Six-Pack of Minor League Signings

For the third time this offseason, I try to catch up on some under-the-radar minor league signings the Braves have announced. Previous reviews can be found here and here. For a frequently updated list of comings-and-goings related to minor league signings, check out this page.

Ramon Morla, RHP, 27 years-old

A product of the Mariners' organization, Morla began his career as an infielder who reached Double-A in both 2013 and 2014. He had some decent power years, but struck out a quarter of the time and only carried a .769 OPS. In 2014, the Mariners shifted him to pitcher in the second half of the season. After a five-game cameo in the Arizona Summer League shortened by a torn UCL, Morla spent the next two seasons trying to gain traction and earn a return trip to Double-A, which never happened. Over 41 games since the switch to reliever, Morla has 62 K's in 52.1 innings, but also walked 24 and allowed four homers. He has great velocity in the upper 90's, which makes this converted infielder one to watch as he tries to make the Mississippi roster.

Dan Reynolds, RHP, 25 years-old

The 2009 draft turned out pretty good for the Angels. Mike Trout and Garrett Richards stand out, of course, but both Randal Grichuk and Patrick Corbin were also picked that year. In the sixth round, the Angels picked Reynolds out of Durango High School. That selection didn't really pan out, though. After initially being used as a reliever, Reynolds was moved to the rotation in 2012, but that lasted just two years. Over the last three years, Reynolds climbed all the way to Triple-A for a game, but was cut last year after a woeful start with Double-A Arkansas. He signed with Laredo of the independent American Association and blitzed the league by striking out 27 of the 64 he faced while only allowing 17 to reach base. Reynolds was formerly so well-thought of that the Angels protected him from the Rule 5 draft. With a upper-90's fastball and high-80's off-speed delivery, Reynolds is a nice project for the Braves as they try to get him back on track control-wise.

Isaac Sanchez, RHP, 24 years-old

A teammate of Morla's last year with Bakersfield, Sanchez began his career in the Dominican Summer League despite being born in the Bronx. For six years, Sanchez failed to earn a promotion to Double-A, but started to put it together in 2015 with a 43-game season in which he had a 2.67 ERA out of the pen. That garnered some attention from the Mariners' organization, who selected him in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft last winter. He reached new strikeout highs with Bakersfield and spent five games in Double-A. Overall, Sanchez lacks the high velocity on his heater that Morla and Reynolds possess, but has been a durable sleeper arm for a few years now. The Braves initially placed him in Triple-A, but I think that was to protect him from being picked in the Rule 5's AAA portion for a second consecutive year. I do expect an assignment with Mississippi to begin 2017 if he makes the roster.

Braeden Schlehuber, C, 28 years-old

What more really needs to be said about Schlehuber? This upcoming season will mark a decade in the game after being picked in the 4th round of the '08 draft. His entire career has been spent with the Braves' organiation and he's been around long enough to play for both Myrtle beach and Lynchburg. Career-wise, Schlehuber has hit just .219/.281/.318 with 28 homers in over 2100 plate appearances. The fact that the Braves keep bringing him back speaks to his chances of getting a coaching job once he decides to hang 'em up.

By Keith Allison on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as
"20130601-0223") [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Matt Tuiasosopo, OF, 30 years-old

Selected in the third round all the way back in 2004, Tuiasosopo has played for 18 teams during his professional career. I did the math. Last year, he spent most of the year posting some good numbers in Gwinnett with a week where he was used three times to zero success as a pinch hitter in Atlanta. Tuiasosopo is a nice option to have in Triple-A. He has 155 games of major league experience so there's little he hasn't seen. He's also been in the International League since 2012 so he knows the league inside-and-out and can help newcomers get situated. Do you want to rely on Tuiasosopo for much longer than a week in the majors? Of course not, but do you like having guys like Tuiasosopo at Triple-A? Absolutely.

Because I'm feeling generous and a six-pack is an actual thing, let's go for one more.

Colin Walsh, UTIL, 27 years-old

Last year was a big deal for Walsh. The Brewers selected him in the Rule 5 draft and he appeared in 38 games in the majors as a result. Those 38 games were fairly abysmal as the switch-hitter hit just .085 (4-for-47) including just one single in 17 at-bats as a pinch hitter. If there were any silver linings, Walsh did walk 15 times to up his on-base into the .317 range with 10 of those walks coming as a pinch hitter (.407 OBP). He was returned to the A's organization and spent the rest of the year in the Pacific Coast League. Walsh takes his walks and has a bit of pop. He also can play second-and-third along with the corner outfield positions. Unlike many switch-hitters, he hits lefties better than righties. In the end, Walsh reminds me of Joey Terdoslavich with better positional flexibility (and a little less pop). In the right situation with the right coaching, Walsh could be a fairly productive situational bat in a pinch-hitting role.

Best 5 Braves Drafts Since 2000 - #5

A little while back, I began the Top 5 and Worst 5 drafts for the Braves since 2000 with the fifth worst. However, I don't want to focus entirely on the bad because that would be both sad and really sad. With that in mind, today we go with the fifth best. Of course, the fourth worst draft is sitting waiting to be written after this one. I'll get to you eventually, Year to Be Announced.

