(Non-GT)Atlanta Braves Baseball....new beginnings

[Buzzforlife]

Blair in the Arizona deal for Shelby Miller, has not even come close to his 35 starts most MLB pitchers are afforded to start with. Swanson was in that deal with Inciarte(which is my favorite one over the last tumultuous year and a half).

To add to those first round picks listed above by GTJT, one Chipper Jones goes back to the early 90's.

The Braves can't turn back any of these trades even if they wanted to. Best to move forward, realizing these kids are pitching before their time at this level, and should be better for having this experience. Moving in the new park in '17, might have challenges staying above .500 no matter what moves are forthcoming. With the next International draft or two, they should get even stronger as a system.

 

[GTJT622]

Was just looking at Swanson's stats at Mississippi. Hope he picks it up this summer. Potential and ceiling are both high I realize. At the AA level, I'd like to think he'd be tearing it up.

 

[Buzzforlife]

Wonderful piece on Sir Walter Banks in Sunday's AJC Living section. You may remember him at Gate 1 for foots and Alexander/10th St. Gate 1 for hoops, almost 20 years. The article did leave that out, but did make reference to long time companion, Gerri Dunlap. She worked out front for many cold, cold winter days either next to him or alternate doors/gates.

My son has known them for all of his 17 years. I go back to the '60s with W.B., including our working together during the 70's in Fulton County Stadium.

 

[BornAJacket]

I am disappointed in Blair's outing as well. He is so inconsistent. He started his last game out very poorly with all those walks and hits, then settled down for several innings, but the damage was done.

 

[BornAJacket]

Braves will face Brian Finnegan and his 3.77 ERA tonight. One of the Reds better ERAs for their starters. Team ERA is 5.51.

 

[GTJT622]

The Braves are 7-26 at home. That's a .212 winning percentage. Or, should I say .788 losing percentage?

On pace to go 17-64 at home. Recall, the St. Louis Browns hold the record for worst home record in a season in 1939 at 18-59 (.234).

With Teheran on the hill tonight though, the Braves have a chance to gain ground on the Nats if the Cubs can give us some help. I know we are 21.5 games out in the NL East, but we have plenty of time and can just start pecking away at that Nats' lead. And, hey, we are ONLY 16.5 games out of the wildcard race too.

 

[stech81]

The Braves are 7-26 at home. That's a .212 winning percentage. Or, should I say .788 losing percentage?

On pace to go 17-64 at home. Recall, the St. Louis Browns hold the record for worst home record in a season in 1939 at 18-59 (.234).

With Teheran on the hill tonight though, the Braves have a chance to gain ground on the Nats if the Cubs can give us some help. I know we are 21.5 games out in the NL East, but we have plenty of time and can just start pecking away at that Nats' lead. And, hey, we are ONLY 16.5 games out of the wildcard race too.

I guess you started drinking a little early today, not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

[GTJT622]

I guess you started drinking a little early today, not that there is anything wrong with that.

Oh ye of little faith. Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? HELL NO!

And...it ain't over now!

Germans?

Forget it, he's rolling.

(pay no attention that the Reds are up 3-0 in the 3rd right now)

 

[Buzzforlife]

The Braves have agreed to terms with a trio of recently-drafted lefties, per Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter links). Competitive balance Round A selection Joey Wentz, second-round choice Kyle Muller, and third-rounder Drew Harrington will all land above-slot bonuses.

Wentz will receive a $3.05MM bonus after being taken with the 40th overall pick, which came with a $1,616,800 pool allocation. Muller’s $2.5MM payday lands over the slot value ($1,459,700) at number 44. And Harrington will also cost the club an additional $111,200.

Wentz, a high school lefty out of Kansas, was seen as a top-thirty prospect entering the draft. Indeed, MLB.com prospect gurus Callis and Jonathan Mayo rated him the 16th-best prospect available, with ESPN’s Keith Law (22nd) and the Baseball America team (26th) having him a bit further down on their boards.

Atlanta was obviously intrigued enough to lure Wentz away from the University of Virginia with a big payday. The appeal lies in his well-rounded arsenal, which includes low-to-mid 90s heater with movement as well as a curve-change offspeed combo. Evaluators also liked Wentz’s large frame, mechanics, and athleticism — not to mention his makeup. It doesn’t hurt that he is also a legitimate hitting prospect.

