The Two-Minute Braves

Braves Radio Net reporter Kevin McAlpin tweeted this Friday night:

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

— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) May 13, 2017

I followed with a tweet of my own:

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

— Tommy Poe (@WalkOffWalk1) May 13, 2017

But I was only beginning a cascade of responses

@WalkOffWalk1 @KevinMcAlpin Ryan Howard

— Outliers (@b_outliers) May 13, 2017

@b_outliers @WalkOffWalk1 @KevinMcAlpin Bronson Arroyo.

— Statline Scout (@tpierce625) May 13, 2017

@b_outliers @WalkOffWalk1 Bronson Arroyo

— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) May 13, 2017

@KevinMcAlpin @b_outliers @WalkOffWalk1 Brian Matusz

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

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

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

Catcher

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

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

Second Base

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

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

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

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

The Outfield

Keith Allison (CC BY SA2.0) via Flickr

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

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

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

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

Left-Handed Starter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewing Hart's Trades: Josh Elander for Trevor Cahill and bags of money

The Braves have been active in John Hart's first season at the helm to the tune of SIXTEEN TRADES! Sixteen deals involving major league talent going one direction or in both. Sixteen deals that include over 50 different players, a few draft picks, lots of cash, and two Uptons. It's been friggin unreal to see what the Braves have done.

With most of the season in our rear view, it's time to start reviewing each one of these trades. This series is going take a little while to get through, but hey, it gives me something to write about.

Trades Already Reviewed
La Stella for Vizcaino
Heyward/Walden for Miller/Jenkins
Varvaro for Kurcz
J. Upton for Jace Peterson and prospects
Carp/Shreve for Banulos
Kubitza/Hyatt for Sanchez
Gattis for Foltynewicz and Ruiz
Hale for Briceno

The Trade
Josh Elander to the Diamondbacks for Trevor Cahill and cash.

The Rationale

Kevin C. Cox | Getty

It really wasn't that long ago that Cahill was a serviceable major league starter. In 2012, his first season with the Diamondbacks, he had a 3.78 ERA, 3.85 FIP, and a 3.84 SIERA. Certainly not awesome numbers, but pretty good numbers overall. He had completed the second year of a five-year contract he had signed with the A's before Oakland dealt him to Arizona for a trio of players. Overall, Cahill looked like he was worth the at least $25.5M he would receive from 2013-2015 (with more to be earned if team options were exercised).

But 2013's numbers weren't good and in 2014, his GB% had dipped below 50% for the first time since his rookie year. However, and this gets lost, he seemed better than his 5.61 ERA indicated. Remember those 2012 FIP's and SIERA's? In 2014, he had a 3.89 FIP and 3.96 SIERA. His numbers should have been better. It looked, at least for people who saw beyond his baseball card stats, that the Braves were acquiring a pretty decent option to stabilize the bottom-of-the-rotation. With any luck, he would re-establish some trade value and the Braves would effectively turn Elander into a better prospect. Win-win.

Speaking of Elander, he had been the Braves' sixth round pick in the 2012 draft and was a pretty interesting prospect until he got to Lynchburg. He hit .260/.366/.439 with Danville after being drafted and .318/.381/.536 with 11 HR in a 74-game run with Rome in 2013 before being promoted to Lynchburg. Injuries, especially to his shoulder, and poor play removed a good portion of the hype, but Elander was on the cusp of some people's organizational prospect list. Elander unfortunately wasn't able to stick at catcher, which would have helped his value tremendously. He had been moved to left in 2013.

And then there was the money. Cahill was due $12M in 2015. The Diamondbacks agreed to pay more than half of the tab, leaving the Braves to take a $5.5M flier (plus a $300K buyout) on a guy who was likely a better option than Wandy Rodriguez and Eric Stults.

Short-Term Results
So little of this trade worked for either side. Elander lasted all of a month in the Arizona system before being cut. As far as I can tell, he has not signed elsewhere since. He'll turn 25 before the 2016 season and has not played above high-A ball. The TCU product might give the indies a try or just hang 'em up.

Cahill started the eighth game of the year. He lasted 2.1 ING and gave up four runs. Seven days later, four more runs and four innings this time. Five days later, he got to six innings and gave up, you guessed it, four runs. It would be the last game he started for the Braves. The Braves called up Mike Foltynewicz to replace Cahill and sent the latter to the bullpen. Used often in blowouts, Cahill only gave up runs in four of his 12 games, but when he gave 'em up, he gave them up in bunches. Four to the Nats, three to the Brewers, and three more to the Pirates. The Braves DFA'd him on June 11 and called up Dana Eveland. Ugh, Dana Eveland.

