- Speaking of former closers, Jim Johnson will enter camp with a firm hold on the 9th inning for the Braves, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Atlanta extended the 33-year-old after his strong finish to the 2016 season, which included a run as the Braves’ closer. Johnson finished the year with 64 2/3 innings of 3.06 ERA ball on his ledger, supported by a surprising 9.5 K/9. A repeat of that strikeout rate seems unlikely, as Johnson’s 7.7% swinging-strike rate fell below the league average and right at his career mark, but he continues to induce plenty of groundballs.
Braves Rumors
Sean Rodriguez Likely To Miss 2017 Season After Shoulder Surgery
Braves infielder Sean Rodriguez underwent a procedure to repair the rotator cuff in his left shoulder, per a club announcement. Though the team did not provide a timetable, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that it’s likely Rodriguez will miss the entire 2017 campaign after suffering what MLB.com’s Mark Bowman describes (via Twitter) as a complete tear.
Rodriguez, 31, suffered the injury when he and his family endured a terrifying auto accident that left the driver of another vehicle dead. He had signed on with the Atlanta organization on a two-year deal that promised him $11MM. Upon learning of the injury, the Braves went on to acquire veteran Brandon Phillips to help account for Rodriguez’s absence.
What’s most important here, of course, is the health of Rodriguez and his family. But it’s surely disappointing for him to endure this now, after turning in a career-best 2016 campaign for the Pirates. Soon to turn 32, Rodriguez put up a .270/.349/.510 batting line and swatted 18 home runs in 342 plate appearances. The versatile defender saw time all over the infield and in the corner outfield in Pittsburgh.
Though Rodriguez had been expected to spend most of his time at second base upon arriving in Atlanta, his flexibility could well still come into play for the organization. When he’s able to return, even if it’s not until next season, Rodriguez may find a role as a utility player — at least, that is, assuming that prospect Ozzie Albies makes the progress that the Braves organization surely hopes and expects in the interim.
Coppolella On Availability Of Sean Rodriguez
Braves GM John Coppolella spoke with Bill Shanks of The Macon Telegraph in a wide-ranging interview (audio link) that has plenty of interesting info for Atlanta fans. For our purposes, the most notable segment involved the team’s addition of second baseman Brandon Phillips after the terrifying car crash involving recently added infielder Sean Rodriguez. Per Coppolella, the organization reignited prior talks with the Reds shortly after learning of the accident. It seems that Atlanta isn’t sure as yet just when Rodriguez will be able to join the organization. “We hope that Sean’s family can heal and get right,” said the GM. “… [W]e don’t know when Sean’s going to be back, it’s going to be a long time.”
Braves Were Only Team With Interest In Brandon Phillips
- There weren’t many whispers about Brandon Phillips on the rumor mill this offseason, and according to C. Trent Rosencrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter), “the Braves were the only team that had any interest in Phillips whatsoever.” Given this limited market and the added complication of Phillips’ no-trade protection, it perhaps isn’t surprising that the Reds didn’t get much of a return in finally dealing Phillips to Atlanta.
Cuban Left-Hander Osvaldo Hernandez Declared Free Agent
Cuban left-hander Osvaldo Hernandez has been declared a free agent and can now sign with any team, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (via Twitter). Several teams are already interested in the 18-year-old southpaw, including the Astros, Braves, Mets, Padres, Rangers, Reds and Red Sox.
Due to Hernandez’s young age, his signing is subject to international bonus pools. (As a reminder of how the international signing system has been altered by the new collective bargaining agreement, check out this refresher from Baseball America’s Ben Badler). One factor that hasn’t changed is that teams who exceeded their international spending limits in the last two July 2 classes are still serving their previously-mandated penalties, i.e. limited to spending no more than $300K on any pool-eligible player. By waiting until this July 2 to sign, Hernandez could open his market up to teams like the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Angels, Rays, Yankees and Red Sox, as those six clubs would no longer be held to the $300K limit. Boston, it should be noted, can’t sign Hernandez at all until July 2 since the Sox were banned from signing any pool-eligible players whatsoever during this signing class.
With significant interest in Hernandez’s services already, however, the young southpaw may not feel the need to wait. Also, since the old CBA’s rules are still in effect until the 2017-18 international signing period begins, Hernandez probably stands a better chance of scoring a richer contract now than he will when the stricter pool rules are instituted after July 2. Of the teams connected to Hernandez already, the Braves, Astros, Reds and Padres have already surpassed their bonus pools for the 2016-17 international signing period, so they would be paying a 100 percent tax on Hernandez’s signing bonus if a deal was reached.
Hernandez didn’t appear on any of the top prospects lists from Baseball America, Fangraphs or MLB.com for the current international signing period, though BA’s list didn’t include players who weren’t already eligible to sign. The 18-year-old does already possess a fastball clocked between 92-94mph, according to Sanchez.
Latest On Sean Rodriguez
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported Saturday that Braves utilityman Sean Rodriguez will miss three to five months as a result of shoulder surgery stemming from a January car crash. But Atlanta expected Rodriguez to be ready for spring training as recently as Friday morning, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, who notes that newfound concerns over his health helped lead to the team’s acquisition of second baseman Brandon Phillips (Twitter links). David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution classifies Rodriguez’s situation as “not good,” meanwhile, and backs up Rosenthal in reporting that he could sit out most or all of the season.
Braves Would Have Given Up More For Brandon Phillips In November
- The Cincinnati-Atlanta trade that Brandon Phillips blocked in November would have resulted in a better return for the second baseman than the one the Reds have since received from the Braves, reports Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Phillips finally agreed to waive his no-trade rights Sunday, largely because he’s going to get more playing time this year with the Braves than he would have with the rebuilding Reds, observes ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required/recommended).
