How are the guys the Braves got rid of are doing?

Since the end of the 2016 season, the Braves have finalized nine trades while losing a few players via waivers. With roughly half of the season already finished, I wanted to look back at the players the team gave up and how they are doing in their new surroundings. Do the Braves miss them or do they miss the Braves more?

November 2, 2016
Ryan Weber selected by the Seattle Mariners off waivers.

-Before the 2016 World Series ended later that night, the Braves lost a right-hander who had made 21 appearances and seven starts with them over the previous two seasons. Weber was always a non-prospect - a guy with AAAA stuff and more guts than talent. He opened this year with 31.2 dominant frames in Triple-A for Tacoma before earning a callup. He was doing alright (3 H, 1 ER) through 3.2 innings, but left the game with a biceps injury. Actually, to be more specific, a "stretch of the musculocutaneous nerve." That sounds painful. He's been sidelined for a month-and-a-half and I have yet to see word on a return.

A. Jackson | Jeff Morris - Follow on Twitter

November 28, 2016
Traded Max Povse and Robert Whalen to the Seattle Mariners. Received a player to be named later and Alex Jackson (minors). The Seattle Mariners sent Tyler Pike (minors) (December 9, 2016) to the Atlanta Braves to complete the trade.

-The Mariners are a common theme in this little update. Povse returned to Double-A to begin this season after eleven solid starts in the Southern League. He was less impressive in the Texas League, though, and his walks were "sky-high" relative to his usual pinpoint location. After 39 innings (he missed nearly a month on the DL), Povse was brought to the majors two weeks ago. His first outing out of the pen was horrid, but he threw two scoreless innings his last time out against the Angels. Meanwhile, Whalen, who made five starts with the big league club last year, has been a bag of awful this season. In 48.1 innings in the hard-hitting PCL, he has a 6.33 ERA. In five of his nine starts, he's given up at least four earned runs. Mixed in there are two spot appearances in the majors, including a start. He was dinged up for five runs in a late May loss to the Red Sox and went two scoreless innings in mid-June out of the pen against the Rangers. He's back in Triple-A and will look to end a streak of five consecutive starts with allowing at least one homerun the next time out.

December 1, 2016
Traded Luke Dykstra (minors), Chris Ellis (minors) and John Gant to the St. Louis Cardinals. Received Jaime Garcia.

-Some bemoaned the loss of Dykstra despite the fact that Dykstra found a way to hit over .300 last year in more than 340 PA with a sub-.700 OPS and less than ten steals. I mention all of that because since 1901, only five people were able to do that in the majors and the last time it happened was 1943 with Doc Cramer. This season, Dykstra has been terrible for Palm Beach in the Florida State League, playing against many of his former teammates on the Fire Frogs. Ellis, who spent only one year in the organization after coming over with Sean Newcomb in the Andrelton Simmons trade, has been woeful as well while splitting time between Memphis and Springfield. His ERA is only under 7.00 because his work at Springfield is less-awful. John Gant opened the year on the DL and has only made eight appearances on the year. In seven starts in Memphis, he's been pretty decent. Not great, but compared to the other guys the Cardinals got for Garcia, Gant's been amazing. He's also appeared once out of the bullpen for the Cardinals. he gave up two solo homers in 3.1 ING.

December 8, 2016
Traded Brady Feigl (minors) and Tyrell Jenkins to the Texas Rangers. Received Luke Jackson.

-A Spring Training arm that nearly made the team in 2015 before needing Tommy John surgery, Feigl made six appearances last year in the rookie leagues as part of his rehab. This season, he has pitched 22 times - mostly in the Carolina League - with mixed success. The strikeout numbers are solid and the control is magnificent, but when he's not missing bats, players are finding holes. He's also been miserable once promoted to Frisco to begin June. Jenkins didn't last long in the Rangers' system. A few weeks later, they lost him on waivers to the Reds and he spent about as much time in their system before the Padres got him off waivers. One of last year's fan favorites has been just bad with El Paso in the PCL. He gave up 14 homers last year between Triple-A and the majors. He's surrendered 16 already this year in just as many starts. His strikeout-to-walk rate is nearly 1.

January 11, 2017
Traded Shae Simmons and Mallex Smith to the Seattle Mariners. Received Thomas Burrows (minors) and Luiz Gohara (minors).

-Losing Simmons made me sad as I had been a quick fan of his in 2014. He made it back to the majors for seven games last year and was a potential x-factor for this year's bullpen before the trade. However, the prospect of acquiring Gohara was too great. Unfortunately, Simmons has been DL'd the whole season with a right flexor strain. The last I heard, he was throwing again, but has yet to start a rehab assignment and likely won't be in the mix until late July at the earliest. Smith spent a few hours in the Mariners' system before being packaged in a deal for Tampa's Drew Smyly. He's spent much of the year in the minors or on the DL, but when he's been in the majors, Smith has been pretty successful. With Kevin Kiermaier out for much of the foreseeable future, center field belongs to Smith, who's OBP is roughly 70 points higher than it was last year with the Braves. His stolen base percentage continues to need work (9-of-13), but he's been a nice fit in Tampa and one of the few ex-Braves on this list to look better than he did with the Braves.

January 13, 2017
Traded player to be named or cash to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Received Micah Johnson.

-The real winner of this deal was the Braves' fans who now know who Johnson is and follow him on Twitter.

January 26, 2017
Tuffy Gosewisch selected by the Seattle Mariners off waivers.

-Jesus, the Mariners love ex-Braves - even those that never suit up for Atlanta. Earlier in the offseason, Gosewisch had been picked up off waivers from the D'Backs to compete with Anthony Recker. That didn't happen as the Braves signed Kurt Suzuki and DFA'd Gosewisch. He's been around his career norms in 41 games in Triple-A for the Mariners. He also spent a few weeks in the majors where he went just 2-for-28 with 14 K's. Ouchie.

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February 12, 2017
Traded Carlos Portuondo (minors) and Andrew McKirahan to the Cincinnati Reds. Received Brandon Phillips.

