Atlanta would split a pair of games at home before heading to LA and getting smacked around 13-6 in Game 3. With a win-or-go home game tabbed for Monday, October 7, the Braves saw the Dodgers go with Clayton Kershaw on short rest while Garcia took the ball for the Braves. Kershaw, who graduated high school the same year of Garcia's final 200 inning campaign, was a tough task even on short rest, but Garcia wasn't worried. He told David O'Brien, "I don't panic. I just make pitch." It was a stupid rallying cry, but it gave us hope. Maybe he could just pitch and get this series back to Atlanta.
His fifth pitch to Dodgers leadoff batter Carl Crawford was a homer. His sixth pitch to Crawford in the third was also a homer. But the Braves bounced back in the 4th. A single, an error, and a wild pitch set up Chris Johnson, who singled in a run. A groundout led to a game-tying run and Garcia was back even with the Dodgers' ace. He was pinch-hit for in the seventh with Elliot Johnson on third after a triple. Jose Constanza rocketed a 2-1 pitch up the middle for an RBI. Suddenly, Garcia was the pitcher of record. Just need nine more outs.
But had the Braves done that, we would have never seen dejected Craig Kimbrel with his arms crossed. So, I guess that's something. After Juan Uribe broke David Carpenter and the Braves lost, Atlanta was still impressed enough to bring back Garcia to compete for a starting spot. Injuries seemed to help his chances, but the signing of Ervin Santana and surprising pitching of David Hale led the Braves to cut Garcia. He would not pitch again until the winter leagues. He was a late spring pick-up by the Dodgers heading into 2015, but lasted a month before being cut from their AAA roster. Since June, he's pitched in the Mexican League.
Garcia has slightly more than 2,250 innings in the major leagues and been a part of some good teams. He rarely impressed so much that fans of other teams wanted him on their team, but - especially before 2007 - he often pitched well enough that his own team's fans were pretty confident they had a good chance to win after Garcia took the mound. Now 38, Garcia may try to stick around through next spring and hope he gets an opportunity to make a roster. Hey, if his old teammate Colon can still do it, why not Garcia?
More Random Ex-Braves
John Thomson
Kent Mercker
George Lombard
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Once a Brave, Always a Brave - NL East
In today's look around the league at former Braves, the focus is on the NL East. Because teams to not deal with their divisional rivals often, there aren't a lot of ex-Braves in the NL East - though most of the ones that are populate major league rosters. As usual, this list cannot be considered exhaustive and there is a better than average chance I'm missing a player or two. If you know of one, please comment below.
Miami Marlins
P Mike Dunn - He only spent 25 games with the Braves back in 2010 and walked way too many batters, but Dunn has been a solid reliever for Florida/Miami since arriving in the trade we try not to talk about involving a current National. He's been a little iffy this year for the Marlins, posting a 1.43 WHIP to go with an ugly 1.0 HR/9. But sample sizes involving just 26.2 innings can be problematic. He's signed through next year and here's a fun fact...his only experience in the postseason came as a Brave. He retired four-of-six Giants he faced in 2010 during three scoreless outings.
1B Jeff Baker - There are currently two players in the majors who were born in Germany. Edwin Jackson of the Cubs and Baker of the Marlins. He appeared in 14 games with the Braves after they picked him up in 2012 and had just two singles in 19 AB. Oddly, the Braves sent the Tigers Greg Ross to complete the deal. Ross, a pitcher, was cut at the end of spring training in 2013 without appearing in a game for the Tigers organization. He then resigned with the Braves and has spent the last year-and-a-half in Mississippi.
3B Martin Prado - Go ahead, name a Brave who was more beloved than Prado over the last five years. Freddie Freeman? Maybe. Craig Kimbrel? Possibly. But Prado was impossible not to like. A non-prospect who was supposed to have a best-case future of being a utility guy, Prado pushed Kelly Johnson to the side in 2009 and was an All-Star the following year. A trade moved him to left and over two years, he remained a pretty solid option out there. However, the Braves moved him to the D'Backs for Justin Upton as Prado wanted more money than the Braves were willing to give up. He has also played for the Yankees and now Marlins since leaving Atlanta and his numbers just don't look nearly as impressive as they did as a Brave (.280/.324/.407). He's on the DL with a shoulder injury.
