Braves Rumors

NL Notes: Strasburg, Albies, Peterson, Dahl

By Jeff Todd | March 4, 2017 at 10:53am CDT

Stephen Strasburg threw well in his spring debut for the Nationals yesterday, representing a promising step for the key righty, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports. Notably, Strasburg also showed some tweaks to his approach that he evidently intends to carry into the 2017 season. Most interestingly, the veteran hurler worked exclusively from the stretch, explaining that he has toyed with that idea after finding it increasingly difficult to maintain his mechanics from a full windup. Likewise, he’s planning to pare back the usage of his slider, an offering that he relied on far more in 2016 than ever before. The hope is that by utilizing that pitch less, and backing off on his work between starts, Strasburg can better maintain his health throughout a full season.

Here’s more from the National League:

Braves prospect Ozzie Albies is set to be examined on Monday, with hopes he’ll be cleared for full baseball activities, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Albies, who is working back from an olecranon fracture in his right elbow, may be ready for game action as soon as the middle of next week. That still doesn’t leave much time or opportunity for him to earn an Opening Day job, though that possibility likely evaporated when the injury took place. The 20-year-old will likely end up spending a bit more time refining his game in the upper minors, though it seems reasonable to anticipate he’ll get the call up to the majors at some point in the season to come.
Meanwhile, fellow Braves prospect Dustin Peterson will be delayed to start the season after undergoing hamate surgery, per a club announcement. Removal of the hook of the hamate bone is a fairly common procedure, and doesn’t appear to pose a significant problem in the long run, but it tends to sap power for some time upon a player’s return. The 22-year-old outfielder is seen as an increasingly important part of Atlanta’s future. Last year, he slashed .282/.343/.431 and hit a dozen home runs in 578 plate appearances at Double-A, representing a big step forward from his prior output. Peterson came to the Braves from the Padres as part of the pre-2015 Justin Upton trade.
The Rockies are exercising caution with prized young outfielder David Dahl, with manager Bud Black suggesting that his upper back injury is a bit more concerning than had initially been hoped, as Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports. Dahl will likely be out for a “few weeks” as the organization takes a closer look at the issue and treats it, which seemingly makes him unlikely to join the active roster at the start of the season. Just what that means for the organization remains unclear, but it likely clears the way for Gerardo Parra to handle regular duties in left field to begin the year. While a big showing from top prospect Raimel Tapia could present him with a chance to return to the majors, perhaps the injury opens the door most clearly for the right-handed-hitting Stephen Cardullo to head north with the club.

NL East Notes: Mets, Reyes, Nola, Strasburg, Braves

By Jeff Todd | March 2, 2017 at 10:50pm CDT

The Mets face the potential departure of a big portion of their MLB position players after the season, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. But the organization still hopes to fill many holes without going outside the organization. “I don’t think we will have to sign five free agents,” says assistant GM John Ricco. “Some of the answers will come from within, and I think between now and July we will get a better idea of what we have and what we need.” It’s certainly possible to imagine veteran Jose Reyes playing any number of roles this year and beyond; per Ricco, the team is confident that it would be able to work out a new deal to keep him if there’s a sensible role available.

Here’s more from the NL East:

Phillies righty Aaron Nola showed well in his spring debut, representing a notable step in his recovery from an elbow injury, as Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports. Nola, 23, showed good velocity and looked sharp, though perhaps that was to be expected. The big question for Nola and the Phils is whether his arm can stay healthy for the full season to come.
Speaking of the Nola clan, older brother Austin Nola is attempting to convert into a catcher with the Marlins, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Nola, 27, has never really hit much in the minors and struggled to a .261/.308/.376 batting line last year over 407 Triple-A plate appearances. Nevertheless, he was given a 40-man roster spot as he makes the transition to a new position.
Star Nationals hurler Stephen Strasburg will make his own spring debut tomorrow, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. He says he’s feeling healthy after missing the end of the 2016 season with a forearm strain. As ever, Strasburg’s health will be a key factor for the Nats in 2017.
It seems the Braves are leaning toward carrying eight relievers to open the year, as Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. Roster considerations could be at least a partial consideration, as Atlanta has several out-of-options relievers to consider. Going with a four-man bench would likely leave Kurt Suzuki, Jace Peterson, and Chase d’Arnaud on the roster with Emilio Bonifacio battling with Micah Johnson for the final spot, Bowman writes.