Likewise, the club nabbed Muller just four picks later. He, too, is a high school draftee with a big body and two-way ability. BA had him rated just ahead of Wentz on its board, noting some of his astounding results on the high school mound. He has only just developed a low-90s fastball, and his secondary offerings aren’t regarded as being special, so there is some projection from those who like the one-time University of Texas commit. MLB.com is also bullish, placing him 24th, while Law saw Muller as the 58th-best name on the board.

Wentz and Muller were clearly major motivating factors in the Braves’ draft day approach. The club went with Ian Anderson with its opening pick, number three overall, with the apparent expectation of locking in savings against the $6.51MM allocation that came with his selection.

As things stand, Atlanta is $2,584,700 over the line with just these three signings. That means the team will need to save quite a bit on Anderson to get in under its overall $13,224,100 pool. The team can go up to 5% over that amount — an additional $661,205 — before hitting penalties that require the sacrifice of a future draft pick.

 

[BornAJacket]

I guess we will see. I read somewhere that he was targeted at 3.5 or so. could be more after seeing these salary offers.

 

[GTJT622]

Braves win and Twinkies lose last night. That shaves our lead for the #1 pick down to 1 game.

Crap!

 

[BornAJacket]

They scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 13th after giving up 2 in the top of the inning. Another bases loaded walk plates the go ahead run for the Reds in the 13th. Things were looking bad. Glad to hear these young players have not given up on the season.

Also Freeman hits for the cycle last night. First MLB player this year. The last Brave was Kotsay in 2008. Freeman's line: Ks in the 1st, doubles in the 3rd inning, triples in the 4th, homers in the 6th, Ks in the 8th, singles in the 11th and grounds out in the 12th (play was called safe, reviewed and overturned)

 

[stinger78]

Braves on a streak!!!

 

[GTJT622]

The Twins have now tied the Braves. Braves need to get it together. They head to the Mets for 3 this weekend, which provides a decent opportunity to get ahead of the Twins in the race for the 1st overall pick. However, trouble exists after that as the Braves travel to the Marlins (aka "our beyatch") for 2 games where we will probably kick their ice again and then have to hope the Twins win.

The good news is we only face the Marlins, who really suck by the way, twice and it isn't a 4-game series offering a chance for 4 wins by the Braves which would really stink up our chances of opening up a big lead over the Twins right now. We really need to open up a 4-to-5 game lead over the Twins by the ASB.

 

[BornAJacket]

Snitker is actually managing the roster. We might see the Braves slowly climb out of the cellar even with a questionable roster. Not sure the Braves want to use the #1 pick on a pitcher anyway. quandary for sure. still a lot of games to blow this year, so we can't let our hopes down.

 

[Buzzforlife]

Five in a row! After Tehran spins a one-hit shutout today, watch the trade winds swirl.
Withrow looked good in relief during Saturday's game. Swept the Mets!!

 

[GTJT622]

Currently, only 20 games behind the Nats and 13.5 back in the Wild Card. On our way!!

 

[stinger78]

Snitker is actually managing the roster. We might see the Braves slowly climb out of the cellar even with a questionable roster. Not sure the Braves want to use the #1 pick on a pitcher anyway. quandary for sure. still a lot of games to blow this year, so we can't let our hopes down.

Wait... wot!!!

 

[BornAJacket]

Wait... wot!!!

Look at what they did with the #3 pick, they picked a #12 player for the money. I don't think they want the payroll of a #1 pick. sadly...

 

[BornAJacket]

Great win streak. If this team is going to sweep a team I am glad it was the Mets.

Phillies and Nationals would be good too, but that's not happening.

 

[Buzzforlife]

Speedy Braves outfielder Mallex Smith suffered a broken left thumb after being hit by a pitch on Sunday and is sidelined indefinitely, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. More will be known about Smith’s DL timeline when he visits a hand specialist tomorrow. Smith got off to a very slow start at the plate after making his MLB debut earlier this season and is still just hitting .241/.314/.386 , though he has displayed a good center field glove and is 8-for-8 in his last eight stolen base attempts.