New York Mets
P Buddy Carlyle - Last year, when Carlyle signed a minor league deal with the Mets, I looked at what Carlyle did for the Braves. In a certain way, Carlyle mimics Prado in that it's impossible not to like him, though that didn't make Carlyle beloved by any means. Carlyle was drafted in 1996 and despite making it to the majors in 1999, he has just one year where he has thrown 100 major league innings in a single season - 2007 with the Braves. If anyone bitches about how awful the Braves pitching has been at times this year, I point them to 2007. When Carlyle started 20 games, Chuck James started 30, Kyle Davies started 17, Jo-Jo Reyes started 10, and Lance Cormier started 9. I would mention Mark Redman's five starts, but I would have flashbacks that would send me under the desk in a fetal position.
P Sean Gilmartin - I remember someone getting upset we traded this guy for Ryan Doumit. Now, Doumit was an utter failure, but Gilmartin wasn't much of a prospect. Unfortunately, he's been pretty decent this year as a Rule 5 LOOGY for the Mets. I'd like to suggest it's all smoke and mirrors, but it's not. He might not ever be a major league starter, but he's got a shot to be good in limited bullpen action.
2B Brooks Conrad (AAA) - With Conrad, you get two memorable things that show the highs and lows of being a professional athlete. There were his two pinch-hit Grand Slams in 2010, including the one that made the Braves walk-off winners on May 20 against the Reds - still one of the coolest moments since The Streak ended. But...that kind of gets overshadowed by one of the worst postseason efforts in history. Not only did he managed just a single in 12 AB, but he was a nightmare in the field. His total four errors for the series was bad...especially when three came in Game 3, including on a grounder right between his legs that led to the go-ahead run in a 3-2 loss. Oh, his second led a to a run, too (though Jason Heyward should have called him off). 2010 should have been the best season of his career. Anyway, he has hit .205 for Las Vegas this year.
Philadelphia Phillies
P Aaron Harang - Harang has seen his strikeout rate fall a tick and his homer rate go up due to the park he plays in, but he's continued to show that he's not finished. Sadly, the Phillies are and have lost 11 of his 17 starts, which saddles Harang with the Senior Circuit's most losses. He hit the DL last week with plantar fasciitis.
OF Jeff Francoeur - After a year mostly spent in the minors, the now 31 year-old Francoeur is back in the majors and receiving significant playing time for the Phillies. He's hit about how you'd expect him to. He also got a chance to pitch this year and threw two innings against the Orioles on June 16, giving up two runs, walking three, and striking out Nolan Reimold, the first batter he ever faced.
Washington Nationals
P David Carpenter - His first name is actually Darrell so we have the REAL David Carpenter now. OldCarp flamed out in the Bronx and was shown the door after just 22 games. So, again, they gave up Manny Banuelos for Chasen Shreve and 22 games of OldCarp. Thanks! The Nats sent a minor leaguer to the Yankees for OldCarp and in his first eight games, he looked kinda better. He's currently on the paternity list so congrats!
2B Dan Uggla - At this point, Uggla's value is kind of the same as Jonny Gomes. You can use him against a starting lefthander and left-handed relievers, but you have to hide him against righties. Uggla has actually struck out as a lower rate than each of the last three years so maybe he's seeing the ball a bit better.
OF Reed Johnson - Another guy limited to only platoon advantage at-bats, Johnson spent a year-and-a-half in Atlanta and was pretty decent, though he posted better numbers as a Cub. He spent last year with the Marlins and now continues his NL East journey with the Nats. Well, except that he has been on the shelf since the 13-12 comeback win over the Braves that sent many a Braves fan in a downward spiral. The "big pop" in his foot required surgery and he is not expected back before rosters expand in September.
Recently profiled in Once a Brave, Always a Brave...
AL West
AL Central
AL East
Miami Marlins
P Mike Dunn - He only spent 25 games with the Braves back in 2010 and walked way too many batters, but Dunn has been a solid reliever for Florida/Miami since arriving in the trade we try not to talk about involving a current National. He's been a little iffy this year for the Marlins, posting a 1.43 WHIP to go with an ugly 1.0 HR/9. But sample sizes involving just 26.2 innings can be problematic. He's signed through next year and here's a fun fact...his only experience in the postseason came as a Brave. He retired four-of-six Giants he faced in 2010 during three scoreless outings.