-Not included here was the $13M the Reds sent to pay for Phillips contract, leaving the Braves on the hook for just a million bucks. McKirahan was a former Rule 5 pick who spent too much of his rookie season on the inactive list after being suspended for PED. He then spent 2016 on the mend after a second Tommy John surgery. He has yet to pitch this season and has spent some of his time on Twitter railing against vaccines. As for Portuondo, a Cuban-born right-hander, he pitched once and was released. Man, the Reds really wanted to get rid of Brandon Phillips.

March 6, 2017
Christian Walker selected by the Cincinnati Reds off waivers.

-The Braves were the second-of-four teams to get a look at Walker this spring. He started with the Orioles, the team that drafted him and originally promoted him to the majors in both 2014 and 2015. In late February, the Braves claimed him only to lose him two weeks later to the Reds. In late March, he was again on the move - this time to the Diamondbacks. He's bashed the PCL since with a slugging percentage well over .550. He's played mostly first, though he made a cameo at third and also logged a bit of time in left field. Because of how bad the Braves' bench has been - especially early - this one kind of hurts.

April 24, 2017
Traded David Hernandez to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Received player to be named or cash.

-You don't want to read about this. David Hernandez has been excellent for the Angels. Absolutely filthy. He's picked up over a K an inning, walked nearly nobody, and his FIP is absurdly in the 1.50-range. He's not this good, but he's definitely pitching like he is and the Braves are wondering why they just didn't bring him to the majors after all.

April 27, 2017
Chase d'Arnaud selected by the Boston Red Sox off waivers.

-There were people who were upset about this. I like to call these people the ones who are easily convinced by a month of success. D'Arnaud looked good briefly last year, but ended with a .245/.317/.335 split. His biggest value came from being able to play multiple positions and swipe a few bases. The Braves already had Emilio Bonifacio for that! (Too soon?) Cutting d'Arnaud, in late April, the utility player landed in Boston. After a month in their organization, he was waived and went to the Padres. He's been straight up awful with the bat and has played a little too often at shortstop, but when you're the Padres and you have Erick Aybar, that's to be expected.

May 8, 2017
Traded Kevin Chapman and cash to the Minnesota Twins. Received Danny Santana.

-Santana has had a few hits here-and-there but he's basically been the same guy who disappointed with the Twins last year. Meanwhile, Chapman, who the Braves added on waivers near the end of spring training, spent about a month in the Twins' organization for their International League club in Rochester. He gave up seven earned runs in 11.1 ING, which was actually an improvement over his time with Gwinnett. He was released a little more than a month after the trade.

May 20, 2017
Purchased Enrique Burgos from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Traded Juan Yepez (minors) to the St. Louis Cardinals. Received Matt Adams and cash.

-Burgos has been lights-out with Gwinnett and Adams hasn't been so bad either, but this article is about the players who the Braves gave up. Yepez hit .275/.309/.387 with a homer over 36 games with Rome before the trade. He left the SALLY League and landed in the Midwest League with Peoria. The two leagues are nearly identical in offensive production and while Dozer Park is a bit more homer-friendly than State Mutual Stadium, it's not exactly a big homerun park. Still, Yepez has bashed five homers since the trade, one fewer than he hit during 121 games in the Braves' organization. That said, he's still struggled to the tune of a .298 OBP.

Overall, outside of Mallex Smith - who doesn't have a place in Atlanta - and David Hernandez (sniff), the Braves haven't seen much success this season by the players they traded or waived. Some of that is luck, but a good deal of it is talent evaluation and coaching - something the Braves excel with at the minor league level.

Braves TJ Victims

(Here is Ryan Cothran's third piece for Walk-Off Walk. Soon enough, he's going to have to get his own account working here at WOW :) His first piece, which was an analysis into BABIP, can be found here. In addition, his second piece, which discussed recent bullpen improvements and what's coming up the chain, can be found here. Remember to follow Ryan on twitter.)

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

I’ve been a can’t waiter for years. I’m no longer going to be a can’t waiter. For the sake of my sanity, I can’t be a can’t waiter. What is a can’t waiter, you might ask? I guess I could assume you can’t wait to know. Well, I can’t wait to tell you.

A can’t waiter is an individual that looks at the Minor League teams of which he/she roots for, scours the roster, finds players that are having serious success, pines for said players to receive call-ups immediately, and talks daily how they can’t wait to see them kicking butt in the MLB like it’s a given that they’ll:

• Stay Healthy  
• Dominate the best baseball players in the world as much as they’ve dominated lesser players (although much better than anyone who’ll likely read this, your’s truly included).

Of the 2 listed above, the Braves have taken an extreme gamble by rolling the dice on (A) in their acquisitions/signings.  When I was writing for Tomahawk Take, I noticed a serious trend of the Braves signing/acquiring players that were either recovering at the time from Tommy John surgery, hadn’t made it back to the field from setbacks from Tommy John, or hadn’t found the success they were seeing prior to going down with injury.  I called it the Braves form of Moneyball, and you can click to see the old article.

*Disclaimer: Let it be known that aside from roster spots, a small chunk of change, and patience out the WAZOO, this gamble has been relatively small in terms of players traded and risks involved. 

At the time, it seemed really smart. Most of MLB teams weren’t in a place to offer these guys guaranteed money, give them a 40-man spot, or go through the bumps that comes with pitchers pitching back to form.  I thought it was brilliant!  In hindsight, it hasn’t worked out in most cases.  It was a gamble that others weren’t taking and with a rebuild in-tow, it was worth giving it a shot.

On Twitter, there have been many to poke fun at the Mets and their lacking ability to keep their pitchers on the field.  The Braves haven’t been much better. Their own list is VAST! While many of these didn’t succumb to injury while pitching for the Braves, it doesn’t negate the fact the we as Braves fans should not wag tongues or point fingers.  Here is a likely incomplete list of pitchers that have been in the organization in the last 5-6 years and have had the surgery:

Players that have been in Braves Organization and had Tommy John Surgery

Current Major Leaguers

• Jason Grilli - TJ surgery early in his career and came back a stronger and more efficient pitcher. 
• *Arodys Vizcaino
• Eric O’Flaherty - hasn’t been same since 2013 surgery.  70 innings total, but 40 innings of bad baseball with the Braves
• Alex Wood - traded in 2015, injured most of ‘16, and pitching brilliantly currently with Dodgers
• Jason Motte - TJ in 2013, has pitched mediocre baseball since return. Been pitching well lately.
• Sam Freeman - TJ in 2010, has had mixed results, although I’m not sure it’s related to TJ. Has been pitching brilliantly the last few weeks.
• Peter Moylan - Had TJ surgery in 2008, was effective for the next 3 years in a Braves uniform. Has struggled lately with the Royals.

