Braves Off Season Thread

[DFSNOLE]

Thought we'd start a new thread since last year's is too long for the mobile app. The latest replies are below.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________


CC0492

Re: 2014 Braves Thread Admin | Edit | Reply

J. Upton on his way to San Diego for one of 3 top prospects (either an OF, P, or C).
Go Noles!CC
12/19 9:49 AM | IP: Logged
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

fsugrad06

Re: 2014 Braves Thread Admin | Edit | Reply

Report states #3 lhp Fried, top 10 3b Peterson, top 20 of Smith (with great speed for small ball), and a ss Peterson. Braves include a low level prospect. For 1 year of Upton, I think the Braves did very well at first glance if the names are true.
12/19 11:02 AM | IP: Logged
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

CC0492

Re: 2014 Braves Thread Admin | Edit | Reply

The pitcher had one season of A ball, just had TJ surgery, and won't be pitching at all in 2015. And Medlin goes to the Royals.
Go Noles!CC
12/19 11:19 AM | IP: Logged

 

[DFSNOLE]

Breaking down the prospects the Braves acquired in the JUp trade. See link.

mlb.com

 

[fsugrad06]

The TJ surgery is a concern, but it seems the Braves like to roll with them. If he can return to form and continue improving, he is solid. Especially remembering that this haul is for 1 year of Upton, I don't think it's that bad when you look at the current farm system. I wish there had been a big bat involved, but oh well. Looks like the management wants the Braves of the 90s with elite pitching and buy bats as rentals.

 

[DFSNOLE]

There is no one to protect Freeman in the lineup now. That is a big concern for me.

 

[Vizike Is Back!]

There really isn't a lineup anymore....

BJ is still here after all this action though.

Good times ahead for these Braves.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[seminoleed]

Originally posted by Vizike Is Back!:
There really isn't a lineup anymore....

BJ is still here after all this action though.

Good times ahead for these Braves.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

Exactly. The two who really needed to go, BJ and Fredi, are here; adios to the rest. SMH

 

[DFSNOLE]

Sorry guys.......

David O'Brien[/B]
‏
3m3 minutes ago

Yes. RT @DOBrienAJC so Braves just have to hope that BJ has a better season cause no one wants to trade for him?

This post was edited on 12/22 12:21 PM by DFSNOLE

 

[trefeet]

I think Gattis will be in the AL before spring training.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Bragglefraggle]

Braves playing for a postseason in 2017.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[DFSNOLE]

Originally posted by Bragglefraggle:
Braves playing for a postseason in 2017.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

Won't that be the first year in the new stadium?

 

[fsugrad06]

Originally posted by DFSNOLE:

Originally posted by Bragglefraggle:
Braves playing for a postseason in 2017.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

Won't that be the first year in the new stadium?

That is correct.

 

[DFSNOLE]

Hart signs another veteran reliever bit still no bats to help Freeman.





ATLANTA -- Less than a month after buying low on Jason Grilli.

On Tuesday evening, Grilli and the Braves reached an agreement on a
two-year, $8.25 million deal that includes a $3 million option for the
2017 season.




Grilli, 38, will receive $4.25 million in
2015 and $3.5 million in 2016. The $3 million option for '17 includes a
$250,000 buyout. The contract also includes a $250,000 signing bonus.

• Hot Stove Tracker

John Hart, the Braves' president of baseball operations, has said
that he likes to stockpile veteran bullpen arms such as Grilli and
Johnson, the latter a former All-Star closer who signed a one-year, $1.6
million deal with Atlanta after struggling mightily with Oakland and
Detroit this past season.

mlb.com

 

[trefeet]

Just picked up AJ Perzinski. He sucks and is a cancer in the clubhouse. Maybe BJ Upton will take a swing at him and kick them both out.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[DFSNOLE]

No longer a Brave but even through his struggles in Atlanta I like him. Played hard and didn't whine like many would.






Nationals sign Uggla to Minor League deal
Three-time All-Star second baseman has played for Marlins, Braves and Giants
By Bill Ladson
/
MLB.com
|
@washingnats
|
11:35 AM ET










WASHINGTON -- The Nationals signed second baseman Dan Uggla to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training on Friday.

Uggla has struggled the past three years, hitting a combined .194
with 43 home runs for the Braves and Giants. He was selected by the
D-backs in the 11th round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, when
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo was Arizona's scouting director.




Before 2012, Uggla was considered one of
the best hitting second basemen in the league. He's a three-time
All-Star and has hit 30 or more home runs in a season five times. His
best year was 2010, when he hit .287 with 33 home runs and 105 RBIs for
the Marlins.
The Nationals have been searching for a second baseman since Asdrubal Cabrera became a free agent this offseason

 

[Vizike Is Back!]