1B Jeff Baker - There are currently two players in the majors who were born in Germany. Edwin Jackson of the Cubs and Baker of the Marlins. He appeared in 14 games with the Braves after they picked him up in 2012 and had just two singles in 19 AB. Oddly, the Braves sent the Tigers Greg Ross to complete the deal. Ross, a pitcher, was cut at the end of spring training in 2013 without appearing in a game for the Tigers organization. He then resigned with the Braves and has spent the last year-and-a-half in Mississippi.
3B Martin Prado - Go ahead, name a Brave who was more beloved than Prado over the last five years. Freddie Freeman? Maybe. Craig Kimbrel? Possibly. But Prado was impossible not to like. A non-prospect who was supposed to have a best-case future of being a utility guy, Prado pushed Kelly Johnson to the side in 2009 and was an All-Star the following year. A trade moved him to left and over two years, he remained a pretty solid option out there. However, the Braves moved him to the D'Backs for Justin Upton as Prado wanted more money than the Braves were willing to give up. He has also played for the Yankees and now Marlins since leaving Atlanta and his numbers just don't look nearly as impressive as they did as a Brave (.280/.324/.407). He's on the DL with a shoulder injury.
New York Mets
P Buddy Carlyle - Last year, when Carlyle signed a minor league deal with the Mets, I looked at what Carlyle did for the Braves. In a certain way, Carlyle mimics Prado in that it's impossible not to like him, though that didn't make Carlyle beloved by any means. Carlyle was drafted in 1996 and despite making it to the majors in 1999, he has just one year where he has thrown 100 major league innings in a single season - 2007 with the Braves. If anyone bitches about how awful the Braves pitching has been at times this year, I point them to 2007. When Carlyle started 20 games, Chuck James started 30, Kyle Davies started 17, Jo-Jo Reyes started 10, and Lance Cormier started 9. I would mention Mark Redman's five starts, but I would have flashbacks that would send me under the desk in a fetal position.
P Sean Gilmartin - I remember someone getting upset we traded this guy for Ryan Doumit. Now, Doumit was an utter failure, but Gilmartin wasn't much of a prospect. Unfortunately, he's been pretty decent this year as a Rule 5 LOOGY for the Mets. I'd like to suggest it's all smoke and mirrors, but it's not. He might not ever be a major league starter, but he's got a shot to be good in limited bullpen action.
2B Brooks Conrad (AAA) - With Conrad, you get two memorable things that show the highs and lows of being a professional athlete. There were his two pinch-hit Grand Slams in 2010, including the one that made the Braves walk-off winners on May 20 against the Reds - still one of the coolest moments since The Streak ended. But...that kind of gets overshadowed by one of the worst postseason efforts in history. Not only did he managed just a single in 12 AB, but he was a nightmare in the field. His total four errors for the series was bad...especially when three came in Game 3, including on a grounder right between his legs that led to the go-ahead run in a 3-2 loss. Oh, his second led a to a run, too (though Jason Heyward should have called him off). 2010 should have been the best season of his career. Anyway, he has hit .205 for Las Vegas this year.
Philadelphia Phillies
P Aaron Harang - Harang has seen his strikeout rate fall a tick and his homer rate go up due to the park he plays in, but he's continued to show that he's not finished. Sadly, the Phillies are and have lost 11 of his 17 starts, which saddles Harang with the Senior Circuit's most losses. He hit the DL last week with plantar fasciitis.
OF Jeff Francoeur - After a year mostly spent in the minors, the now 31 year-old Francoeur is back in the majors and receiving significant playing time for the Phillies. He's hit about how you'd expect him to. He also got a chance to pitch this year and threw two innings against the Orioles on June 16, giving up two runs, walking three, and striking out Nolan Reimold, the first batter he ever faced.
Washington Nationals
P David Carpenter - His first name is actually Darrell so we have the REAL David Carpenter now. OldCarp flamed out in the Bronx and was shown the door after just 22 games. So, again, they gave up Manny Banuelos for Chasen Shreve and 22 games of OldCarp. Thanks! The Nats sent a minor leaguer to the Yankees for OldCarp and in his first eight games, he looked kinda better. He's currently on the paternity list so congrats!