Current Minor Leaguers

• *Manny Banuelos
• *Josh Outman
• Brandon Beachy - 8 innings in MLB since with 7.88 ERA
• Kris Medlen - 82 innings in MLB since with 5.99 ERA, but had a dominant outing with the Florida Fire Frogs a few days back.
• Jonny Venters - 3 TJ surgeries (maybe 4?) no MLB innings since 1st surgery
• *Andrew McKirahan
• *Jesse Biddle
• *Max Fried
• *AJ Minter
• Brady Feigl- traded, pitching well in High-A for Texas
• *Jacob Lindgren
• Chris Withrow - released mysteriously, but hasn’t made it back to field. 37.2 innings of decent relief.
• Shae Simmons - briefly pitched in Atlanta last year, traded.
• *Daniel Winkler
• David Peterson - Had TJ surgery in 2013, has had relative success in the Braves minor league system.

Retired Major Leaguers

• Billy Wagner - Had TJ surgery in 2008, came back dominant in Boston and then Atlanta
• Tim Hudson - TJ surgery in 2008, pitched effectively for rest of his career.

Not currently affiliated with any team

• Michael Kohn - Had TJ surgery in 2012, other arm injuries have kept him from contributing.
• *Paco Rodriguez
• Mark Lamm - Had TJ surgery, never made it to MLB and was last pitching in the Indy Leagues

Notice the players with asterisks and lack of breakdown? Know what they represent?  They’re some of the source of the “can’t waiters” happiness. These players were either bought low on due to injury or drafted low due to injury. They had big ceilings at one point and lost their luster due to injury. But should we be putting stock into these guys? Let’s dissect a bit…

Man, I can’t wait til we see *insert recovering flamethrower*

Manny Banuelos - When the trade went down, it was looked at as a landslide win for the Braves. Now? Manny is no longer with the Braves being DFA’d at the end of 2016. Meanwhile, Chasen Shreve has been part of the Yankees bullpen the last 3 years, pitching over 100 innings with a mid-3s ERA. All the while our left-handed relief pitching has been a dumpster fire for those 3 years.

Paco Rodriguez - Was a bit of a throw-in in what is likely to go down as the worst trade of Coppy’s tenure. Was recovering from Tommy John when acquired and spent time rehabbing. After looking fair in 2017 Spring Training, he was released and word was leaked that he had poor work ethic.

Arodys Vizcaino - Acquired from the Yankees, traded to the Cubs, re-acquired from the Cubs, Vizzy has pitched 86.2 innings of good baseball out of the Braves bullpen, but has had his fair share of injuries along the way and hasn’t totaled 40 innings in either of the 2 full years since acquisition, granted the first year was due to an 80-game suspension.  He’s been pitching lights out lately.

Josh Outman - Gifted with an ideal surname for a pitcher, Outman was a buy-low project prior to the 2015 season due to 2014 Tommy John surgery and thought likely to break the Braves 25-man roster. He ended up pitching 8.2 innings in the Minors and had shoulder issues nearly the entire year.

Andrew McKirahan - Claimed from the Marlins and already down a Tommy John surgery, McK got busted for cheating, returned and pitched poorly for the Braves in 2015, then re-ripped his UCL, and hasn’t pitched since mid-2015. He's currently in the Reds organization after an offseason trade.

By Jeff Morris. Follow him on Twitter @AtlBravesJeff

Jesse Biddle - Had Tommy John surgery in 2015 and was claimed by the Braves in March of 2016 by the Pirates. He’s now pitching meaningful games in Mississippi with mixed results.

Max Fried - Acquired from the Padres in the Justin Upton deal, Fried was recovering from Tommy John surgery and was deemed recovered at the end of the 2016 season. Down the stretch, he was absolutely dominant but has struggled with consistency in 2017 which is very common the first year after Tommy John.

Daniel Winkler - A personal favorite of mine (but this was when I was all-in on the strategy of acquiring Tommy John guys and stashing them) pitched 4 innings in MLB between ‘15&’16 before breaking his elbow AFTER he’d already rehabbed from Tommy John. He's a rule-5er so he has to stay on the 25-man roster unless he’s on the DL. Currently, he’s still at extended Spring Training strengthening.

A.J. Minter - Would’ve been drafted early in 1st round had it not been for blowing out his elbow pre-draft. He’s had some flare-ups in the elbow area and other ailments that are apparently non-elbow related. Still, he’s only pitched 1 inning this year and remains out with no timetable set on his return.

Jacob Lindgren - Pitched with the Yankees, blew out his elbow, then they tried to sneak him through waivers. He was picked up by the Braves and will miss the entire 2017 season. He, like Minter, are key “can’t waiters” in the organization.

Has this strategy paid off for the Braves Front-office?

What is the expectation? In essence, I guess one can say that most of these guys were/are lottery tickets and anything gained is just gravy (examples: La Stella/Vizzy+INT slot money, Winkler in the Rule 5), but some cost real players (Fried/Man-Ban/Paco), roster spots (Winkler/McK), and high-draft choices (Minter). Thus far,  Man-Ban DFA’d, Paco released, Outman out, McK cheated then re-broke himself then was released, and Winkler rehabbed then broke elbow again.

The only success story that has played out in the bigs has been Vizzy and he’s not been a guy that a manager can give the ball to 70 times a year. Hopefully, this changes this year and we can reflect on the Tommy John Survivor strategy as a positive one.