Once released, Cahill signed with the Dodgers organization and tried to stretch his arm out, but after eight games, he wasn't getting anywhere with LA's organization so he opted out to sign with the Cubs in mid-August. The Cubs immediately put him in the pen and after a handful of games in AAA, he was promoted to the bigs when rosters expanded. The pen seemed to agree with him. He racked up a bunch of strikeouts, kept the ball on the ground, and over 11 appearances, he allowed just four runs in 17 ING with a 0.77 WHIP and 4.4 K/BB rate. It was the perfect mix for Cahill. His success led the Cubs to keep him for the postseason and he appeared in three games in the NLDS. He gave up one run, but six of the eight batters he retired came via the strikeout. All of the games he appeared in were wins for the Cubs, including the deciding Game 4 where he gave up a tying run, but watched as the Cubs retook the lead, making "Trevor Cahill" as the answer to who got the win in Chicago's first playoff series win since 2003.

Long-Term Outlook
Neither team got much out of this one. The Braves' $5.5M gamble didn't pay off, though I guess you could argue that the Diamondbacks got that much in salary relief and opened a rotation slot for Archie Bradley so even as Elander was cut shortly after the trade, Arizona wins this one. Even then, it's not a big deal either way. The Braves surrendered little more than payroll space and took a chance - and a worthy one at that - on a pitcher who had better peripherals than production. Sometimes, it just doesn't work out.

This is completely unproven, but I like to think that the relationship began in this deal between John Hart/John Coppolella and new D'Backs GM Dave Stewart may have helped lead to the later Touki Toussaint trade. After all, the Braves showed that they were willing to take on salary and report between GM's can be especially helpful. Just a thought because other than that, there's not much to make of in the long-term related to this deal.

Once a Brave, Always a Brave - AL West

Time to revisit the Walk-Off Walk look around the league. Our focus this week - the AL West. Considering there were two notable deals with the AL West this offseason, you can bet we will run into a few former Braves.

Houston
P Brett Oberholtzer - Long ago a piece of the Michael Bourn trade, Oberholtzer has made three starts in the majors and generally looked pretty substandard. He's also had issues with blisters on his finger.

P Jose Veras (AAA) - He was kind of a Brave. Picked up on a minor league deal with a good chance to make the Braves this spring, Veras struggled before eventually being cut. He hooked back up with the Astros, who he has played twice before, and recently made his season debut in AAA.

P Blaine Sims (A+) - Sims was an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas Tech (go Wonder Boys (seriously, that's their name)) who spent four years in the Braves system, never advancing past Lynchburg. He may have been cut after five starts this season where he gave up 30 runs.

DH Evan Gattis - His first month in Houston was about as terrible as you can imagine a first month going, but Gattis belted nine homers in May so the Astros aren't feeling as terrible as they ought to about that deal.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
P Nate Hyatt (AA) - Traded to the Angels in the deal that sent Ricardo Sanchez to the Braves, Hyatt has been awful with Arkansas in AA. His control, which has always been concerning, has completely left him. In one outing, he gave up a hit, walked three, and was charged with five unearned runs against Tulsa. Odd numbers.

P Cory Rasmus - The guy we gave up for Scott Downs, Rasmus has yet to play this season due to an abdominal/core injury.

P Atahualpa Severino and Zach Stewart (AAA) - I'll put both of these 2014 Gwinnett Braves together. Stewart has done okay, but Severino has been awful. He was actually pretty solid for Gwinnett last year and would probably love to go back.

3B Kyle Kubitza (AAA) - His over .800 OPS is a little tempered by the fact that it's the Pacific Coast League and just having a pulse gives you a .725 OPS. Still, Kubitza has produced so far, though not at a level that will amaze anyone.

Oakland
P Jesse Chavez - I want to kind of hate this guy. He was so unlike-able as a Brave and has been very productive once he came to Oakland. In parts of four years, he has a 3.52 ERA, 3.48 FIP, and 1.27 WHIP...not superstar numbers, but great numbers for a swingman.

P Eric O'Flaherty - Another season, another trip to the DL for EOF, but on the bright side, he is back in the majors. On the not-so-bright-side, he has sucked this year. He went to the DL with a 11.57 ERA and in two outings since coming back, he has only decreased that to 9.35 while allowing three of the eight he has faced to reach.

Seattle
P Joe Beimel - He appeared in 30 games for Gwinnett in 2013, but the lefty has found a second chance in Seattle and has been productive for the Mariners.

C Jesus Sucre - He has a career OPS of .633 in the minors, but Sucre keeps getting shots with the Mariners. He played in the Braves system from 2006 to 2011.

Texas
P Matt Harrison - He has thrown less than 30 innings over the last two years, but Harrison might be on his way back. He's currently on a rehab assignment. Part of the Mark Teixeira trade.

P Neftali Feliz - He finally got healthy for a few weeks and even saved six games, but didn't look like his former dominant self. He did the DL for an "abscess under his right arm." Ouchie. He just started a rehab stint.

P Wandy Rodriguez - The decision to keep Eric Stults over Wandy was, well, a poor one. Rodriguez has looked pretty solid in Texas while we celebrated a trade that sent Stults away.

SS Elvis Andrus - What a tease. In 2012, he looked like he was blossoming into a decent enough bat, but since, he has gone south. I don't know if it's by habit or need, but Texas still likes to him second.