Best/Worst Drafts since 2000
Worst: #5, 2009 | #4, 2004 | #3, 2013 | #2, 2011 | #1, 2001
Best: #5, 2010 | #4, 2015 | #3, 2007 | #2, 2002 | #1, 2000

Honorable Mentions go to the 2003 and 2005 drafts

5th Best Draft Since 2000...The 2010 Draft

Credit: Keith Allison via Flickr (Original)
Creative Commons License

A year after selecting a plethora of college-aged selections (20 of the first 22), the Braves attempted to strike a balance between an over-abundance of college and prep athletes. However, it was actually the college players they selected that made this draft what it was.

Unlike the previous season, the Braves didn't have a top pick in the first round. In fact, they had surrendered their first round selection in order to sign Billy Wagner from the Red Sox. However, they got back into the first round when the Orioles lost their mind and signed Mike Gonzalez to a big deal. Gonzo would pitch just 78 times for the Orioles over two years, but they still surrendered their second round pick (their first was protected) to sign a player who saved just two games for them and served up eight homeruns.

The compensation for Gonzalez meant they would select four times in the first 101 picks with #35, #53, #70, and #101. In 2009, they only drafted twice in the first 101 picks so Atlanta was looking forward to getting more talent even if they didn't have a marquee selection like they did the previous year. In another sign that the Braves were trying to straddle the edge between what they had done so often over the years with the safe & conservative new approach, Atlanta selected Matt Lipka with the #35 overall pick. An infielder out of McKinney High School in Texas, Lipka was an all-state wide receiver with gamebreaker speed. On the baseball diamond, he was a big athlete with a lot of toolsy potential. He was a callback to the days of drafting George Lombard and Andre King over more polished hitters.

With Lipka in the fold, the Braves went back to their college ways over the next seven picks. Highlights included Todd Cunningham, drafted 18 picks after Lipka, along with UVA's Phil Gosselin and Long Beach State Dirtbag Joey Terdoslavich. While they developed into AAAA/bench fodder, the Braves third pick and #70th overall became the class of the draft for Atlanta - shortstop Andrelton Simmons out of Western Oklahoma State College. The first round of 2010 included Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Matt Harvey, and Chris Sale in the first 13 picks, but there is a good argument that Simmons is the top non-first round pick from the draft. While a superb shortstop, it was his high heat on the mound that intrigued teams. However, Simmons wanted to stay in the field, which dropped him on many team's boards as his signability was a concern. Not for Atlanta, though. They told the young man to go play shortstop and prosper.

The Braves had big hopes for David Filak, a righty out of SUNY Oneonta. Keith Law gave Filak a second-round grade, but injury concerns chased off some teams from taking him higher. Atlanta spent their fourth rounder on him, hoping for gold. Other notable selections were 11th rounder Chasen Shreve along with Grants Pass, Oregon shortstop Brandon Drury, selected in the 13th round with the 404th pick. Ten rounds later, when the #704th pick was on the clock, Atlanta selected Texas-Permian Basin catcher and former Dallas-area janitor Evan Gattis.

It would be Gattis and Simmons who would play a big role in the Braves' chase for the 2013 NL East Title. Terdoslavich also received nearly a hundred plate appearances for that squad, but it was Gattis and Simmons who were prime players for the squad. Atlanta even moved Gattis to left field to try to get his bat in the lineup more. Meanwhile, Simmons was in the midst of maybe the most impressive defensive year in the history of baseball.

Where this draft falls short is in depth. While Simmons developed into a superstar (with his glove at least) and Gattis has popped 74 homeruns, the draft lacks an impact player beyond the duo. Gosselin is a fine bench player while Shreve is a competent left-hand reliever, but the only hope this draft has of producing another 2-to-4 win player comes in the form of Drury. Dealt in the Justin Upton trade, Drury made his major league debut last year and has been excellent this year for the Snakes in Arizona. It is very early, but if this draft is to look better than it already does, it rests on his shoulders.

Of the 51 players drafted in 2010, only two remain and both play outfield for Mississippi. Lipka, the first player selected, and 9th rounder David Rohm are still trying to realize their dream of being a major league player. Well, there is a third, but who knows if the Braves will ever give Richie Tate a second second chance after testing positive for PED for the second consecutive season?

This Week at AtlantaBraves.About.com

Here's a list of articles I wrote this week at my other blog, AtlantaBraves.About.Com. All article links open to a new tab/window.

5 for Monday: Trades, the Hall of Fame, and more
-Weekly review article focuses on the chances of trading either Michael Bourn or Nick Swisher, the Hall of Fame chances of ex-Braves, looking back at the Cameron Maybin deal, and more.

Ken Griffey Jr.: The Almost Brave
-If you are a Braves fan, you remember the many times Ken Griffey Jr. seemed like a future Brave. It goes all the way back to before Junior became a Red and hit a boiling point after the 2008 season. But no matter how close he came, he never joined the Braves. Relive the rumors.

KJ Re-Braves - Again!
-Another year, another year for my mancrush, Kelly Johnson. Here is a look at what KJ for the Braves in 2016 means.

Atlanta Braves Say Goodbye to Joey Terdoslavich
-For Lynchburg Hillcats fans during the Braves era, Joey Terdoslavich was one of the best players during the four years. His year was magical to witness. Unfortunately, none of the seasons that came after stood up to that level.