Braves just added yet another Tommy John pitcher to their roster. Awesome offseason moves!

 

[DFSNOLE]

Scouting report on Banuelos:

After an impressive Spring Training performance in 2011, Banuelos
appeared to be on the cusp of reaching the Major Leagues. He advanced to
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre that season, only to miss most of the
next two years following Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in
2014, pitching 76 2/3 innings in 26 games across three levels of the
Minor Leagues as the Yankees worked him back slowly. When he's healthy,
Banuelos has three potentially above-average offerings. His fastball
reaches 94 mph and his curveball and changeup can create swings and
misses. He has struggled with his command in the upper levels of the
Minor Leagues and will need to improve it to reach his potential as a
starting pitcher.

-- Teddy Cahill

mlb.com

 

[DFSNOLE]

Trade returns could have Braves sitting pretty
Loss of Heyward, J-Up will be felt, but gains strengthen club's future

By Mark Bowman


ATLANTA -- The Braves have entered the



new year confident that they have made the most of the opportunity to
brighten their future by trading Justin Upton. But it remains to be seen how significantly these changes will impact the 2015 season.

While it might not have been easy to bid adieu to Heyward's Gold
Glove Award-winning defense or Upton's offense, the Braves realized they
likely would not be able to re-sign either corner outfielder as they
both entered their walk year. At the same time, they needed to
strengthen a weak farm system and address the starting-pitching depth,
which was decimated when Brandon Beachy both underwent a second Tommy John surgery in March.

Thus, in an effort to fortify what stood

as an uncertain road ahead, the Braves opted to sacrifice what Heyward
and Upton provide in the present.
Here is a breakdown of what was lost and gained with these two significant trades.

This post was edited on 1/3 5:34 PM by DFSNOLE

The rest here

 

[DFSNOLE]

Great to see Smoltz join his teammates in the Hall. Congrats!
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Vizike Is Back!]

Meanwhile, the Braves signed P Josh Outman today. Yet ANOTHER Tommy John pitcher.

 

[trefeet]

Either will work great or they will look like major idiots.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Vizike Is Back!]

Pitcher Braves, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. The deal will include a base salary of $2 million.

It was reported Rodriguez agreed to a minor-league deal with the Phillies last month, but he reportedly failed the physical, which led to him signing with the Braves.

Rodriguez,
who will turn 36 on Jan. 18, made just six starts for Pittsburgh in
2014 due to a knee injury. He was limited to just 12 starts in 2013 as
well due to injury.

Stockpiling more injured players.

 

[CC0492]

Evan Gattis gone to Houston for 3 prospects!

 

[DFSNOLE]

Originally posted by CC0492:

Evan Gattis gone to Houston for 3 prospects!

Have you seen which prospects? Hope some offensive players.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[fsugrad06]

Originally posted by DFSNOLE:

Originally posted by CC0492:

Evan Gattis gone to Houston for 3 prospects!

Have you seen which prospects? Hope some offensive players.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

1 is. The names mentioned are Foltynewicz (#57 prospect in BA top 100 and #4 in Astros top 10) a RHP, Ruiz (#9 in Astros top 10) a 3b to replace Kubitz, seems to have some pop and a decent BA, but can't run, and then Thurman a RHP that the Astros drafted in the 2nd round in 2013.

 

[DFSNOLE]

If I'm Freddy Freeman, I'm getting more agitated by the day.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[seminoleed]

Originally posted by DFSNOLE:
If I'm Freddy Freeman, I'm getting more agitated by the day.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

Not as agitated as this fan is. Seriously, the whole team has been gutted, and they still have B(ad) J(oss) Upton.

Craptastic.

 

[trefeet]

Upton will appear to be a team leader hitting .203. Unfortunately if he goes yard 10 times he might lead the team in homers. No team in their right mind will ever pitch to Freddie unless the bases are juiced and that should be infrequent this year. Last year Freddie got impatient and started swinging at bad pitches and his average plummeted.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[cjnoles9399]

This whole rebuild lacks vision in my opinion and it starts with ownership. First, I think it's given that the 2014 version of the Braves couldn't be trotted back out in '15 and expect to win a division title. But a decent core was in place with Jason, JUp, Gattis and Freeman. Even adding Markakis to that core would have helped if Gattis stays behind the plate.