 

[BornAJacket]

Get well soon Mallex

 

[Buzzforlife]

The Braves and No. 3 overall draft pick Ian Anderson are finalizing a deal that’ll pay the high school right-hander about $4MM, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman (links to Twitter). Heyman adds that Anderson will not officially sign until he has graduated. That bonus represents a savings of about $2.5MM on his slot value of $6,510,800 (via MLB.com’s Jim Callis) — money that will help the Braves afford later picks such as Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller and Drew Harrington — each of whom has already reportedly agreed to an over-slot deal.

Anderson, who just turned 18 last month, was rated most highly entering the draft by ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 7 overall), but Baseball America (No. 12) and MLB.com (No. 13) each had him as a top-half-of-the-first-round talent as well. Shortly before the draft, rumors surfaced indicating that Atlanta may tab Anderson in order to save some funds which would be allocated tough signs, and that indeed is how their draft played out.

Scouting reports on Anderson from the three outlets above praise his fastball that sits in the low 90s but can reach 95-96 mph, and BA calls his changeup “devastating” while giving him credit for an above-average curve as well. At 6’4″ and 180 pounds, there’s certainly reason to think that Anderson can continue to fill out his frame. Anderson’s stock might’ve been higher this season if he hadn’t been slowed by an oblique injury and a bout of pneumonia. Ultimately, his deal will allow the Braves to add four high-upside arms to their ranks. While three of them (Anderson, Wentz and Muller) will be a ways off because they are of the high school variety, landing three arms that both BA and MLB.com rated within the top 25 draft prospects seems like a strong haul that should only further bolster an impressive Braves farm system.

The Braves were $2,584,700 over-slot on the combination of Wentz, Muller and Harrington, so the savings from Anderson alone appear to be enough to ensure that Atlanta avoids the loss of a future first-round pick. That wouldn’t happen until the Braves exceeded their bonus pool by more than five percent, although Atlanta will pay a 75 percent luxury tax on any overages up to five percent. That, however, hasn’t been a deterrent for teams in the past and should be of fairly marginal consequence to the Braves should they be required to do so this year.

 

[Buzzforlife]

JUNE 21: The Braves have also agreed to a $1.5MM signing bonus for No. 76 pick Brett Cumberland, MLBTR has learned (Twitter link). Cumberland, a catcher and draft-eligible sophomore out of Cal, receives a bonus that lands $661K over his slot value of $839,100. He ranked in the Top 100 draft prospects from BA, ESPN and MLB.com, with each praising him as one of the more advanced college bats in the draft but questioning his ability to stick behind the plate. Additionally, Callis reported over the weekend that fourth-rounder Bryse Wilson, a high school right-hander our of North Carolina, agreed to a $1.2MM bonus that represented a deal that was $653K over slot (Twitter link).

That means that the Braves’ second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth selections in the draft have combined to receive bonuses that exceed their pool allotments by a total of about $3.9MM. Atlanta also went $300K over slot for 11th-round pick Matt Bowland, as Callis tweeted last week. That’s a total of $4.2MM in excesses, although the Braves did save approximately $2.5MM by agreeing to a reported bonus of “about” $4MM with No. 3 overall pick Ian Anderson. And, as Callis and Jonathan Mayo have been tracking at MLB.com, the Braves have saved $134,600 on fifth-rounder Jeremy Walker, $281,600 on sixth-rounder Matthew Gonzalez and $219,700 on seventh-rounder J.B. Moss. Atlanta also has a string of college seniors at picks 8-10, and college seniors will often sign for about $10K.

The Braves entered this year’s draft with a $13,319,600 pool and bolstered that figure when they acquired a Competitive Balance pick in the Brian Matusz trade, bringing their total allotment to $14,158,500. They’ll be able to exceed that sum by about $797K without going into the penalty bracket that would force them to lose a future first-round pick. With the over-slot deals to their second through sixth picks as well as their 11th-rounder, the Braves have currently agreed to $13,760,000 in total commitments, placing them about $1.1MM shy of the threshold at which they’d lose a future first-round pick.

 

[BornAJacket]

I am sure they will stay under the threshold, they can't be losing 1st round picks.