2B Dan Uggla - At this point, Uggla's value is kind of the same as Jonny Gomes. You can use him against a starting lefthander and left-handed relievers, but you have to hide him against righties. Uggla has actually struck out as a lower rate than each of the last three years so maybe he's seeing the ball a bit better.
OF Reed Johnson - Another guy limited to only platoon advantage at-bats, Johnson spent a year-and-a-half in Atlanta and was pretty decent, though he posted better numbers as a Cub. He spent last year with the Marlins and now continues his NL East journey with the Nats. Well, except that he has been on the shelf since the 13-12 comeback win over the Braves that sent many a Braves fan in a downward spiral. The "big pop" in his foot required surgery and he is not expected back before rosters expand in September.
Recently profiled in Once a Brave, Always a Brave...
AL West
AL Central
AL East
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Once a Brave, Always a Brave - AL East
This series serves as an opportunity to see how the former Braves are doing across baseball. I looked at opening day rosters last month, but as we know following the Braves, things can change rapidly from the team that opened the year. With that in mind, let's head to the AL East and see how former Braves are doing. Most of these guys will be major league talents, but some former Braves farmhands will be utilized if I see them. This list is not exhaustive and I may miss a player here and there. Comment if you see one. Stats are accurate entering Monday's games.
Baltimore Orioles
P Pedro Beato (AAA)...It'd be easy to forget Beato played for the Braves last year. He spent just three games in the majors for Atlanta and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings with three walks and three K's. After the season, he returned to the organization he was once a decent prospect in and has looked pretty decent out of the Norfolk pen so far.
IF Paul Janish (AAA)...Janish simply plays in the wrong era. In the late 80's and early 90's when middle infielders were only expected to field, he would stick in the majors. He might not have a long run in one place like Rafael Belliard, but he would have kept getting work in the majors. Janish spent 107 games with the Braves between 2012-13 and received significant time in 2012 as a replacement to the injured Andrelton Simmons. So far this season for Norfolk, Janish has hit .239.
Boston Red Sox
P Zeke Spruill (AAA)...Drafted in the 2008 draft 26 picks ahead of Craig Kimbrel, Spruill was a decent prospect in a system that at the time was full of great pitching prospects when he was traded to the Diamondbacks in the Justin Upton blockbuster. He pitched 12 times, including three starts, for the D'Backs and was traded this offseason to the Sox. After not making the Red Sox, he was optioned to AAA where he has been, for the first time, a reliever.
New York Yankees
P David Carpenter...Traded in the offseason, Carp has struggled so far this year to the tune of a 5.40 ERA. The homer rate is sample size driven, but he hasn't been striking out his traditional amount to this point. Yanks are naturally expecting more.
P Kyle Davies (AAA)...For the first time since 2011, Davies pitched in the majors. For one game. Before being designated for assignment and headed to AAA. His numbers aren't all that pretty so far in the International League and Gwinnett has a win against him so far.
P Chasen Shreve...He spent a game in the minors, but has nine outings in the majors and has looked fairly good even though the Yanks are using him in long relief/mop-up duty to this point. He has struck out 12 in 12.1 ING while posting a 2.19 ERA.
C Brian McCann...In his second year in the Bronx, McCann is hitting a little better, but the now 31 year-old has yet to post the numbers that made him routinely an All-Star. At this point, it seems unlikely he will, either. In his first seven years, McCann slashed .286/.358/.486. Since 2012, that slash looks like .238/.305/.402.
1B Mark Teixeira...If you're like me, you are dealing with Teix's complete lack of a batting average because of how desperate you are for power. Teix has 22 base hits entering Monday. 10 have left the yard, seven are doubles. At least he walks, too. Of course, by the time you read this, there is even money that Teix strained his neck checking out a chick's butt so he's probably headed to the DL.
OF Garrett Jones...It's that time you are reminded that a long, long time ago, Jones was a Braves farmhand. He has had a Ryan Doumit-like beginning to the season.