NL East Notes: Conforto, Chen, Marlins, Rivero

By Steve Adams | March 1, 2017 at 9:08pm CDT

There’ve been varying reports about the connection Mets’ talks for Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez this winter, the most recent of which suggested that the Mets “seriously discussed” parting with Michael Conforto to acquire Martinez. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, however, was told “emphatically” that the notion was not seriously discussed whatsoever (Twitter links). DiComo notes that New York did indeed touch base with the Tigers and discuss Martinez prior to re-signing Yoenis Cespedes, but the Mets “balked completely” once Conforto’s name was brought up by the Tigers.

NL East Notes: Braves, Nats Pen, Wright, Wheeler

By Jeff Todd | March 1, 2017 at 12:12pm CDT

Because they are owned by a public company, the Braves are required to disclose financial information that other organizations can keep in house. Those interested in reading up on the financial health of the Atlanta organization can check out this article from Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constution, which rounds up some info from a recent conference call involving Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei. The team lost money last year, though he says that was due in large part to its major international expenditures. Maffei also commented on reports that the Marlins might sell for $1.6B, saying that he was “not surprised” to see those numbers, while adding that he sees the Braves as a “far more valuable” franchise.

Here’s more from the NL East:

The Nationals’ failure to land a top-tier closer this winter didn’t match the hopes of skipper Dusty Baker, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports. Baker says he was hoping the team would bolster its 9th-inning situation, and suggested that he doesn’t expect any late-breaking move to do so. The veteran skipper continued to suggest that there’ll be a battle in camp to knight a closer. Just how Joe Blanton will fit into the mix (once his deal is made official) remains to be seen, but Baker called his addition “significant.”
Mets third baseman David Wright is headed for a second opinion on his ailing shoulder, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports. Whether or not that visit has any hope of substantially changing the outlook isn’t known. As of now, however, he’s slated to stop throwing for at least a few weeks. Read up on the latest on Wright here.
After a delay caused by residual elbow soreness, Mets righty Zack Wheeler finally made it to his first live BP session of the spring today, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets. Wheeler is scheduled to appear in game action for the first time on March 10th, at which time the organization may finally begin to get some clarity as to how much it can expect out of him this year. As with Wright, Wheeler has faced a non-linear road back from injuries. On the positive side for the Mets, Wheeler is just 26 years of age and is earning only $800K in his first season of arbitration eligibility.

NL East Notes: Suzuki, Eickhoff, Tebow

By Jeff Todd | February 28, 2017 at 11:28am CDT

The action this morning has been in the NL East, with the Nationals making an important bullpen addition and the Mets receiving some unfortunate injury news. Nats fans may also want to have a look at a profile of manager Dusty Baker penned by Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. For followers of other organizations in the division, here are a few more notes:

Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki is drawing praise for his handling of knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. Dickey himself and manager Brian Snitker both said that the veteran Suzuki did well receiving the tricky righty in his first attempt in game action. That may bode well for his bid to carve out playing time, as the organization intends to utilize either Suzuki or Tyler Flowers as the primary knuckleball catcher. It’s not yet clear how the playing time will be allocated between the two backstops out of the gate, though that seems likely to change throughout the season depending upon performance. Anthony Recker is also on hand as an option behind the dish, but he doesn’t appear to have a clear path to a roster spot.
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com checks in on Phillies righty Jerad Eickhoff, who has continued to impress the club this spring. Asked about Eickhoff’s ceiling, skipper Pete Mackanin said that the 26-year-old hurler “is a pretty darn good pitcher right now” — an assessment that certainly is supported by his strong showing in 2016. Eickhoff is a notably hard worker, per Salisbury, who explains that he’s focusing currently on refining his change. The righty himself certainly isn’t tamping down expectations. “I think the sky is the limit,” he said. “I’m going to continue working, whether it’s being Greg Maddux-esque with command or having a good breaking ball, or throwing a changeup like Maddux and guys like that did. There’s always something I’m working on and trying to develop and sharpen up.”
With Tim Tebow drawing his share of attention at Mets camp, though he’s working on the minor-league side, his comments yesterday drew an interesting take from Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Having previously asserted that he intends to push toward the majors, Tebow struck a somewhat different tone, saying that his “ultimate goal is to be able enjoy it every day.” Davidoff argues that his tweaked stance ought to free fans to simply enjoy (or ignore) Tebow as a sideshow, rather than continuing to debate whether the former NFL QB has any future in the game worthy of the attention he has received.