 

[Buzzforlife]

The Braves announced today that left fielder Mallex Smith has been placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a fractured left thumb that will sideline him for the next eight to 10 weeks. To fill his spot on the roster, the Braves have selected the contract of fleet-footed veteran Emilio Bonifacio from Triple-A.

6 in a row. A little cushion over the Twins....neck and neck with the Reds and a few other stinkers to get out of the top few draft spots for 2017.

 

[BornAJacket]

after all the recent scoring, it was strange seeing them with 0 runs in a game.

 

[stinger78]

I must tip my cap to the Bravos (while I can) for their recent resurgence. They are something like 9-11 so far in the month of June. Snitker has done a great job with the mess leading them on a torrid pace this month to date.

 

[BornAJacket]

Snitker was hot last night about that play at home plate.

If the New York office isn't going to do any better than this on replays, then get rid of them. Horrible call.

 

[stinger78]

Good to see some fire out of him and some deep-seeded gut-check fire out of the club. There may be hope for this franchise yet. My interest has been piqued.

 

[GTJT622]

The Braves have shaved Washington's lead in the division to only 17 1/2 games now. Plus, we are now only 13 1/2 back in the Wild Card race. By the All Star break, we may be able to get that down to single digits.

The Twins now have a 2 game lead for the #1 pick in next year's draft.

 

[BornAJacket]

If the Braves keep this June winning pace, then they'll end the season firmly as mediocre, instead of historically bad as we were thinking we'd see just a few weeks ago.

 

[GTJT622]

If the Braves keep this June winning pace (7 of last 8...87.5%), we will go 104-58, which may be good enough to win the division. At minimum, it should be good enough to make the playoffs via a wildcard.

Hey, this could be the year!

 

[BornAJacket]

They are 10-11 for June. 47.6%

which will put them around 67-95

not average, and certainly not historically bad, but only mediocre.

But maybe you are right, they can do better than that

 

[Buzzforlife]

Trade interest for Bud Norris, mostly from the Marlins. Not a big return expected.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Braves have agreed to a minor league deal with catcher and utlityman Jordan Pacheco, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter). Pacheco had elected free agency after being outrighted by the Reds.

Atlanta could conceivably deploy Pacheco in any number of ways if and when he’s needed at the major league level. He has spent time behind the dish and at first, second, and third base. Of course, the 30-year-old has never been much of a threat at the plate, as he delivers a solid batting average but doesn’t draw many walks or deliver a lot of power.

On the year, Pacheco has a .157/.157/.235 slash over 51 plate appearances. His best season came in 2012 with the Rockies, when he hit .309/.341/.421 in 505 trips to the plate — though even then, that rated as below league average in terms of overall productivity once accounting for hitter-friendly Coors Field.

 

[GTJT622]

They are 10-11 for June. 47.6%

which will put them around 67-95

not average, and certainly not historically bad, but only mediocre.

But maybe you are right, they can do better than that

All true, but if you throw out the games where the other team finished with more runs than we did, we are 10-0 for the month of June. This means we will wind up somewhere around 115-47.

Your turn.

 

[GTJT622]

Reportedly, the Red Sox contacted the Braves about a deal for Teheran and Vizcaino. But, the talking heads and internet reports suggest the Braves cut those talks relatively quick. I'm glad to see it happen. I mean, I know we are building for the future, but both of those guys are still young - both age 25 - and particularly in the case of Teheran is now an established vet. With better quality around him, he could be a 20-game winner 2 years from now.

 

[Buzzforlife]

Your spot on again, IMO......and yes the Braves asked for their two most up and coming and virtually ready stars........the
likes of Yoan Moncada and Andrew Benintendi.

 

[stinger78]

Time to send Blair back down. In his last month, he's 0-2 in 6 games started with an 8.28 ERA. in only 29 IP (less than 5 innings per game). Over that span, he has 17 BB and 21 K, and a hefty 1.67 WHIP. Clearly going the wrong way for the young man.

 

[BornAJacket]

All true, but if you throw out the games where the other team finished with more runs than we did, we are 10-0 for the month of June. This means we will wind up somewhere around 115-47.

Your turn.

Maybe MLB will give the Braves a mulligan on the Gonzalez managed games.