Obviously, we have yet to see Minter, Lindgren, Fried, and Biddle, and there’s still a chance that Winkler can come back and be a force out of the bullpen, but we as fans need to be cautious when our expectation of these guys is that they’ll be healthy AND dominant.  It’s just not that simple.

A Piece of Advice for Myself

Pitching health in today’s game is so fickle. Pitching health after suffering a major injury, undergoing major surgery, and grinding through an extensive rehab is a crapshoot.  When it comes to these guys, we as fans might benefit by looking at them as luxuries rather than unequivocal future pieces. Be excited about these guys, watch them grow as pitchers, root for them to stay healthy, but learn from my mistakes and refrain from putting them in the category of “Can’t Wait” guys. Rather, leave them in a separate chamber of your heart that is more accustomed to heartbreak.

Thanks for reading! Go Braves!

Braves Acquire Brandon Phillips for Practically Nothing

By Rdikeman (Own work) [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

The Cincinnati Reds spent the offseason trying to find a new home for Brandon Phillips. They nearly sent him to Atlanta in January, but Phillips balked at the deal. He wanted further assurances that his no-trade protection would be respected even as a trade would typically negate any 10/5 conditions - or 10 years in the majors, 5 years with the same team.

In the end, the Braves and Phillips came to an agreement with the Braves honored a limited no-trade clause that blocks trades to a dozen teams that was already part of the deal. Those dozen teams are unknown to this point, but most of the time, each year, a list is filed of teams the player would not accept a trade to. One can assume the list includes teams with the least chance to be successful in 2017, though cities Phillips is not fond of may also be included. Further, the Braves agreed to pay Phillips a bonus of $500,000 in the event that he's traded.

The money part of this deal is very fascinating. Shortly after the 2012 season began, Phillips agreed on a six-year, $72.5M contract extension with the Reds that went into effect that year. After making $12.5M in the first year of the deal, he went down to $10M the following year and with each subsequent season, his salary went up $1M. This year, the final season of that deal, is worth $14M. There are also other conditions like award bonuses ($75K for All-Star selection) and some deferred money (unsure about the specifics there). What is most interesting about this deal is that the Braves are on the hook for just $1M for the 2017 season with the Reds covering the rest of the money.

The Braves completed this deal without having to surrender a prospect. Lefty Andrew McKirahan and righty Carlos Portuondo will head to the Reds in the deal. McKirahan is the more interesting name of the two because he pitched in 27 games for the Braves two years ago. A former Cubs farmhand, McKirahan was a 2015 Rule 5 pick by the Marlins. At the time, he was coming off his Age-24 season split between High-A ball and Double-A where he had a 2.08 ERA and a 4 K/BB rate.

After failing to make the Marlins, McKirahan was waived and picked up by the Braves. His time with the Braves was interrupted after three games because of a PED suspension. Once able to return in late July, McKirahan was a regular member of Fredi Gonzalez's bullpen. His final 19 games were especially ugly, though. In 18 innings, he gave up 16 runs while striking out 14. Last spring, he was expected to compete for a bullpen spot, but a recommendation of a second Tommy John surgery ended his bid. He was not expected to compete for a bullpen spot this spring.

Portuondo, who spent eight years in Cuba's top baseball league, lasted just one year in the Braves' system after Atlanta gave the defector $900K nearly a year ago. A fastball/slider pitcher with decent movement on his low 90's heater, Portuondo spent last year with Carolina and Gwinnett. His numbers were pedestrian with some poor control, especially for a 28-year-old.

To sum up, the Braves surrendered two minor league bullpen depth arms and absorbed a million dollars for a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, and one-time Silver Slugger. Of course, to be fair, Brandon Phillips is not that guy anymore. His game took a step backward after 2011. Since then, his wOBA has been between .300 and .325 with a five-year average of .313. His wRC+ has been anywhere between 88 and 101 with a 94 average. After a number of years as one of the top ten or so second baseman in the game, he's a borderline Top 20 second baseman now.

Projections for Phillips - take them with a grain of salt because they include the Reds park - obviously did not expect much of an improvement for a guy entering his Age-36 season. PECOTA projected .269/.306/.390 with 12 homers, 10 steals, and a 0.7 WARP. Steamer expected similar results. That said, if Phillips's bat ultimately performs closer to the last two seasons rather than the two projections I mentioned, the Braves are getting a guy who hit .293/.324/.405 over his last 1200 or so PA with a .315 wOBA and 95 wRC+. Not a great improvement, mind you, but a more valuable player than the PECOTA/Steamer version.

While we are on the subject of value, we cannot ignore that Phillips' declining value hasn't been solely a result of his bat. His UZR/150 was between 8.1 and 12.3 for five years before 2015. That season, it fell to 2.1. Last season, it was -2.3. Strong DRS and rPM numbers both cratered last year. Defensive metrics are notoriously unreliable for just one season, but it seems clear that Phillips has lost a step and his instincts aren't nearly as quick. He turns 36 in June so that shouldn't be surprising. How far his defense deteriorates, however, could be something to watch. If he's at least average, the Braves will be happy.

By SD Dirk [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Where does Phillips fit in? Well, the Braves clearly felt pressure to make a move in response to Sean Rodriguez's car accident. A lot is still unknown about just how severe Rodriguez's shoulder surgery was as I've heard between 3-6 months of recuperation time as a possible time table.On the other hand, David O'Brien tweeted that "most if not all" of the 2017 season could be lost for Rodriguez. Expected to platoon with Jace Peterson at second, Rodriguez was a solid addition for the Braves this offseason before the injury. Here's the bad news - Phillips is not a better platoon option. He has carried a reverse split the last three years of .286 wOBA/76 wRC+ against lefties and .319 wOBA/98 wRC+ against righties. Peterson showed potential platoon ability by putting up a .326 wOBA and 101 wRC+ last year against righties. Relegating Peterson to just backup duty would appear short-sighted, though the injury to Rodriguez and lack of a clear option for a fourth outfielder might prompt the Braves to do just that.