Braves Acquire Brandon Phillips
The Braves have announced that they’ve acquired second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Reds in exchange for minor league pitchers Andrew McKirahan and Carlos Portuondo. Phillips is owed $14MM in 2017, the last year of his contract, and the Reds will pay all but $1MM of that sum.
[RELATED: Updated Braves and Reds Depth Charts]
Phillips previously blocked the Braves’ attempt to acquire him in November, which came after he shot down efforts from the Nationals and Diamondbacks to land him a year ago. But the 35-year-old finally had a change of heart and will head to his native Georgia. The Braves will honor Phillips’ limited no-trade clause (12 teams), and they’ll give him a $500K bonus if he’s dealt to a club not on his list, general manager John Coppolella announced.
The Braves seemingly picked up at least a part-time second base solution when they signed Sean Rodriguez as a free agent in November. However, Rodriguez needs left shoulder surgery thanks to a January car crash and will be out three to five months, according to FOX Sports’ Rosenthal (Twitter links). The right-handed Rodriguez could have platooned with the lefty-swinging Jace Peterson at the keystone. With Rodriguez out of commission, the righty-hitting Phillips will now take over at second and provide the Braves a respectable stopgap as they count down to the start of the Ozzie Albies era.
Phillips has historically performed better against southpaws (.284/.332/.455) than same-handed pitchers (.271/.315/.409), but the three-time All-Star obviously doesn’t carry an alarming platoon split. He’s also coming off yet another fairly productive offensive season, having slashed a decent .291/.320/.416 across 584 PAs. Phillips simultaneously surpassed double-digit home run and stolen base marks (11 and 14) for the ninth time, too. On the other hand, the normally adept defender’s production in the field declined sharply, as Phillips registered minus-7 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-2.1 Ultimate Zone Rating after recording positive marks in each category from 2007-15.
By moving Phillips, the rebuilding Reds will open up playing time for young middle infielders Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera. Peraza fared well in a 256-plate appearance stint as a utilityman in 2016 (.324/.352/.411), but Herrera hasn’t yet debuted with the Reds since they acquired him from the Mets for outfielder Jay Bruce last summer. The Reds aren’t getting much in return for a longtime franchise cornerstone, though. Neither the 27-year-old McKiran nor Portuondo, 29, will land on the Reds’ 40-man roster or receive invitations to big league camp, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Moreover, ESPN’s Keith Law classifies the two as “non-prospects” (Twitter links).
Phillips’ exit from Cincinnati brings about the end of a long and fruitful tenure that began in 2006. The Reds acquired Phillips from the Indians that year in exchange for a player to be named later (right-hander Jeff Stevens), which undoubtedly counts among the best trades in the history of the Cincy franchise. Phillips hit .279/.325/.429, swatted 191 home runs, stole 194 bases and racked up 31.7 fWAR over 6,899 trips to the plate with the Reds from 2006-16. He also never played in fewer than 121 games in any of his 11 seasons as a member of the club, and he exceeded the 140-game plateau 10 times – including in 2016. Along the way, Phillips helped the Reds to three playoff berths, the first of which came in 2010 and broke a 14-year drought.
The Reds have now gone three straight years without a postseason trip, and given that they’re not close to contention, GM Dick Williams is taking the organization in a Phillips-less direction. Phillips’ departure will make superstar first baseman Joey Votto the Reds’ longest-tenured player.
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported that a trade was close. He also reported that the Reds would eat most of Phillips’ salary and get a minimal return. Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported on the concessions the Braves made to Phillips, and he was the first to identify the players the Reds received. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com first reported that the Reds would get two minor leaguers in return. ESPN’s Buster Olney first reported that the trade was done. ESPN’s Jim Bowden reported on the exact concessions the Braves had made to Phillips. FanRag’s Jon Heyman first reported that the Reds would eat $13MM. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor League Deal Between Braves, Jordan Walden Voided
The Braves have voided their minor league contract with right-hander Jordan Walden, reports MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (on Twitter). The 29-year-old’s rehab from a shoulder injury has not progressed as expected, according to Bowman. David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that the two sides mutually agreed to void the deal.
Walden didn’t pitch in 2016 due to the shoulder troubles. He tossed just 10 1/3 innings with the Cardinals in 2015 after being traded to St. Louis from Atlanta alongside Jason Heyward in exchange for Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. Prior to his shoulder woes, Walden was a useful late-inning arm with the Angels and Braves, pitching to an even 3.00 ERA in 222 innings with 10.8 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 41.9 percent ground-ball rate.
Depending on the state of his shoulder, Walden could always latch on elsewhere on a minor league contract. But his exact health remains an unknown at this time, and it seems unlikely that the Braves would have voided his contract were there a chance that he’d be ready for Opening Day in 2017.
Walden, of course, wasn’t being counted upon to contribute meaningful innings with the Braves, though a rebound would’ve given the team a nice reward on a low cost of acquisition. The Braves’ bullpen will again be anchored by Jim Johnson, Arodys Vizcaino and Mauricio Cabrera in 2017, with right-handers Jose Ramirez, Josh Collmenter, Armando Rivero and Dan Winkler also vying for spots in manager Brian Snitker’s relief corps.
A.J. Minter Could Emerge For Braves In 2017
- The Braves are loaded with bullpen options going into the spring, opines MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, who expects there to be plenty of “buzz” centering on left-handed prospect A.J. Minter. A second-round pick in 2015 (a few months after he underwent Tommy John surgery), the hard-throwing Minter received his first professional action last season and laid waste to hitters at both the Single-A and Double-A levels.