Who Are The Top 10 Teams in Atlanta Braves Franchise History (updated)
-My continued look at the top teams in franchise history focuses again on a pre-1900 club as the #7 team. The list so far has included 3 Boston teams and one Milwaukee club. That will change as we move forward in the list. Until then, enjoy the exploits of Kid Nichols, Vic Willis, and Hugh Duffy.

Early Rule 5 Thoughts

We are still over a month away from the Rule 5 draft, but that won't stop us from taking a quick look. The basics of the Rule 5 draft are that any player who is not on the 40-man and fulfill one of the two criteria are eligible to be draft. 1) The player was 19 or older when he signed at least four years ago or 2) the player was 18 or younger when he signed at least five years ago. To simplify, college-age players who signed in 2012 or international/high school players who were signed in 2011.

The Braves have plenty of room on their 40-man roster after recent DFA's removed Todd Cunningham, Ryan Lavarnway, and Ryan Kelly among others. If you remove the soon-to-be free agents, I have the roster at 35 and 36 if Dian Toscano is finally re-instated. This includes guys that are on the 60-day DL - even Paco Rodriguez, who will miss all of 2016, but will need to be protected to keep him from being drafted this winter.

Here are some of the guys that will need to be added to the 40-man roster at some point before the Rule 5 draft or they will be eligible to be drafted. Spoiler alert, I don't see many. This list isn't exhaustive, but the guys who seem like good bets to garner some attention is pretty limited.

RHP John Gant - I missed this one before. Part of the haul the Braves got for Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, Gant was on fire after the deal, finishing with a 1.03 WHIP and a strikeout an inning over seven games with Mississippi. He's not very projectionable, but could surprise some people and is a worthy of a spot on the 40-man roster if there's room.

RHP Ryne Harper - He was actually eligible last year. Harper's been stuck at Mississippi and has made 112 appearances there over the last three years, though it has nothing to do with his performance (2.17 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 10.2 K/9). Nobody went for the bait last winter so the Braves probably don't feel the need to add him to the 40-man this winter either.

RHP Tyler Jones - After flaming out in the Twins organization, Jones was excellent last season for the Braves and made his AA debut with 39 games, 16 saves, a 1.39 WHIP, and 10 K/9. He didn't allow a homerun all of last year and his WHIP may have been high only because he gave up a decent amount of hits (though that has been his M.O. during his career). Braves could add him to the 40-man, but I think they see the many other options as better fits.

C Jose Briceno - He had an awful 2015 and has not appeared above A-ball so the Braves will probably be safe not protecting him. A catching desperate team might consider Briceno, but Briceno's not the can't miss prospect you try to hide for a year on your bench.

Stacy Revere | Getty Images Sport

OF Mallex Smith - He'll be an easy keep for the Braves, of course. The Braves will probably add him in the days leading up to the draft. The only intriguing thing is what shape the outfield looks like by the time he gets added. Will the Braves have traded one or more of the veteran trio of Cameron Maybin, Michael Bourn, and Nick Swisher? Will Eury Perez, who is out of options, still be around? Will Dian Toscano be added to the roster? Without a move, the Braves will have six (seven with Toscano) outfielders on the 40-man, plus guys who might shift there for whatever reason like Adonis Garcia, Hector Olivera, and Joey Terdoslavich. That's a lot of depth to be centralized in the outfield.

As you can see, not a lot needs to be done here, though deals between now and then could muddy up the waters a bit.

See ya, Todd Cunningham!

It was a bit of an odd development on Friday to learn that Todd Cunningham had been waived by the Atlanta Braves - let alone lost on waivers to the Angels. After all, it was kind of those moves that the Braves didn't have to make, chose to make, and it makes zero sense from the outside. It's like deciding to throw away the milk a week before its expiration date. Sure, you bought new milk to replace it and yeah, you opened the new milk when you were half-asleep and making cereal, but you could have found some use for the old milk, no? The Braves certainly have replacements for Cunningham. He was unlikely to be in the mix for 2015, would have been out of options, and if the Braves wish to have a fourth outfielder around, I'm sure Dian Toscano will eventually work out (totally not kidding). But to lose Cunningham now? A confusing move.

G Fiume | Getty Images

Cunningham wasn't the only guy the Braves outrighted after the year was over. Joining him were Ryan Kelly, Ryan Lavarnway, and Sugar Ray Marimon. It didn't seem like the Braves needed the 40-man room.

But in the end, Cunningham is gone. He was a second round choice in 2010 out of Jacksonville State. The 2010 draft will always have good value because it includes Andrelton Simmons, but of the first five players selected by the Braves, only Simmons and Cunningham have made it to the majors. Cunningham represented the old Braves way of high-floor guys with limited upside. For what it's worth, Gondeee made the contention recently that the Braves selected players like Cunningham so high because the draft was supposed to yield depth talent to help the major league club. In that way, they were successful, but they failed to produce a lot of impact talent. Cunningham was on the list of decent enough talent, but a limited ceiling. At his best, he would have been an okayish outfielder with decent enough on-base skills, little pop, and good enough base-stealing ability to threaten 20 steals in a season. That player has value, but typically won't be good enough to be a starter on a team with much hope of competing.