Braves Claim Christian Walker From Orioles

By charliewilmoth | February 25, 2017 at 1:18pm CDT

The Braves have claimed 1B/OF Christian Walker from the Orioles, the Orioles have announced. The O’s designated Walker for assignment last week when they acquired Richard Bleier from the Yankees.

Walker was once a well-regarded prospect in the Orioles’ system, winning the team’s minor league player of the year award after a strong 2014 season spent mostly at Double-A Bowie. He has since struggled to get much traction at Triple-A Norfolk, however, batting a decent but modest .264/.321/.437 there last season. Walker had little chance at a roster spot with the Orioles once the team re-signed Mark Trumbo this past winter.

Walker does, however, have an option remaining, and he’s relatively young, at 25. While his Triple-A numbers haven’t been impressive, they also haven’t been horrific, so it seems possible he could yet emerge as a viable big-leaguer with a bit of improvement. If he does, his ability to play both first base and left field should give the Braves or some other organization at least a couple ways to use him. The Braves, of course, have Freddie Freeman at first, but it’s possible to see Walker helping the team out as a backup and in the outfield (where he could potentially serve as a right-handed caddy for Nick Markakis) at some point this season.

NL East Notes: Wieters, Braves, Locke, Marlins, Tazawa

By Steve Adams | February 24, 2017 at 10:26am CDT

Matt Wieters’ deal with the Nationals became official this morning, and the veteran catcher provided some more details on the non-baseball injury that agent Scott Boras alluded to in recent weeks (Twitter links via Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post). Boras noted that Wieters suffered a laceration on his non-throwing arm that required stitches, and Wieters elaborated on the matter, explaining that he dropped a glass water jug on his left forearm/wrist area in early November. The injury held him out of any baseball activity for a sizable 10-week time frame, but it doesn’t seem as though there are any lingering effects.

A few more items pertaining to the NL East…

Braves general manager John Coppolella sat down with Mark Bowman of MLB.com to discuss the team’s offseason and the GM’s early impressions from the first week of Spring Training. Coppolella noted that he feels the team has better bullpen depth than it’s had at any point in the past four to five years. He noted that if there’s one area that the Braves could still look to make a late addition, it’d be in the form of a bench bat. “That could be a trade or it could end up being somebody in camp right now,” said Coppolella. Notably, Atlanta has been connected to former Braves bench pieces Jeff Francoeur and Kelly Johnson in the past month, both of whom remain available.
Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports that Marlins left-hander Jeff Locke underwent an MRI to examine his left shoulder, though the team is optimistic that there’s nothing seriously wrong with the southpaw. Manager Don Mattingly noted that Locke has been feeling better of late but “was still feeling something” when he played catch yesterday. Outfielder Marcell Ozuna is also nursing some shoulder discomfort, though his situation sounds less concerning; Mattingly said Ozuna is getting “an extra day” before jumping into Grapefruit League play.
Spencer also notes that the Marlins are still keeping an eye on the market for unsigned starting pitchers, including Henderson Alvarez, Jake Peavy, Colby Lewis and Doug Fister. However, they’re doing so on an “in case of need” basis, suggesting that they won’t add a notable name without an injury or unforeseen issue with a current member of the starting rotation.
Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that Marlins offseason signee Junichi Tazawa is happy to be reunited with Juan Nieves, his former Red Sox pitching coach who now occupies the same role in Miami. As Healey notes, Nieves was Tazawa’s pitching coach for the best two seasons of his career — the 2013 and 2014 seasons. During that time, the righty turned in a 3.02 ERA with 9.3 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 over the life of 131 1/3 innings. Nieves observed that Tazawa’s arm angle has risen since the two worked together, which could have had an adverse effect on his performance.