Of course, Phillips is only a stopgap. He would be that even if he weren't a free agent following the 2017 season. Ozzie Albies is on his way and while his numbers at Triple-A were underwhelming, it's important to remember that the biggest reason the Braves demoted him back to Mississippi was to get time at second with Dansby Swanson. In Albies' final 21 games at Triple-A, he hit .282/.367/.376. I wouldn't call that a guy needing a demotion to Double-A. Nevertheless, at just 20 years-old and one season above A-ball - plus an injury to end 2016 - the Braves would like to go slow with Albies. The 2017 roster looks like it could compete for a playoff slot, but avoiding arbitration for another year while letting Albies mature more could be the better play for the Braves.

When he's ready, though, Phillips could be repackaged. The Braves may hold on to him if they are in a playoff race, believing his veteran presence and decent bat off the bench could be useful. On the other hand, a good season for Phillips could mean that the Braves not only got the Reds to pay 93% of his salary, but they also potentially landed a better prospect in a trade than McKirahan or Portuondo - which isn't hard because neither are prospects. That, my friends, is why John Coppolella will be named Executive of the Year at some point.

There's really nothing to be upset about with this trade. The injury to Rodriguez created a need and while the two players aren't the same type of player, Phillips helps to fill that need while costing the Braves next to nothing in the process. In a few years, if a retrospective was done on this trade, the Braves either win this trade or at least don't lose it. That is the kind of deal you make every single time.

A Braves 2016 Rule 5 Preview

On December 8, Major League Baseball will have its annual Rule 5 draft. For years, the Braves were a backseat spectator for the draft, but over the last couple of seasons, they have selected Daniel Winkler and Evan Rutckyj while also acquiring Rule 5 pick Andrew McKirahan off waivers. While the 2017 version of the Braves should be better than the previous two years, there is a good chance the Braves may increase the competition pool with a Rule 5 pick - or maybe even two? Who's a fit? Here's a few I like.

Yimmi Brasoban, RHP
The Good: Electric stuff from a 22 year-old righty. He brings 98 mph heat and a knockout slider and despite how deep the Padres' system has become, it's still surprising that Brasoban was left unprotected (I'll get to that in a second). He had a 3.10 FIP in 35.2 innings at Double-A last year with a 8.8 K/9 and 24% K%. Gets his fair share of grounders and has allowed just 25 homeruns in 360.2 career innings. Regardless if he's taken, he profiles as a reliever as he lacks a competent third pitch. However, those two pitches should get him to the majors if he can harness them.

The Bad: "If he can harness them." That's the rub. While a move to the bullpen has been great for his strikeout and walk ratios, he's still prone to lose the plate from time-to-time. A bigger concern right now is that Brasoban "received a stem-cell platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow" after being shut down in the Dominican Summer League. That could scare off teams as Brasoban may eventually need surgery if the injection doesn't deal with the problem. Either way, Brasoban might not be ready for opening day, which is probably why the Padres bet that he wouldn't be taken.

Final Thoughts: Definitely worth the consideration. With his stuff, he could be trouble on right-handed batters and induce his fair share of double plays in clutch situations. He's been his own worst enemy in the minors and might click with the right pitching coach. As for the injury concerns, 2016 was the first time he landed on the DL so, presumably, if the injection clears up things or even if he ultimately needs surgery, he has a good chance to return and thrive. The Braves have shown that they don't mind waiting on talent.

Nick Delmonico, IF/OF
The Good: If you are looking for a possible left-handed bat off the bench, Delmonico might fit the bill. The 24 year-old hit 17 homeruns between Double-A and Triple-A last year with an overall .279/.347/.499 slash. He could compete with Rio Ruiz for playing time as the left-handed portion of a potential platoon with Adonis Garcia at third base. Delmonico carries solid enough defensive grades, according to Clay Davenport's site. He's going to strike out a quarter of the time, if not more, but has above-average walk numbers and with his power, that's a profile for a solid bat.

The Bad: Delmonico strikes out a ton, which is a problem that may only be exacerbated by a promotion to the majors. However, his biggest problem is that he's never been particularly noteworthy until last season and while there was much to like about his year at the plate, the numbers weren't jaw-dropping - especially when you take away the 38-game run at Double-A which really pushed up his overall numbers. Further, there is something to be said about defensive grades because, while Davenport's defensive metrics look good at third base, the White Sox didn't seem sold on him playing the hot corner. In their defense, Matt Davidson, a prospect they have slowly waited on, did play 66 games at third for Charlotte as well.

Final Thoughts: It's slightly surprising that the White Sox didn't protect Delmonico considering how shallow their system is. That said, the Braves would have to grade Delmonico has a both a better option than Ruiz and someone they feel has a great shot of sticking on the roster. I'm just not sold Delmonico is that guy.

Ismael Guillon, LHP
The Good: Lefties will always be intriguing options in the Rule 5 and Guillon is no different. The Venezuelan will turn 25 just as a pitchers-and-catchers are reporting to camp and has mostly been used as a starter in the minors. He may still have a shot to stick in that role, but if the Braves drafted him now, it would likely be for bullpen work. He works off a low-90's fastball that likely would be bumped up to the 95 mph range while mixing in a plus-changeup. His curveball remains a work-in-progress and whether or not that pitch develops into an above-average pitch will decide whether or not he fits in as a starter or bullpen piece. For now, the latter is sufficient. Further, and this may be important considering the freedom opponents felt to run on the Braves last year, Guillon's pick-off move is considered elite and only 16 dared to even try to run on him (9 were caught). He K'd 116 in 93.1 innings last year (11.2 K/9) while allowing a video game-like 50 hits. Lefties were completely useless against him with a triple flash of .133/.233/.222.

The Bad: The problem with that slash line is that he was a 24 year-old in the Florida State League (A+ ball). That meant that he faced just 71 batters older than him throughout the season. He should be expected to handle that league in his seventh year (minus a 2015 lost to a lat injury). Further, while 2016 was impressive, his career numbers paint the picture of a guy who gets K's, allows too many homeruns, and has struggled with his control. And, for the Braves' purposes, the fact that he hasn't thrown a pitch above A-ball is a potential problem. While he has the stats, the pedigree, the left-hand arm, and two plus pitches that can play at the major league level, will that be enough considering his complete lack of experience above A-ball and his overall lack of impressive numbers?

