- While the Braves checked in with the Brewers on Ryan Braun before the deadline, talks never progressed — in large part because it didn’t seem worth pursuing given his no-trade clause. As Heyman notes, the six teams that can acquire Braun without his permission are all based upon geographic preference, and it was deemed unlikely that he’d waive his protection for a switch to Atlanta. Braun’s wife is expecting, Heyman notes, and that factor (in conjunction with the no-trade clause) may well explain why trade buzz never picked up on him this summer.
- The Braves also were one of the teams to ask the Diamondbacks about struggling righty Shelby Miller, who famously changed hands between those teams before the season. That deal seemed favorable to the Braves at the time, and looks even better for them now. Arizona was prepared to move Miller, Heyman notes, but never was offered anything close to what was deemed needed to make a deal.
[SOURCE LINK]
Braves Rumors
Braves Pull Jim Johnson Back After Waiver Claim; Jeff Francoeur Clears Revocable Waivers
Outfielder Jeff Francoeur and right-hander Jim Johnson were both placed on revocable trade waivers by the Braves this week, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, though their placements had very different outcomes. Francoeur cleared waivers and is now free to be traded to any team, whereas Johnson was claimed off waivers and ultimately pulled back after a trade could not be worked out.
[Related: How August Trades work]
Johnson, 33, was somewhat surprisingly not traded prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline, and he’ll now remain in Atlanta for the remainder of the year, it seems. (The Braves could put him back on waivers, but the waivers would no longer be revocable, and an affordable right-hander with Johnson’s results certainly wouldn’t clear.) While the former Orioles closer struggled following a 2015 trade to the Dodgers and got off to a rough start in 2016 after re-signing in Atlanta, he’s been nothing short of excellent since his activation from the disabled list in early June. Since that time, Johnson has a 1.57 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 54.7 percent ground-ball rate in 28 2/3 innings. Considering his $2.5MM salary and those recent results, it’s hardly surprising that he drew interest (or, at least, was claimed by one contender to block others from adding him). Heyman doesn’t specify which club placed the claim on Johnson, but it’s worth noting that the Mets were said to have claimed a reliever earlier this week, and given the lack of news since the reporting of that claim, no deal was reached.
While there’s a school of thought that the Braves should’ve been willing to move Johnson for virtually anything due to his status as an impending free agent, Atlanta clearly didn’t feel it received anything of long-term value before or after the non-waiver trade deadline. And, there’s some benefit to Johnson serving as a steadying force as the team’s interim closer with Arodys Vizcaino on the shelf while providing some leadership for younger arms in the ’pen. (It’s also possible that the Braves could explore an extension for Johnson, as he’s performed well in each of the last two seasons while wearing their uniform.)
That line of thinking — valuing veteran leadership over fringe prospects or mild salary relief — was reportedly a large factor in the Braves’ decision not to trade Francoeur prior to the non-waiver deadline. Atlanta was said to only be willing to move Francoeur for a legitimate return. While that doesn’t indicate that the Braves were demanding a top 10 type of prospect from the systems of rival clubs, it does suggest that they weren’t willing to move him for what would amount to a warm body that would simply fill a minor league roster spot. The same thinking almost certainly applied to Johnson in this instance.
Francoeur could yet draw some interest from other teams, though a trade doesn’t seem overly likely based on Atlanta’s reported asking price. The 32-year-old has a lackluster .247/.287/.387 batting line on the season overall, though his .280/.320/.432 slash against left-handed pitching could be a genuine asset on a contending club’s bench down the stretch.
Braves Sign Brian Moran To Minors Deal
Wednesday’s minor transactions from around baseball:
- The Orioles have released right-hander Sam Deduno, reports FanGraphs’ Brad Johnson, who adds that the 33-year-old is now healthy after rehabbing from a hip injury (Twitter links). Deduno, whom the Orioles signed to a minor league deal in February, hasn’t gotten past Rookie ball this year because of his hip ailment. That issue limited Deduno to just 22 combined innings with the Astros and their Triple-A affiliate in 2015. Prior to posting a 6.86 ERA in 21 major league frames last season, Deduno combined for 287 2/3 innings between the Twins and Astros from 2012-14. In that time, he logged a 4.22 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and an excellent 57.2 percent ground-ball rate.
- The Braves have signed free agent left-hander Brian Moran to a minor league contract, per a team announcement. Moran’s entire pitching resume with major league organizations has come as a member of the Mariners, though the Blue Jays selected the reliever in the fifth round of the 2013 Rule 5 draft and then traded him to the Angels for an international bonus slot. However, the Halos returned Moran to the Mariners a few months later after learning that he needed Tommy John surgery. Moran missed all of 2014 while recovering from the procedure, but he returned last year to log a total of 33 1/3 minor league innings with the Mariners. Most of those innings (30 1/3) came at the Double-A level, where Moran recorded a 3.56 ERA, 8.6 K/9 and 5.04 BB/9. The 27-year-old (and the brother of Astros third baseman Colin Moran) has pitched this season with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League.
- The Angels have announced the release of shortstop Ryan Jackson, who has divided his season between their Triple-A affiliate and Philadelphia’s. Jackson, a Cardinals fifth-round pick in 2009, debuted briefly in the majors with St. Louis in 2012 and reentered the big leagues last year with the Angels. The 28-year-old garnered just 39 combined plate appearances in those two call-ups, however. In 1,809 Triple-A PAs, Jackson has hit .274/.352/.356.