Cunningham skipped rookie ball after his 2010 selection and went to Rome. He was a mature and smart player so that made sense. He OPS'd .679, the first of three seasons (out of six) that he would fail to OPS .700. After the season, he would head to Lynchburg and though Cunningham missed time, he was part of Hillcats roster that started several future Braves (Joey Terdoslavich at first, Philip Gosselin at second, Simmons at short, Christian Bethancourt eventually at catcher). Cunningham played in 87 games and had a .701 OPS with 4 HR and 14 steals. After the year, the Braves sent him to the Arizona Fall League with Bethancourt, Terdo, and other Braves to play on the Surprise Saguaros with Wil Myers and Mike Olt. The latter hit 13 homers in 27 games. That's crazy.

After a pretty unspectacular AFL, Cunningham played in Mississippi during 2012 and had his best season. He hit .309 with a .364 OBP while adding 23 doubles, 6 triples, and three homers to go with his personal-best of 24 steals. With Michael Bourn heading to free agency, Cunningham had a little buzz as a possible replacement in center field, but that was shattered by the free agent signing of B.J. Melvin Upton Jr. Cunningham went to Gwinnett to open 2013 and struggled. His OBP of .342 was fine, but it's hard to get excited about any player whose SLG is lower than his OBP, especially when Cunningham didn't have enough speed to make up for it. He did get his first trip to the majors and went 2-for-8.

2014 would be a trying season for Cunningham. He had the second-best year of his career and hit a solid .287 with a career-best eight homeruns, but couldn't get a look in the big leagues. Upton Jr. started 135 games in center while Emilio Bonifacio and Jordan Schafer started the rest of the games. Hardly the best collection of talent, yet Cunningham received no look. Not even a callup. Even when the season went to hell in the second half, the Braves didn't think Cunningham was deserving of a callup despite rosters expanding and being on the 40-man roster. It was a curious decision.

This season, Cunningham had a pretty ugly season with Gwinnett. His .663 OPS ranks as his worst minor league OPS and his full season mark is made worse by his major league numbers, but there was a time this year when Cunningham looked like he was deserving of an extended look. After Kelly Johnson hit the DL in mid-May, Cunningham was called up and his first four games went like this:

3-for-4, 2 RS, 2B, RBI, SB
3-for-4, 1 RS
2-for-4, 1 RS
1-for-3, 1 RS, 2B

It was a great, unsustainable, surprising start for Cunningham. Over his next 22 games, including 12 starts, Cunningham slashed .143/.226/.179 before being banished back to the minors. He was called up briefly in August for a game before returning to the Braves in September, but received just two starts the rest of the way, including a single to lead off the seventh in the season's final game. He scored on a Bourn hit and it was the final at-bat of his Braves career.

Overall, Cunningham hit .221 in 86 at-bats this year and has a major league slash of .223/.277/.266 in 101 PA. Losing him seems weird because it didn't seem like the Braves had to lose him right this second, but it doesn't look like much of a loss. That's not to say Cunningham can't occasionally have a season like Darren Bragg had in 2002 for the Braves when the failed prospect hit .269/.347/.401 with 3 HR in 240 PA. Cunningham seems like a well-liked guy so I kind of hope that he does, but the Braves were probably going to have to shuffle him off the 40-man roster at some point anyway.

You can keep up with Cunningham by following his Twitter.

Minor League Stats Pack for September 19

One final Saturday Stats Pack for the minor league Bravos. We'll mix things up a little by not focusing too much on the team, but the end-of-season stats. If you want some more observations, but this time of the major league club, click here.

Homeruns - 15

That's how many Carolina (and briefly Gwinnett) 1B/DH Jake Schrader hit in 2015. What might surprise you about that number is that it led all Braves minor leaguers. In fact, only six players reached double digits in homeruns all year - though two of them (Austin Riley and Isranel Wilson) spent the season in short-season rookie ball.

13/12

One of the odd little nuggets that makes nerds like me excited to see ended up not happening. For a large portion of the year, Rome outfielder Joseph Daris had more triples than doubles, but a three double binge over four games changed that in sad fashion. Daris finished the year as one of just two Braves with at least 10 triples - fellow outfielder Keith Curcio also did it.

Stolen Base Crown - 57 steals

Playing full season ball helps. Mallex Smith added seven steals in September to finish his year with 57 overall split between Mississippi and Gwinnett. It gave him two more than Randy Ventura, who paced the Dominican Summer League. Of course, Ventura's number is probably even more impressive considering it came in just 58 games. Neither player competed for the top mark in the minors (which was 82) and the Braves joined the Yankees and White Sox has teams with two 50-steal guys in the minors.

One Shy

27 year-old Cedric Hunter got a small look in spring training, but the former prospect headed to Gwinnett to play 2015 and nearly did something no other Braves minor leaguer was able to do - reach 200 total bases on the year. He finished just one base short. How unusual is it for the Braves to not have someone reach 200 TB or more? The last time it happened was when Francisco Cabrera led all Braves farmhands with 198 total bases in 1989. Or to put that in another way...a year after Hunter was born.