Final Thoughts: He's a lefty and he appears to be a weapon when utilized as a LOOGY. While the lack of high minors experience is concerning and you'd like to see him repeat his success at a more challenging level before considering him for the big leagues, Guillon could be a dominant reliever in the majors within the next few years if used properly and if he is successful in transitioning to the majors. Actually, he could (and I stress could) be a dominant reliever in a specialist role in 2017. I'm not saying the Braves would be dumb not to draft him because the questions about him still exist. However, if they do draft him, I can't blame them.

Tyler Heineman, C
The Good: It's a good time to be a defensive-first catcher. The first pick of the 8th round of the 2012 draft, Heineman has climbed the ladder and in 2015, made it to Triple-A for a 56-game run in which he slashed .271/.312/.370. The switch-hitter had his playing time limited by a higher-rated prospect, Max Stassi, but still posted a .322 wOBA in 2016 over 73 games this season in a return trip to Triple-A. For Heineman, however, it's about his defense. Baseball Prospectus has done well in adding minor league catching metrics for their subscribers and Heineman ranks extremely well here in pitch framing, which just so happens to be a focus of the current front office. His overall game behind the plate is good, but pitch framing is where he excels.

The Bad: Defensive-first catchers are usually defensive-first because their offensive game is so limited. Heineman is no different. He's hit 20 career minor league homeruns and 13 came in one year when he took advantage of the hitting friendly environments of the California League and especially his home park of Clipper Magazine Stadium, which has a 3-year HR Park Factor of 164 for LHB and 140 for RHB. Heineman does do a good job of making contact and walks enough to help supplement his OBP, but probably won't do much at the plate to be more than a backup.

Final Thoughts: Even though the Braves just signed Tuffy Gosewisch to a deal for 2017, Heineman could be worth the investment - especially because Gosewisch isn't exactly known for pitch framing, something the Braves desperately are seeking to improve. Of course, Atlanta can keep their options open on the free agent market, but Heineman could be a nice addition for a position that could use some beefing up.

Joey Krehbiel, RHP
The good: You want strikeouts? Two years ago, Krehbiel K'd 96 in 68 innings. Last year, as he moved up to Double-A, Krehbiel saw his K/9 fall from 12.7 to 10.7 per nine innings. Nevertheless, that's still a pretty good mark. Following the season, the righthander went down to the Arizona Fall League and K'd 20 of the 51 batters he faced while walking just six. Krehbiel has a 95-96 max mph fastball that has a lot of life on it. He also uses a changeup and a developing slider. That change-of-pace is good enough to keep lefties at bay.

The Bad: He repeated High-A in 2015 and has yet to play at AAA. Control seems to leave him at times, which isn't unusual for young pitchers. Groundball rate has fell in each of the last two seasons, though his line drive rate climbed last year. His secondary pitches are good enough to get to the majors, but will need refinement to rely on Krehbiel to pitch in high leverage situations.

Final Thoughts: The Diamondbacks originally obtained Krehbiel from the Angels in the 2014 Joe Thatcher deal. He's pitched well at each level and had a 3.23 FIP last year in Double-A while playing in a park that is fairly forgiving for hitters. He has limited upside as a reliever-only, but could be a valuable middle reliever in 2017.

Anthony Santander, OF
The Good: There is a lot going against selecting Santander, but let's focus on the good for the moment. Santander seems to lack any real weakness. He's came into his own over the last two seasons after a slow start to his career and finally stayed healthy for a full season in 2016. The results? Well, if you are wowed by traditional baseball stats (Hi Jeff, thanks for reading!), Santander had 42 doubles, 20 homeruns, 10 steals, and 54 walks over 574 PA last season with a .290/.368/.494 triple slash. If you want a bit more nuanced idea of his season, he posted a .388 wOBA and 137 wRC+ to go with his .204 ISO. Santander has spent most of his time in left field, but can range over to right field and even play a little first base. He's also a switch hitter who showed little preference for which side of the plate he was hitting from last year.

The Bad: Remember how I said there was a lot going against him? Let's start with the thing I tip-toed around. He did all of his damage in the Carolina League. That's high-A ball. He's never played at AA ball to this point. Further, we really have no idea what we might get with him after he spent most of 2013-15, when he was healthy, playing at Lake County in the Midwest League (A-ball). That's three years in the same spot, which hardly screams prospect. The Braves want to be better in 2017 - can they really keep a spot on the 40-man roster for Santander and, if he makes the roster, stash him for a full season?

Final Thoughts: Santander was pushed aggressively by the Indians when he jumped from one summer in the Arizona Summer League to the Midwest League and was still young for the Carolina League, where only 45 PA came against pitchers younger than him. Maybe he finally caught up to the game. The Braves would be taking a chance that Santander's performance last year was a sign of bigger things to come. They also could use some outfield depth. If they believe the bat is for real, maybe Santander jumping from high A-ball isn't such a stretch.

Wei-Chung Wang. LHP
The Good: Unlike most pitchers, Wang has already been through this before. He was a surprise Rule 5 selection of the Brewers before 2014 after pitching just one year of professional ball because of a  his original deal was voided after needing Tommy John surgery. That made him eligible to be drafted in 2014 and Milwaukee pounced on the lefty despite a shade less than 50 innings in the Gulf Coast League. He was predictably hammered in 14 games in the majors during 2014 before restarting in the minors two years ago with a 3.40 ERA/3.58 FIP at A+. He lost his spot on the 40-man roster in 2015 and responded with a 3.52 ERA/3.42 FIP at Double-A with a 5% hike in K%. Wang even got five starts in Triple-A before the season ended. The lefty won't blow you away, but is smart on the mound and has command over his pitches. Further, his changeup and slider both carry very solid grades and he handled lefties very well in 2016 (.256 OBP, 1 HR). Only 19 baserunners tried to steal on him last year and seven were caught.

The Bad: Every team in baseball passed on him in 2015 when the Brewers designated him for assignment. He lacks a plus fastball and righties were an issue for him last year (.281/.333/.414). While a veteran of 14 major league games (in which he was plastered), he's only logged 32 innings at Triple-A to this point.