Braves Claim Wilfredo Boscan From Pirates
The Braves have claimed right-hander Wilfredo Boscan off waivers from the Pirates, who released the 26-year-old last Thursday. Boscan joins Chaz Roe as the second righty Atlanta has plucked from the waiver wire since Sunday.
After spending parts of nine seasons in the minor leagues with the Rangers, Padres, Red Sox and Pirates, Boscan finally cracked the majors this year in Pittsburgh and tossed 15 1/3 innings in six appearances (one start), yielding 11 earned runs on 15 hits and seven walks. While those numbers are unsightly, Boscan has shown promise in the upper minors, including a 3.07 ERA in 126 Triple-A innings last year. Boscan has been effective in 84 Triple-A frames this year, too, with a 3.75 ERA, 5.5 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9. Overall, he has amassed 58 Triple-A appearances (45 starts) and registered a 3.86 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
Braves' Billy Ryan Under Consideration For Twins GM Job
- Braves director of baseball operations Billy Ryan is one of the names under consideration in the Twins’ general manager search, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link). Despite being in his mid-thirties, Ryan has an extensive resume in the game, working in the Commissioner’s office as well as in the front offices of the Rangers, Indians and Diamondbacks, including four seasons as Arizona’s assistant GM. As Nightengale notes, Ryan is one of “several young executives” on the Twins’ radar as a replacement for former GM Terry Ryan (no relation).
Braves Place Chris Withrow On 15-Day DL
- The Braves placed righty reliever Chris Withrow on the 15-day DL with an inflamed elbow, and the recently-claimed Chaz Roe will take Withrow’s spot on the roster. [Updated Braves depth chart at Roster Resource.] Withrow has posted a 3.31 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 1.79 K/BB rate over 32 2/3 IP for Atlanta this season. He drew some trade attention from the Mets prior to the deadline, though this injury could scuttle the Braves’ chances of dangling Withrow as trade bait in the August waiver period.
Brian McCann Clears Waivers
Yankees catcher Brian McCann has cleared waivers and is now eligible for an August trade, reports FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, who notes that there’s no word a potential deal is in the works. However, he also points out that the Braves – McCann’s previous employer – engaged in talks with the Yankees before this past Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline and like the idea of the 32-year-old returning to Atlanta to help guide a young team.
In addition to the Braves, the Rangers also showed pre-deadline interest in McCann, according to Heyman. Of course, they ultimately solved their backstop issues by acquiring Jonathan Lucroy from the Brewers. Notably, McCann has a full no-trade clause, so he has the right to veto any potential deal. For their part, the Yankees aren’t inclined to give away McCann and the $34MM remaining on the five-year, $85MM deal they signed him to before the 2014 season.
New York still regards McCann as one of the game’s most productive catchers, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, though his offensive prowess from Atlanta hasn’t quite transferred to the Bronx. Since he first donned a Yankees uniform, McCann has hit .233/.310/.421 – good for a league-average wRC+ of 100 – while slugging 64 home runs in 1,414 plate appearances. Defensively, McCann has mostly earned strong pitch-framing grades from StatCorner and Baseball Prospectus.
As a full-time member of the Braves from 2006-13, McCann piled up seven All-Star nods, slashed .277/.350/.477 with 171 homers in 4,150 PAs, and was worth 27.7 fWAR. If the Braves don’t reacquire McCann or add another starting-caliber backstop between now and next season, they could once again hand the reins to veteran Tyler Flowers. The 30-year-old acquitted himself well over the season’s first few months before suffering a broken hand in July. He’s owed just $3MM next season and his contract includes a $4MM club option for 2018.
Braves Claim Chaz Roe From Orioles
The Braves have claimed right-hander Chaz Roe off waivers from the Orioles, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Roe, whom Baltimore designated for assignment July 29, threw 9 2/3 innings with the club this season and allowed four earned runs on seven walks, also posting 11 strikeouts. Roe played a larger role for last year’s Orioles, with whom he amassed 41 1/3 frames, pitched to a 4.14 ERA, induced ground balls at a 52.1 percent clip, and logged solid strikeout (8.27) and walk rates (3.7) per nine innings. The 29-year-old previously saw major league action with the Diamondbacks and Yankees.
Braves Designate Brandon Snyder For Assignment
The Braves have designated infielder/outfielder Brandon Snyder for assignment, reports David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Right-hander Madison Younginer will come up from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Snyder’s place on the Braves’ roster.
Snyder, 29, garnered 34 plate appearances for the Braves prior to Sunday and hit .182/.206/.515 with two home runs. He previously saw action with the Orioles, who selected him 13th overall in the 2005 draft, Rangers and Red Sox. Snyder has collected 192 big league PAs and slashed .232/.272/.420 with seven long balls. Across 12 minor league seasons and 3,902 PAs, he owns a .273/.336/.436 line.
Braves Select Roberto Hernandez's Contract
- The Braves announced last night that they would selected the contract of righty Roberto Hernandez, who will start tonight against the Cardinals. (They cleared a roster space earlier today when they shipped reliever Hunter Cervenka to the Marlins.) The pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona has pitched for two Triple-A teams this year, combining for a 4.60 ERA, 6.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9. He hasn’t yet appeared in the big leagues in 2016, but he appeared in all of the previous ten seasons, pitching to a career 4.58 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and 56.5% ground ball rate.