Modified ERA Title

Who had the best ERA of a guy with at least 100 innings pitched? That would be Greg Smith, the former LSU lefty, who has logged time with the A's and Rockies over his career. He finished this year with a 2.71 ERA in 31 games, including 19 starts. Kind of surprised he didn't get look since the Braves have employed the likes of Donnie Veal.

A Trio of Workhorses

Only three pitchers in the Braves system completed multiple games. Tyrell Jenkins finished three games for Mississippi before his promotion to Gwinnett while lefty Yean Carlos Gill had three, including a shutout, between two stops at A-ball. Of course, Gil also had a 4.69 ERA overall so that's not a year anyone will write glowingly about. Leading the way for the Braves was Sean Furney, who the Braves quietly acquired for "cash considerations" shortly before the season from the D'Backs. Furney provided depth and was pretty ancient at Rome (24 years old), but when he was called onto to start, he was productive with a 3.03 ERA and FOUR complete games.

The Generic Rip-Off Rolaids Relief Award Goes to...

For Tyler Jones, it wasn't about stuff. He had plenty of stuff. But could he consistently spot it? Cast off by the Twins as spring training came to a close, the Braves added Jones and after breezing through a month with Carolina, he finished the year with 39 games in Mississippi. Overall, he led the system with 22 saves and could be a guy that might surprise some people next spring.

Strikeouts? What's that?

While the Braves have developed a lot of power arms to come out of the pen - Bradley Roney led them with 70 K's in 48.1 ING - getting K's from the starter was not something Atlanta saw much of this year. Only four pitchers reached 100 K's, led by 22 year-old Brandon Barker and his 109. Lucas Sims needed a strong finish with Mississippi to make it four as he reached 100 even K's in his final game when he K'd 7 Jacksonville Suns in as many innings.

Everyone Hold Onto Your Butts

I've talked about how disappointing this season was for Alec Grosser before, but really, this year was so terribly bad, it deserves another mention. In 85.1 ING, Grosser walked 65 batters. That's a sophomorically funny rate of 6.9 BB/9. But where Grosser's numbers get exceedingly awful is with these two nuggets. He hit 16 players during the year and uncorked 26 wild pitches. I wonder if the PA system had to make an announcement to get those gloves up because Grosser has absolutely no idea where it's going. The odd thing is that Grosser was fairly good with Danville in 2014 (3.1 BB/9, 6 HBP, 4 WP in 63.1 ING). I'll say this - if you are going to suck, spectacularly suck.

What Jersey Do I Wear Today?

This is not really stats-related, but just to shine light on poor Joey Terdoslavich this year. Due to rehab assignments and demotions, Terdo logged time with five different teams this season. He began the year with Rome, went to Carolina next, then Mississippi, and onto the majors before a few demotions to Gwinnett. His stop in Mississippi included just one game. Well, at least he got to see the southeast.

Simple Changes to Fix the Braves (About.com)

The Braves have been able to compete, which has surprised many, but have often fell victim to the performances of players who simply aren't giving them major league quality numbers. In my latest column at About.com, I look at a few easy fixes that could help the Braves be a better team. No, these moves won't make the Braves a team to beat overnight, but if the moves bring results, the Braves might simply be a squad better able to compete while also seeing if there if some of the youngsters will be more than just minor league numbers. After all, what is the point of retaining the services of Eric Young Jr. and Nick Masset? Why not bring back Joey Terdoslavich and call up Ryan Kelly?

For more on this, click here.

Random Prospect Sunday: Jordan Edgerton

The Atlanta Braves are still trying to replace Chipper Jones.

They moved Joey Terdoslavich to third base in hopes he would somehow be a competent third baseman despite being a statue at first base. They brought Juan Francisco on board with dreams of big homer totals, but couldn't live with his .281 OBP as a Brave. Chris Johnson was given a long-term deal despite not having long-term success. Even when a young third baseman looked like he would be ready to contribute, they traded him away (I still am iffy on the Kyle Kubitza trade).

Photo Credit to Gondeee. Visit his blog!

But now, they have a couple of options that could be in Atlanta for good before long. Of course, Rio Ruiz is the front runner. Acquired in the Evan Gattis trade, Ruiz is in AA right now struggling with the bat, but it's difficult to hit when you have a .207 BABIP. He'll be fine. Though, if he wasn't and somehow forgot to hit once he came to Atlanta, there is another option. In Rome, Jordan Edgerton has hit from the moment he joined the system last June and looks like he might be grow into a good prospect. In fact, that 2014 class looks pretty good for a guy (Frank Wren) who didn't care about the farm system (because that totally makes sense).

Born August 30, 1993 in Mount Holly, North Carolina, Edgerton grew up like so many southern kids in the 90's did. He was a Braves fan. But he went undrafted out of high school and he wasn't much of a target by a big school in the ACC or SEC. Instead, he went to the University of North Carolina-Pembroke of the Peach Belt Conference. Yeah, that's a thing, apparently. It's worth mentioning that the mascot for Pembroke is the Braves. As for Edgerton, he hit just .248 as a freshman, but did play in 38 games which shows that Pembroke was counting on him to be a big part of the picture.