Final Thoughts: Not many players get taken twice in the Rule 5 - especially after fulfilling the requirements of being a Rule 5 pick the first time, but Wang has had an odd career to this point. Though he turns 25 next April, he only has four seasons to grade him on. I think the jury's definitely still out on him progressing to the point where he can be a starter in the major leagues, but could he serve as a reliever? That's a question the scouts for the Braves can answer better than me.

Tyler Webb, LHP
The Good: There is little question - at least to me - that Webb will be drafted this year. As I've previously said, lefties do well in the Rule 5 Draft and Webb is going to garner some attention. Last year, spent mostly as a long reliever at Triple-A, Webb struck out 10.2 per nine while walking close to 3 per nine. While not an extreme groundball guy, he has a career 47% groundball rate in the minors. But what you really want to know is how Webb does against lefties. Lefties have on-based over .300 against Webb just once in his career.

The Bad: Now, righties on the other hand. They pretty much own him. A big reason for that is due to the fact that Webb doesn't have any real out pitch. He works off his low 90's fastball and curve while using a lot of deception to keep the ball hidden from left-handed hitters. Once you take that away by letting him pitch to righties, his limited stuff gets exposed.

Final Thoughts: Every team needs lefties and Webb is a problem for left-handed hitters. That said, he doesn't jump off the page like you might want from a Rule 5 target. What helps him is that unlike many pitchers on this list, he has over 125 innings at Triple-A and some pretty good marks - again, especially against lefties. If the Braves fall in love with his arm and want to put money on a guy with good odds to be in the majors in 2017, Webb might be their guy. If they want a guy who can stick in the majors and possibly help in more than one way, they probably should pass on Webb.

2016 Player Reviews: Matt Marksberry, Andrew McKirahan, Eric O'Flaherty

It's Southpaw central today here at Walk-Off Walk as three lefties are up next in the 2016 Player Review series. Amazingly, there are still six sets of players left to review. Jeez, the Braves used too many players in 2016.

Did you miss the last edition? I got your back. Want to catch up on all of the series? I have you covered as well.

*Ages reflect the player's age on opening day, 2017

Matt Marksberry, LHP, 26 years-old

2016 Review: First off, it's great to know that Marksberry seems out of the woods as far as his health scare goes. Just over a week ago, a story broke in which Marksberry was on life support with a collapsed lung. Twitter can be a very useful social media tool, but it can quickly muddle the facts in a developing situation. Marksberry did have a health emergency as he was critically dehydrated with a sodium level that plummeted so low that Marksberry had a seizure. He is much improved now so we can look more at the baseball side of things. A year after appearing in 31 games for the Braves bullpen, Marksberry failed to impress last spring and actually opened the year with Mississippi. After a quick promotion, he received his longest run with any team in 2016 after joining Gwinnett, appearing in 28 games. Marksberry's ERA was nice and tidy, but he was a bit too prone to work his way into trouble via the walk. Before his season came to a close in late July with shoulder issues, Marksberry appeared in four games with the big league club and had little success.

2017 Projection: Marksberry has a nice following on Twitter and is very approachable as a genuine and likable guy. But results are what keep players in the majors and the results really aren't there to this point for the now 26 year-old. He could have a future as a left-hand specialist as a major league split of .172/.273/.310 indicates when he has the platoon advantage. That includes a nearly 23% strikeout rate, but I should also mention that this includes  a short-sample size (66 total batters faced) and .214 BABIP. That's not to say that it's all flukish - only that it should give one pause when it comes to projecting continued success for Marksberry. The shoulder concerns in 2016 certainly are worrisome as well. For their part, the Braves designated Marksberry for assignment and outrighted him to Mississippi following the season. He'll be in the mix come spring provided he's able and with everything he went through, he'll certainly be a fan favorite. With Ian Krol and Paco Rodriguez potentially in the fold, for the first time in awhile, the bullpen doesn't look like a revolving door of arms especially from the lefthand side. That said, after the last couple of weeks Marksberry has had, it's hard not to root for him to be on the roster when the 2017 season kicks off.

Andrew McKirahan, LHP, 27 years-old

2016 Review: Not much to speak of after the lefty was removed after one appearance and just five pitches this spring and later diagnosed with a torn UCL. It was the second time the lefty underwent Tommy John surgery after missing most of the 2012 season because of the same operation. After spending the year on the 60-day DL, McKirahan was, like Marksberry, outrighted to Mississippi after the season ended.

2017 Projection: I was a big fan of McKirahan before the 2014 Rule 5 draft, where the Marlins selected him from the Cubs' organization. After he failed to stick with Miami, the Braves got him off waivers as the 2015 season was beginning. A PED suspension limited McKirahan to just 27 games in 2015 and the results were pretty ugly. When healthy, McKirahan flashes some extreme groundball ability with a fourseam fastball and sinker combo (though he rarely throws the sinker) along with a slider that drops down. His big issue, though, is that he has only one pitch that he can induce some whiffs on - the slider. However, for it to be effective, he has to pitch ahead and his hard stuff gets smacked around pretty good. He has some impressive numbers in the minors and unlike Marksberry, McKirahan has good control. But does he have the stuff to pitch at this level? We'll get a shot to find out in 2017 if he's healthy.

By Keith Allison on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as "Eric
O'Flaherty") [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Eric O'Flaherty, LHP, 32 years-old

2016 Review: Ugly. That's how one might describe O'Flaherty's season. Picked up right before the season after he failed to impress the Pirates, O'Flaherty returned to the team where he became a tremendous asset for five seasons. However, he wasn't that guy anymore. His sinker has lost bite, his slider is too straight, and he's lost a tick or two with his heater. As the season progressed, it became clear that what we were watching wasn't the O'Flaherty we remembered so fondly. In August, he hit the DL with an elbow injury and later underwent surgery to fix the issue.