Tampa Bay Rays
P Scott Diamond (AAA)...Long ago a Rule 5 pick by the Twins, Diamond has been a solid addition for the Durham Bulls this year. Still, that is a fall from starting 58 games for the Twins between 2011-13 with a 4.43 ERA.
Toronto Blue Jays
P Todd Redmond (AAA)...Was it really 2012 the last time Redmond pitched one of his 101 games with Gwinnett? Since being traded for Janish (we've come full circle), Redmond had found a spot on the Jays staff, but younger guys have pushed him back to the minors. After two rough games to open the year in Toronto, he headed across the border to Buffalo to worrisome results so far. This is the point that I remind you that Redmond was once traded for Tyler Yates.
Recently profiled in Once a Brave, Always a Brave...
Japan and Korea
Independent Baseball
Opening Day Rosters
Baltimore Orioles
P Pedro Beato (AAA)...It'd be easy to forget Beato played for the Braves last year. He spent just three games in the majors for Atlanta and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings with three walks and three K's. After the season, he returned to the organization he was once a decent prospect in and has looked pretty decent out of the Norfolk pen so far.
IF Paul Janish (AAA)...Janish simply plays in the wrong era. In the late 80's and early 90's when middle infielders were only expected to field, he would stick in the majors. He might not have a long run in one place like Rafael Belliard, but he would have kept getting work in the majors. Janish spent 107 games with the Braves between 2012-13 and received significant time in 2012 as a replacement to the injured Andrelton Simmons. So far this season for Norfolk, Janish has hit .239.
Boston Red Sox
P Zeke Spruill (AAA)...Drafted in the 2008 draft 26 picks ahead of Craig Kimbrel, Spruill was a decent prospect in a system that at the time was full of great pitching prospects when he was traded to the Diamondbacks in the Justin Upton blockbuster. He pitched 12 times, including three starts, for the D'Backs and was traded this offseason to the Sox. After not making the Red Sox, he was optioned to AAA where he has been, for the first time, a reliever.
New York Yankees
P David Carpenter...Traded in the offseason, Carp has struggled so far this year to the tune of a 5.40 ERA. The homer rate is sample size driven, but he hasn't been striking out his traditional amount to this point. Yanks are naturally expecting more.
P Kyle Davies (AAA)...For the first time since 2011, Davies pitched in the majors. For one game. Before being designated for assignment and headed to AAA. His numbers aren't all that pretty so far in the International League and Gwinnett has a win against him so far.
P Chasen Shreve...He spent a game in the minors, but has nine outings in the majors and has looked fairly good even though the Yanks are using him in long relief/mop-up duty to this point. He has struck out 12 in 12.1 ING while posting a 2.19 ERA.
C Brian McCann...In his second year in the Bronx, McCann is hitting a little better, but the now 31 year-old has yet to post the numbers that made him routinely an All-Star. At this point, it seems unlikely he will, either. In his first seven years, McCann slashed .286/.358/.486. Since 2012, that slash looks like .238/.305/.402.
1B Mark Teixeira...If you're like me, you are dealing with Teix's complete lack of a batting average because of how desperate you are for power. Teix has 22 base hits entering Monday. 10 have left the yard, seven are doubles. At least he walks, too. Of course, by the time you read this, there is even money that Teix strained his neck checking out a chick's butt so he's probably headed to the DL.
OF Garrett Jones...It's that time you are reminded that a long, long time ago, Jones was a Braves farmhand. He has had a Ryan Doumit-like beginning to the season.
Tampa Bay Rays
P Scott Diamond (AAA)...Long ago a Rule 5 pick by the Twins, Diamond has been a solid addition for the Durham Bulls this year. Still, that is a fall from starting 58 games for the Twins between 2011-13 with a 4.43 ERA.
Toronto Blue Jays
P Todd Redmond (AAA)...Was it really 2012 the last time Redmond pitched one of his 101 games with Gwinnett? Since being traded for Janish (we've come full circle), Redmond had found a spot on the Jays staff, but younger guys have pushed him back to the minors. After two rough games to open the year in Toronto, he headed across the border to Buffalo to worrisome results so far. This is the point that I remind you that Redmond was once traded for Tyler Yates.
Recently profiled in Once a Brave, Always a Brave...
Japan and Korea
Independent Baseball
Opening Day Rosters
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