In 2013, Edgerton broke out as a sophomore. He flirted with .400 before finishing with a .392 average. He filled out his stats line with 19 2B, a triple, nine homers, and six steals. He didn't walk much, but he rarely struck out (14 walks, 17 K's). His junior campaign saw his average "fall" to .369, but he increased his OBP via a ridiculous 22 BB/9 K rate. He also slugged .608 and stole 13 bases. For his run at Pembroke, Edgerton slashed .352/.398/.545 with 22 HR in 591 AB and 20 steals. It's worth mentioning that Pembroke is a hitter's park, though.

Baseball America ranked Edgerton as the 437th best player in the 2014 draft, but the Braves had Edgerton hit the top of their draft board when their ninth round selection and 283rd overall pick came up. A few weeks later, they settled on a $115,000 bonus and Edgerton reported to Danville for the 2014 season. He had a multiple hit game in his first game and homered in his fourth outing. In his first home game, he doubled three times against Greeneville. His first eleven games included 17 RBI as he hit .439 with a 1.236 OPS. His numbers over the final two months slumped as his OPS during that run was closer to .600. He homered just once over 48 games and showed an obvious preference for hitting southpaws over right-handers.

Nevertheless, he was a guy who attracted some interest last offseason. When Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs was asked about guys from each round who had improved their stock from where it was when they were drafted, Edgerton was mentioned specifically as a guy out of the 9th round who "ATL LOVES the early returns on."

So far this season, that love affair has only continued. In 30 games with Danville, Edgerton has yet to homer, but has hit .342/.379/.436. He's been a bit more aggressive and isn't walking nearly as much as he did last season and his strikeouts are slightly up, but a .815 OPS has a way of making things look a bit better.

The scouting report on Edgerton isn't quite finished because he remains young, but there is some questions if he'll hit for much power. He has a line drive stroke and will make a lot of contact. On the high end, he could be a 35 double, 20 HR type with good on-base numbers to boot. But that's the high end. One thing is for sure is that the Braves love his makeup and there is obvious pluses in his numbers that justify that love. What could possibly derail him? If the lower end looks more probable and he hits 25 doubles with single digit homeruns like the Braves sadly found from Joe Leonard, that could certainly hurt his chances.

A bigger concern in my mind is his defense. While the pre-draft reports didn't put much stock in his high error numbers at Pembroke, so far, he has continued to struggle defensively. In 83 professional games, he has 20 errors. Now, any minor league observation of error totals comes with the caveat that minor league infields aren't nearly as professionally taken care of as major league infields, the guys at first are rarely as adapt at saving their infielders, and minor league defenders often are still learning not to rush every throw. That's all well and good, but for Edgerton to become a real prospect, he has to stay at third because his bat is unlikely to be as intriguing as a left fielder. For what it's worth, Ruiz has twice as many errors well over three times as many games.

But Edgerton still could surpass Ruiz at some point, though it would be a surprise mainly because of how well regarded Ruiz is - I had Ruiz fifth with a B grade before trading Craig Kimbrel brought Matt Wisler aboard. Ruiz is sixth now. Edgerton missed my Top 30, though the graduations of a couple of players could push him into the Midseason Top 30, but he'll still be well below Ruiz. But long term, Edgerton has a profile that could have Edgerton climbing the prospect charts provided he stays at third base.

You can followed Edgerton on Twitter.

Recent Random Prospects
Felix Marte
Joseph Daris
Tyler Jones

Random Prospect Sunday - Felix Marte

In 2011, the Braves brought a group of prospects to Atlanta in mid-September to honor their Pitchers and Players of the Year. Julio Teheran was there. As was Mike Minor and Andrelton Simmons and Evan Gattis. Jose Peraza had not yet made his state-side debut, but he was there. So was Tyler Pastornicky, Randall Delgado, and Zeke Spruill. Lost among this pretty amazing group of young players was the honoree as the Player of the Year for the Gulf Coast League Braves. He lacked the prospect stardom of the young pitchers like Teheran, Minor, and Delgado. He wasn't a fun little story like Gattis and nobody wondered how far his glove would take him like Simmons. He wasn't even riding one amazing minor league season like Joey Terdoslavich, the system's Player of the Year. No, Felix Marte was just a boom-or-bust guy.

Three years later, he was no longer eligible for Player of the Year honors. You see, the only way Marte gets another trip to Atlanta to be honored for his minor league numbers is as a Pitcher of the Year for any club. But that's how it goes sometimes.

Credit: comc.com

Born in mid-November of 1990 in the Dominican Republic, Marte joined the Braves system as a 2007 signee with Teheran. The 17 year-old only played 21 games in '08 in the Dominican Summer League and was an after-thought on a team with Christian Bethancourt. Marte began his career in the infield, but soon moved to the outfield for good after booting 9 of 34 chances at shortstop. He would play two more years in the DSL and improved his numbers in both seasons. He may have even impressed some on-lookers in 2010 when he hit .269 with a .823 OPS that includes 26 extra-base hits in 58 games.

With 125 games already under his belt as a professional, the Braves felt it was sink-or-swim time for Marte in 2011 and brought him state-side. He played in the Gulf Coast League and hit well enough to advance (.269/.354/.431), though nothing stood out in his numbers. It was worthy enough of Player of the Year honors in the Braves system for GCL, but the only player who may have been better for the gig was Will Skinner, who hit .300 with 4 HR in 22 fewer games.