2017 Projection: While O'Flaherty is likely moving forward in his rehab and should be ready, provided there are no setbacks, to pitch this spring, it seems unlikely it will be for the Braves. While the depth at left-hand relief is one reason, O'Flaherty has a 5.49 ERA in 120 games since the start of 2013. Even if O'Flaherty has a clean bill of health, it would be a surprise to see him succeed in the majors again.

Andrew McKirahan To Miss 2016

Well, the relievers are just dropping like flies today.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

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).

Guys You Don't Know, vol. 1

With spring training games beginning, random names will pop up in boxscores that might confuse you. Here's a list of some of them from yesterday.

Freiman, 1B, 0-for-1, 2 BB, 1 RS

Who is he? Nate Freiman...I touched on Freiman back in January, though he signed a month before that. Freiman is a absolute hulk of a man (6'8") and was originally drafted out of Duke by the Padres in the 8th round of 2009. A Rule 5 pick by the Astros in December of 2012, Freiman was picked off waivers by the A's in spring training and spent and the A's used him in 80 games during 2013. He didn't show much power (.116), which is surprising for his frame, and didn't do much to retain his position in 2014. Last year, he bottomed out with an atrocious .101 ISO and .279 OBP at AAA, prompting the A's to cut him at the end of the season. Overall, Freiman has posted decent numbers in the minors, but may not have the bat to hang in the majors. He'll get an extended look this spring considering the Braves are limiting Freddie Freeman's time, but Freiman's ticketed for a trip down to Gwinnett where he'll be the primary first baseman.

d'Arnaud, C, LF, 0-for-2

Who is he? Chase D'Arnaud...When I first saw his line, I thought he had moved from catcher to left, but that was not the case. D'Arnaud looked like a decent hitting prospect when the Pirates picked him in the 4th round of the 2008 draft, but he basically plateaued in A-ball with the bat. Since then, he's posted pedestrian numbers offensively and even worse figures in the majors. Last year was his first season outside of Pittsburgh (he made the long trip to Philly) and he remained consistent with the bat at AAA. By consistent, I mean a career .255/.316/.366 run at AAA. He spent a little time in the majors and has picked up 75 games in the bigs over the last four seasons. Overall, again, he's AAA depth.

Tuiasosopo, DH, 1-for-4, 1 BB, 1 K

Who is he? Matt Tuiasosopo...The Braves have cobbled together a who's who among AAAA types. Matt's been at this since 2004 and has nearly a full season in the majors (career 152 games) to show for it. He gives you a little bit of power, some walks, a mediocre batting average, and can move around a bit. Over the last two years, he has played three infield positions and both corner outfield positions, but it's more-or-less shocking to see him play anywhere but 1B/LF/RF. He was a minor surprise in 2013 as a platoon option against lefties for the Tigers. He slashed .244/.351/.415 with 7 HR, but it wasn't enough to warrant continued employment by the Tigers as he spent the last two seasons with Buffalo and Charlotte of the International League. Now, he seems likely to remain in the IL as a member of the Gwinnett Braves.

Brignac, 2B, 0-for-1, RBI

Who is he? Reid Brignac...A long, long time ago, Brignac was a bit of a prospect. In 2010, he was a decent bench option for Tampa Bay with a 1.4 fWAR, but his bat completely fell off the following year and he hasn't posted a positive fWAR since, nor has he been in the bigs for very long. Since 2013, he has made cameos with the Rockies, Yankees, Phillies, and Marlins while playing bigger roles for their AAA teams. He might be a little higher on the depth chart than D'Arnaud, but he's still behind Daniel Castro as far as "next man in" goes.

Schlehuber, C, no plate appearance

Who is he? Braeden Schlehuber...You really should know Schlehuber by now considering he's been a fixture of each spring training for a number of years. He's been in the system since 2008 and was even a Carolina League All-Star during 2012, but that's about the extent of his offensive highlights (.270/.328/.439 with 8 HR). 2012 was the only year since 2011 that he didn't spend at least some of the year with Mississippi, by the way, which should be grounds for naming him mayor. Where he lands after spring training is not really that important. He's an organizational guy who fills out a roster.

Cervenka, 1 ING

Who is he? Hunter Cervenka...You'd be excused if you missed the Cervenka signing last summer. After all, he was just some lefty with a weird name who was added to the Mississippi Braves roster from Sugar Land in the Atlantic League. He hadn't been with the Skeeters long, though. He began the year with the Iowa Cubs, which was the first time during his seven year career he had been above AA. He stunk over a dozen games out of the pen and was demoted to AA before being released. Once the Braves got him, he made a three-game cameo with Mississippi before getting a second run at Gwinnett. He turned it on there and the southpaw K'd 23 in 16.2 ING. He did walk 8, continuing a career-long issue with control. He's an interesting lefty reliever arm, though at 26, his control issues will likely limit his effectiveness. That said, he has owned lefties in the minors so if you're going to be a one-trick pony, it's good to have a great trick to fall back on. The Braves have a lot of lefty arms, though, and might be more inclined to see how Ian Krol, Matt Marksberry, Andrew McKirahan, and some of the veteran non-roster invitees do before going with Cervenka. Still, he likely begins 2016 with Gwinnett with a chance to get a foot in the door.

Texeira, 1 ING, 1 K

Who is he? Kanekoa Texeira....No, he's not related to the Mark Teixeira (the names aren't even spelled the same).  K-Tex has been around since 2006 nearly exclusively as a reliever until recent years. He even logged 43 games of action with the Mariners and Royals in 2010 (and six more with the Royals the following season) though the results were pretty abysmal. He first hooked up with the Braves in 2014 after they signed him out of the Atlantic League. Since then, he's been a swingman for Gwinnett and did hit the 100 inning mark last year for just the second time of his career (again, mostly a reliever). As my friends at Outfield Fly Rule often say, K-Tex is "just a guy." Nothing particularly impressive or noteworthy about his career, not his recent numbers. He's depth at Gwinnett and that's about it, though it's quite possible with so many pitchers in camp fighting for a major league spot, K-Tex could be also fighting to keep his job in AAA. He was added to the major league camp yesterday specifically to give them a tenth inning arm. He heads back to the minor league camp now.

That's it for now. Is this helpful for you? Let me know in the comment section or tweet me.