I don't mind a complete overhaul if that's what the Braves want to do. But a few things are puzzling like signing Markakis to a 4 year deal and not including Freddie, Simmons and Kimbrel on the block to bring back more prospects. Keeping Fredi and pretty much the entire FO except Wren didn't make sense either.

The biggest fear I have looming is that let's say these prospects all work out and the Braves see a competitive window in the next 3-5 years which is the plan going into Cobb County. From what just happened with gutting young, cheap talent because they fell short mostly due to two black holes in the lineup and payroll and a terrible manager, what's to say the Braves aren't in the same position again 5-7 years from now when they lose contract control over the young guys?

 

[DFSNOLE]

So now the Nats have signed Max Scherzer to a 7 year $210mil deal. They must be printing money up there.

 

[trefeet]

Looks like they signed Johnny Gomes.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[DFSNOLE]

Originally posted by trefeet:
Looks like they signed Johnny Gomes.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

Looking anywhere and everywhere for some clubhouse leadership.

 

[trefeet]

Maybe these guys can help develop the new generation but I seriously doubt they can go .500 or better this year. Guessing a 70-92 type year.
Kimbrel could set a saves record seeing that wins will be scarce he won't be pitching every day and I am sure this team won't be building many 3 run leads except in an occasional off night from the other team.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[DFSNOLE]

Braves announce 4-year deal with Toscano
Club evaluated Cuban outfielder during November workouts in the DR

By Mark Bowman
/
MLB.com
|
@mlbbowman
|
January 28, 2015










ATLANTA -- After aggressively scouring
the international market over the past few months, the Braves opted to
take a chance on Dian Toscano, a relatively obscure Cuban outfielder who
might become a part of Atlanta's outfield mix after gaining some
seasoning at the Minor League level.

The Braves officially announced their four-year deal (with an option
for 2019) with Toscano on Wednesday afternoon. The two parties reached
an agreement in early December, but it took nearly two months to
complete the clerical requirements necessary to allow the 25-year-old to
enter the U.S.





Toscano will make $6 million over the next four seasons. The buyout for 2019 is $1.5 million.

Because he did not participate in international events for the Cuban
national team, Toscano was relatively unknown until he escaped Cuba and
reached the Dominican Republic earlier this year.

Toscano is a six-foot, 200-pound left-handed hitter who was
recognized in Cuba for his plate discipline. He has not shown great
power, and his limited arm strength provides reason to believe he would
spend most of his time in left field. Toscano batted .356 with an .892
OPS while playing in the Serie Nacional, Cuba's premier league, from
2012 to 2013.

Gordon Blakeley, a special assistant to the general manager who heads
Atlanta's international scouting efforts, evaluated Toscano on multiple
occasions before this agreement was reached. Manager Fredi Gonzalez,
bench coach Carlos Tosca and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer watched both
Toscano and Yasmany Tomas,
a higher-profile Cuban outfielder who ended up signing a six-year,
$68.5 million deal with the D-backs, during workouts in the Dominican
Republic in November.

After watching Toscano during Spring Training, the Braves will
determine whether he will start the upcoming season with Triple-A
Gwinnett or Double-A Mississippi.

To create a spot on the 40-man roster spot for Toscano, the Braves designated Jose Constanza for assignment.

mlb.com

 

[Vizike Is Back!]

Millions for a guy who has not shown great power, and his limited arm strength.

What's the upside? He's Cuban?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[DFSNOLE]

I'm guessing the .356 batting average. If he can fill the leadoff role, it will be worth it.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[fsugrad06]

Originally posted by Vizike Is Back!:
Millions for a guy who has not shown great power, and his limited arm strength.

What's the upside? He's Cuban?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

No one on the team has any power. Why would we sign someone who can hit bombs? Small ball all the way for this squad.

 

[fsugrad06]

Another mind-boggling trade: David Hale and Gus Schlosser (both RHP pitchers, Hale could start or relieve, Schlosser a crappy reliever) to COlorado for 2 minor league catchers that even Rockies fans haven't heard of.

 

[Vizike Is Back!]

Wheelin and dealin just for the hell of it
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[DFSNOLE]

Only 22 but has spent 5 years in the minors and is still in Single-A.

Briceno, 22, has hit .283 in five minor
league seasons, and he hit 12 homers to go with 50 RBIs in 84 games at
Single-A Asheville last year. He can hit, catch and throw, with the
potential to provide power. He threw out 35 of 80 base runners last
season (43.8 percent) and 111 of 266 in his career (41.7 percent).

ajc.com

 

[Vizike Is Back!]

My boy BJ is now looking the best player on the team!
Posted from Rivals Mobile