UT Tyler Pastornicky (AAA) - Given his release out of sympathy, Ref has posted a .708 OPS in stints with Frisco and Round Rock.

Recently profiled in Once a Brave, Always a Brave...
AL Central
AL East
Japan and Korea

3 Reasons the Braves Will Miss the 2015 Playoffs (About.com)

Over the next couple of days, I will look into my crystal ball and try to tell the future. Today's prediction looked into three reasons why the Braves will miss the playoffs. Will Wandy Rodriguez and Eric Stults prove that someone should have promised real money to them? Will Mike Minor's shoulder hold up? Who's getting the ball to Craig Kimbrel? And who is capable of posting reasonably good offensive numbers outside of Freddie Freeman? These questions are not only hard to answer, they could kill the Braves if things don't go their way.

For more, give the article a read. Tomorrow, I will look at how the Braves could shock a lot of people and actually make the playoffs.

Roster Prediction: Where the 25 Stand (March 29 Final Edition)

Time to make one last 25-man roster prediction for the season. By this time next week, we will know what the roster is finally. It's been as wide-open as any spring in recent memory and I am willing to bet at least two of the guys I have on the 25-man won't be there when the season opens. But...hey, gotta try to guess. Although, the Braves threw me a curveball when a guy I thought was pretty safe, James Russell, was released.

For the first three versions of this series, click here or here or even here.

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

My Take? No change here unless we see a trade open up things. Michael Foltynewicz had a bat outing and Manny Banuelos was optioned. Cody Martin is still around, but at this point, I think the Braves are going with these five until Mike Minor returns.

Bullpen
Closer - Craig Kimbrel
RH - Jason Grilli
RH - Jim Johnson
---
LH - Luis Avilan
RH - Michael Kohn
RH - Brandon Cunniff (added)
LH Josh Outman

My Take? My best when we saw Mark Bowman talk this week about what it would take to release Outman or Russell that something was going to happen. I figured it would be Outman getting the heave-ho, but instead, it was Russell, who has forced me to edit this from the original draft from last night. I still think that a trade will add a buy-low, high-reward guy to this mix and Cunniff won't be there when the season opens, but with Russell gone, Cunniff has made a good case to be the best internal option. Martin still could drop into this role for a long guy. Of course, the Braves could also cut Outman.

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

My Take? With the season so close, I want to talk a little bit more about the lineup. It's hard to ever get a feel for how Fredi Gonzalez, or really any manager, wants to use the lineup in spring training because you rarely see all of the regular starters together. I've seen C-Beth clean up and we've seen a lot of Jace batting second. We've also seen Markakis hit second and third with Freeman pushed to cleanup. Above represents my best guess, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Jace leadoff rather than hit second. I don't think Fredi wants to go with a trio of lefties following Young.

Bench
C - A.J. Pierzynski
IF - Kelly Johnson
IF - Alberto Callaspo
IF/OF - Philip Gosselin (added)
OF - LF Platoon Guy Not Starting (Gomes/Almonte)
Dropping: OF Eury Perez

My Take? The bench got a little cleared up with the demotion of Eury this week. For the time being, I've added The Goose to the bench and I think it's a pretty reasonable addition. Obviously, Pedro Ciriaco has been hitting the lights out of the ball and I could easily put him there, but I still think the sheer amount of the spots that would have to be cleared on the 40-man roster for non-roster guys might play a role before the beginning of the year. From this roster, I am looking at finding room for two starting pitchers, a reliever, a starting player, and a bench guy. That's five spots total. Not that the 40-man roster is packed with irreplaceable talent, but do the Braves want to move on from so many guys? Something might get cleared up by a trade and there are reports the Braves are in the market for an outfielder. Of course, Russell getting cut helped out a little.

Braves Roster Beat: March 26 (About.com)

If you missed it, the Braves played today. They even won. Chris Johnson capped off a five-run first inning with a two-run homer, though sadly Bad Wandy Rodriguez showed up and switched uniforms with his better alter ego. He was still in line to get the dubya, but Josh Outman failed to live up to his name. Fortunately, the Braves have Jonny Gomes and he homered to put the Braves back on top. For more analysis, check the About.com page where I go a bit more into Johnson and Outman, plus go over a semi-surprising retirement.

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. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Couple of About Links

Rather than a single post for each, let's look at today's pair of articles for my blog over at About.com. Feel free to follow the RSS feed or subscribe to the newsletter.

Should the Braves Have Interest in Andre Ethier?

There have been a few suggestions that the Braves could be a possible landing spot for Andre Ethier, the left-hand hitting outfielder for the Dodgers that is owed over $50M for the next three years and can't seem to get into the picture for a starting gig for Los Angeles. Does it work for the Braves? I look at what Ethier can provide and what that means for the Braves.

Braves Roster Beat: March 9

In my daily recap of spring training action, I look at Atlanta's 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals. Wandy Rodriguez and Eric Young Jr. looked good and Michael Kohn did nothing to hurt his chances to make the roster, but Kelly Johnson stunk. Give it a read as I consider the roster implications.