The Braves tried to push the situation as Marte was already entering his fifth professional season and pushed him to Rome to open the 2012 season. He struggled in 36 games, hitting .231 and earning this atrocious rate - 4 BB/50 K. The Braves backed off, demoting him to Danville where he waited for their season to open following the draft. He rebuilt some of his value back with a .262/.338/.439 slash for the D-Braves, though you'd like to hope someone with four years of experience who was just about the same age as the rest of the league would do better if he had the potential.

That led to the make-or-break season of 2013. Back at Rome to open the season, he homered in his fourth game - something he failed to accomplish in the 36 game run during the 2012 season. However, that was one of just three homers over the entire year for Marte. He did add nine triples, but finished the year with a .241/.296/.355 slash. He wasn't even able to start slow, but finish strong. He hit lefties better than righties, but not enough to call him a lefty masher.

Naturally, the Braves weren't anxious to bring back Marte for a seventh year to re-inforce what they already knew. His bat just couldn't cut it. So why not try the mound instead? I don't know if the Braves pushed it or Marte suggested it. But either way, he returned to Danville to open 2014 as a pitcher. In ten games and 12.1 ING, Marte struck out nine and posted a 1.05 WHIP. He was a free agent heading into last offseason, but the Braves worked to bring him back and he made his return to Rome to open this season. Coming into Saturday's games, Marte had received a call to pitch five times and in 7.1 ING, he had yet to allow an earned run. He had walked five and struck out four.

Finding scouting reports for non-draftees isn't easy. It's especially hard for outfielders who were moved to the mound in 2013. I can assume he's got some intriguing movement and/or velocity. There's got to be something there for the Braves to even put the time and resources into helping him reach new heights on the mound. We'll see if he becomes an interesting story as the season progresses.

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Random Prospect Sunday: Rundown

Once again this season, each Sunday (probably), I will look at a random prospect from the Braves system. A few will be stars, some will be journeymen, others will be organizational filler. The basics of the series is simple. Using Baseball-Reference's list of minor league players and Random.org's number generator, I alternate position players and pitchers to find a player to write about. Sometimes, especially if there's little available information, I'll skip the player, but mostly, I go with what I'm given. It's a fun series that gives a little attention to guys who probably are rarely written about outside of game recaps. Let's see who I've written about before and if I know, where are they now?

2012

Catcher Braeden Schlehuber - Profile
...an organizational guy, Schlehuber can't seem to leave Mississippi. He's spent the greater part of the last three years there and he might be headed back for all I know (though recent transactions may get him to Gwinnett finally). Appeared in eleven games with the big league club this spring.

Pitcher Luis Avilan - Profile
...no one received a bigger Walk Off Walk bump than Avilan, who made his debut in the majors less than a month after I profiled him as the second player in the Random Prospect series. Avilan has spent most of the last two-and-a-half years in the majors, but struggled last year. He was good enough this spring (and the others sucked enough) so Avilan is back in the majors. He's still never thanked me.

Catcher Matt Kennelly - Profile
...a fairly common addition to this series is organizational catchers. Kennelly, like Schlehuber, has seen a lot of Mississippi, but unlike Schlehuber, the Aussie has played in Gwinnett and even spent some time in the Reds organization. He returned in 2014 and saw some action this spring with the Braves.

Pitcher Matt Talley - Profile
...Talley was a 28th rounder out of The Citadel in 2011, but his time with the Braves ended about a week after I profiled him. I guess he got the complete opposite of the bump I gave Avilan. After finishing 2012 with the White Sox, his career was over. He's not a "transmission engineer."

Third Baseman Joe Leonard - Profile
...I've never seen such a big guy show so little power. Leonard was a bust out of Pitt who was all-glove and could never really hit. In five years, the 6'5", 220 pound imposing monster hit 23 homers. He was cut in January.

Pitcher Ian Marshall - Profile
...the success rate of a guy drafted out of the 40th round is pretty low and Marshall hasn't been able to help it go higher. In three years, including one robbed by injury, Marshall struggled with homers and missing enough bats. After the Braves cut him, he's spent the last two years with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, though he's not on their roster right now.

2013

Second Baseman Ross Heffley - Profile
...there was a time where Heffley was getting some Marcus Giles-like love. An 18th rounder out of Western Carolina, Heffley made a successful jump from college to Rome in 2012, but as if someone flipped a switch, he forgot how to hit. He was cut after 2013 and hasn't played since.

Pitcher Ryan Buchter - Profile
...my second major league lefty who got to the majors after I profiled him, Buchter's success in the majors has been pretty short so far. He appeared in one game on June 20th, pitching a quiet 12th inning against the Nats. After Atlanta scored twice, Buchter got the win and soon was returned to the minors. Atlanta outrighted him after the season and he has since signed with the Dodgers, but didn't make their opening day roster.

Shortstop Jose Peraza - Profile
...yes, it is possible for this series to profile real prospects and Peraza was really the first one I had. Of course, we all know the story at this point. He was optioned to Gwinnett a couple of weeks ago after an underwhelming camp, but he will be back and maybe even this summer.

Pitcher J.R. Graham - Profile
...it was a little surprising who was kept on the 40-man roster this offseason over protecting Graham, who naturally was picked by the Twins. He's a former Top 100 prospect, but at the same time, he has hit a wall in both terms of a dropping velocity and staying healthy. He has made the Twins roster, though he was hardly impressive this spring.