Braves Agree To Minors Deal With Former NFL Cornerback Sanders Commings

By Steve Adams | February 24, 2017 at 9:40am CDT

FEB. 24: Commings received the same $100K signing bonus that Tebow did upon signing his minor league pact with the Mets, tweets Rosenthal.

FEB. 23: The Braves have agreed to sign former NFL defensive back Sanders Commings to a minor league contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Rosenthal wrote earlier this month that the former Kansas City Chiefs and University of Georgia corner had interest in pursuing a baseball career as an outfielder.

Commings, who will turn 27 in early March, was a fifth-round pick by the Chiefs back in 2013, though he appeared in just two games with Kansas City in his brief NFL career. He’s no stranger to baseball, having played high school ball in Augusta, Ga., as Rosenthal noted. The Diamondbacks actually drafted Commings in the 37th round back in 2008, but he opted instead to attend Georgia and ultimately pursued a career in football.

Commings is being represented by agent Charles Hairston, the cousin of former Major Leaguers Jerry Hairston Jr. and Scott Hairston. Jerry Hairston lauded Commings’ athleticism and natural baseball acumen when speaking to Rosenthal, telling him that he believes Commings would already be in the Majors had he stuck with baseball for his whole career. Certainly, that’s a bold statement and one that should be taken with a grain of salt from someone who clearly has a vested interest in selling the abilities of the player in question — the Starling Marte comp used by Hairston seems particularly egregious — but it’s also unlikely that Hairston would’ve taken the time to work with a talent that he did not believe had a potential future in the game.

Jerry Hairston and Commings have been working out together five times per week, Rosenthal noted in his column, and Hairston enlisted Class-A Rangers right-hander Collin Wiles to throw to him this winter. Wiles, the former No. 53 pick in the draft (2012), said that he’s been impressed by Commings’ work at the plate as well.

It’s not yet clear exactly where Commings will begin his minor league career. While the odds are certainly stacked against him, and he’ll inevitably draw comparisons to former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who is pursuing a baseball career with the Mets, there’s little harm in the big picture for the Braves to roll the dice on Commings’ athleticism.

Injury Notes: Elbow Therapy, Hamilton, Britton, Cishek, Wright, Wheeler, Braves, Gibson

By Jeff Todd | February 22, 2017 at 10:09am CDT

With elbow health continuing to generate headlines, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports takes a look at the variety of new treatments — generally grouped under the header of orthobiologics — that pitchers, teams, and medical professionals have turned to in an effort to avoid the necessity of going under the knife. Stem-cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma treatments are now increasingly being deployed throughout the game, though it remains to be seen whether they’ll prove effective. You’ll certainly want to give this piece a full read to understand the state of the science. Those interested in the general subject will also want to read up on the surgical alternatives to the traditional Tommy John approach to torn ulnar collateral ligaments, as we recently discussed here.

Here’s the latest on some injury and health matters around the league:

Veteran Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton is headed for a visit with his surgeon after feeling pain in his recently repaired left knee, as Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram was among those to report on Twitter. It’s unclear as yet how serious a concern the latest knee issue is, though it’s far from the first time that Hamilton has dealt with problems in that joint. The 35-year-old, who last appeared in 2015, is in camp on a minor-league deal. He has been expected to compete for a reserve role as a left-handed-hitting option in the corner outfield, at first base, or in the DH slot.
There’s promising news on Orioles closer Zach Britton’s potential oblique issues, which came to light yesterday. He told reporters, including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (links to Twitter), that he’s not overly concerned with the issue and would still be available to throw were it the regular season. Britton’s comments largely echo those made yesterday by manager Buck Showalter, serving to further reduce the volume on the alarm bells. The key southpaw adds that he finds it encouraging that he has not experienced any pain while throwing.
Mariners righty Steve Cishek has picked up a ball for the first time since his hip surgery last fall, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns reports. For now, he’ll only throw lightly off of flat ground every other day, though hopefully he’ll ramp up from there. “It felt pretty good, surprisingly,” said Cishek. “There’s some discomfort, but the joint has to get used to that motion again. I was surprised how good it actually felt.”
Likewise, Mets third baseman David Wright is only beginning to throw the ball, though in his case too it represents an important first step. As Mike Puma of the New York Post reports, manager Terry Collins says it’s likely that Wright won’t take to the field until the middle of March as he continues to work back slowly from serious back and neck issues. Wright is expected to receive opportunities to hit, likely on the minor-league side of camp, in the interim. New York is understandably taking a cautious approach to the veteran. While it still seems unlikely he’ll be ready for Opening Day, the hope may be that he can return to strength in time for MLB action in a relatively early stage of the coming season.
Mets righty Zack Wheeler is back on the bump and was able to throw thirty pitches today without incident, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News tweets. He, too, will surely be handled with kid gloves after a slower-than-hoped return from Tommy John surgery and some elbow discomfort earlier this month. It’s a good sign that Wheeler has been able to return to the mound relatively swiftly, though it remains anyone’s guess just how much the club will get from him in 2017.
There’s some cautious optimism in Braves camp about the health of lefty Paco Rodriguez, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports. Though Rodriguez “has understandably shown occasional signs of rust” as he works back from his own TJ procedure, writes Bowman, the health signs have been encouraging. Atlanta agreed to a $637,500 salary with Rodriguez to avoid arbitration, seemingly leveraging the possibility of a non-tender to secure a deal that fell below MLBTR’s projection of $900K.
Likewise, Braves righty Dan Winkler is attempting a return, though in his case it’s from a somewhat scarier elbow fracture, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains. The 27-year-old, who had already battled back from Tommy John surgery, faced a much different recovery process after his second procedure. Now, he’s working on refining his delivery to avoid future problems. Because of the time he’s missed, the 2014 Rule 5 draftee still must stay on Atlanta’s active roster for about two months in order for the organization to take full control of his rights.
Twins righty Kyle Gibson is also seeking to make mechanical changes this spring, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports. The 29-year-old, who’s set to earn $2.9MM through arbitration, is seeking to tamp down persistent shoulder problems. As Berardino writes, a new training regimen has been designed in order “to teach Gibson’s arm to pronate properly at the end of his delivery” and thus “keep the humerus from rubbing on the shoulder’s connective tissues.”

Braves Considering Kelly Johnson

By Jeff Todd | February 21, 2017 at 8:34am CDT

The Braves are among the organizations considering a move for free-agent infielder/outfielder Kelly Johnson, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). At this stage, though, Johnson is holding out for a MLB roster spot, per the report.

Presumably, Atlanta isn’t currently willing to clear 40-man space and guarantee cash to Johnson, who turns 35 tomorrow. Whether any organization ultimately will do so remains to be seen. On the one hand, an injury could suddenly make Johnson seem quite appealing; on the other, clubs may be less inclined to promise a MLB job as camp goes on.

In the Braves’ case, the presence of Jace Peterson — another left-handed-hitting infielder who could see time at second and third — complicates matters. While both could theoretically coexist on the same roster, it’s perhaps more likely that they’d end up battling for a single job.

Though Johnson’s latest stint in Atlanta wasn’t terribly productive — he hit just .215/.273/.289 in his 132 plate appearances there last year — there’s little question that the Braves front office is favorably disposed towards Johnson. After all, the club has signed and then traded him in each of the past two seasons.

Johnson did rebound last year upon moving to the Mets (a now-familiar intra-division transition). And he has been fairly consistent in recent years, providing solid pop while representing a less-than-inspiring on-base threat. Since becoming a purely part-time player in 2013, Johnson has posted a .241/.306/.402 batting line with 47 home runs over 1,372 plate appearances. He has also shown the ability to handle just about any defensive assignment that’s thrown at him, though he has only been asked to play shortstop in a pinch.

While there are obvious limitations to Johnson’s game, he seemingly represents a solid potential bench piece for many clubs. For instance, the Royals could seemingly stand to plug in a lefty-hitting second base option (more on that here), and it’s also possible to imagine matches with the division-rival White Sox, Tigers, and Twins — among other organizations that make some degree of sense on paper.

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