First Baseman William Beckwith - Profile
...here's a lesson for you. Don't get into legal trouble if you are a non-prospect. That's what happened with Beckwith, who was solid with Rome in 2012, but was arrested for a DUI with Lynchburg the following year. A suspension followed and the organization released Beckwith soon after. He caught on with Washington, but not the Nationals. The Washington Wild Things, whose pitching coach last year was Kevin Gryboski. I only know that because Grysboski was a member of my other random series. Beckwith's not on their roster next year.

Pitcher Alex Wilson - Profile
...quick question: who led Braves minor leaguers in saves last season? Juan Jaime. Who was second? My boy, Wilson. A 15th rounder in 2012, Wilson has steadily moved up the ladder with impeccable control and enough K's to get consideration as a borderline prospect. He's a guy to keep an eye on with Mississippi.

First Baseman Casey Kalenkosky - Profile
...Ory had some promise, but his lack of power was killing his chances to stick at first. Atlanta saw that and tried Ory at catcher during 2013, but apparently was not impressed enough to bring him back last year. He has also worked at the Bowie Baseball Academy with former Brave, Micah Bowie.

Pitcher Carlos Perez - Profile
...I really wanted Perez to develop into the pitcher he seemed capable of becoming, but injuries are difficult enough to deal with when you can locate your pitches, which Perez too often could not. He was recently cut by the Braves.

Shortstop Elmer Reyes - Profile
...it kind of amazes me that a middle infielder without any power can have a BB/K output like 12/93 as Reyes had last year. A thoroughly unexciting prospect, I wonder if Reyes will be desiginated for assignment today as the Braves look for room on their 40-man. He's got a decent stick, but no power and no discipline combined with little speed makes for a guy who needs a perfect set of circumstances to get to the bigs.

Pitcher Omar Poveda - Profile
...for a day, I really wanted to see Poveda in the majors. But it didn't happen and he moved on to the Nationals organization (via a trade with the White Sox), where he would struggle. Not sure where he landed this offseason.

2014

Utility Player Philip Gosselin - Profile
...Goose became my first player to have already played in the majors to make this series. He also would soon get back to the majors after I profiled him and received a decent amount of playing time for the Braves. He followed that up by making the roster this spring. You're welcome, Phil.

Pitcher Andry Ubiera - Profile
...a late international signing in 2010, Ubiera struggled in his efforts with Rome last year and received a demotion to Danville to finish the year. Still a raw pitcher, Ubiera's time is now if he's going to make any kind of difference.

Outfielder Kyle Wren - Profile
...a speedy 4th outfielder type, Wren was doomed by the firing of his father. He didn't receive much of a look with the Brewers this spring, but could get to the majors at some point even if it's just a cup of coffee.

Pitcher Jarrett Miller - Profile
...with almost 300 innings in the book in the Carolina League, Miller has shown that there is little that sets him apart from being durable. The Braves concurred and recently released Miller.

Outfielder David Nick - Profile
...picked up for depth last season, Nick gave Lynchburg a boost with his .294 average, but as the Diamondbacks had done before, Nick was released last December among a bunch of cuts.

Pitcher Nate Hyatt - Profile
...I rather liked Hyatt's potential, especially with tempting K/9's above 10, but that tends to also attract attention. He was part of the January trade to acquire Ricardo Sanchez, but most focused on Kyle Kubitza.

First Baseman/Outfielder Joey Terdoslavich - Profile
...armed with a tremendous nickname, we have seen both the good and bat out of Terdo. He came onto the scene with a wonderful 2012 in the Carolina League, fell to pieces with an ill-advised attempted move to third in 2013, and started poorly before a strong finish in 2014. He looked like he was a shoe-in for the opening day roster this year, but a wrist injury torpedo'd his chances.

Pitcher Andy Otero - Profile
...our final Random Prospect is an iffy reliever who was a bit too hittable last year with Rome. Still, he is on Carolina's roster right now so it looks like the Braves still have some hope in him. And since the majority of the 2014 Random Prospect class has moved on, I'll take solace in at least Otero remaining to help the 2015 class get acclimated. Yeah, I don't know what that meant, either.

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

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

Starting Rotation

1. Julio Teheran

2. Alex Wood

3. Shelby Miller

4. Wandy Rodriguez (up from #5 starter)

5. Eric Stults (downgraded to #5)

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

Bullpen

Closer - Craig Kimbrel

RH - Jason Grilli

RH - Jim Johnson

LH - James Russell

LH - Josh Outman

---

LH - Luis Avilan

RH - Michael Kohn

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

Lineup

1. Eric Young Jr., CF

2. Nick Markakis, RF

3. Freddie Freeman, 1B

4. Chris Johnson, 3B

5. Jonny Gomes / Zoilo Almonte, LF

6. Andrelton Simmons, SS

7. Jace Peterson, 2B

8. Christian Bethancourt, C

Bench

C - A.J. Pierzynski

IF - Kelly Johnson (added to bench)

IF - Alberto Callaspo

OF Eury Perez 

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

Dropping: 1B/OF Joey Terdoslavich (dropping)

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

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