Braves Rumors

Heyman’s Latest: Managers, White Sox, Yunel, Dodgers, Puig, Norris, Rangers

By Steve Adams | August 18, 2016 at 4:22pm CDT

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports kicks off his weekly Inside Baseball column with a look at the job security of a number of managers, noting that Mets skipper Terry Collins, D-backs manager Chip Hale and White Sox manager Robin Ventura could all be on the hot seat, while Braves interim manager Brian Snitker doesn’t seem especially likely to shed the interim label and keep his post. Other names mentioned include Mike Scioscia (Angels), Brad Ausmus (Tigers), Kevin Cash (Rays), Paul Molitor (Twins), Bryan Price (Reds) and Walt Weiss (Rockies), but none from that group seems to be eminently in danger of losing his job even at season’s end, per Heyman.

Some highlights from the lengthy column…

White Sox GM Rick Hahn was far more in favor of a deadline sale than owner Jerry Reinsdorf, Heyman writes, but the Sox ultimately held onto nearly all of their tradeable assets, with the exception of left-hander Zach Duke, suggesting that Hahn ultimately wasn’t given the go-ahead to operate as he might’ve wished. The Sox haven’t put Chris Sale on trade waivers yet, Heyman notes, though that decision is a moot point. He’d be claimed by the first team available — the Twins, as things currently stand — and pulled back off waivers. Chicago had interest in Gary Sanchez when the Yankees were looking at Sale, he adds, though that’s not much of a surprise. Catcher has long been a weak spot in Chicago, and Sanchez is among the more highly regarded prospects in all of baseball.
There wasn’t much chatter pertaining to Yunel Escobar prior to the non-waiver trade deadline (and there’s been less in August), but Heyman writes that Escobar did draw interest in July. However, the Angels like what he’s been able to give to the club offensively, batting .316/.365/.397 in 474 plate appearances. I’m not sure I see the logic behind not being willing to move Escobar but trading a similarly priced and very arguably more valuable asset with the same amount of club control (Hector Santiago) for what amounted to an injured prospect, but perhaps the Halos simply didn’t receive an offer to their liking for Escobar.
The Dodgers “love” Rich Hill and were planning to pursue him last winter until Brett Anderson accepted the team’s qualifying offer, per Heyman. Those two don’t seem like they should’ve been mutually exclusive — the Dodgers went out and signed Kenta Maeda and Scott Kazmir following Anderson’s acceptance of the QO, after all — but perhaps the Dodgers either couldn’t guarantee a rotation spot or didn’t find the notion of two starters with such recent injury woes to be palatable. Either way, if the Dodgers are as fond of Hill as Heyman indicates, it seems likely that they’ll be in the mix to re-sign him come the offseason.
One executive from a non-Dodgers club opined to Heyman that no team will claim Yasiel Puig if and when he’s placed on revocable waivers and added, “…if they do, they’re going to get him.” Furthermore, Heyman writes that it isn’t likely that Puig will rejoin the Dodgers at any point this season, as he has “turned off” many of his teammates. It seems difficult to fathom that the Dodgers wouldn’t bring him back in the month of September when rosters expand, but we’ll find out in just a few weeks — if Puig isn’t dealt first.
The Padres have yet to put Derek Norris on trade waivers, and Heyman calls him a more likely offseason trade candidate. The Indians showed mild interest but ultimately decided that their internal options were preferable to Norris, who is once again struggling tremendously following a strong showing at the plate from May 1 through the All-Star break. Heyman also notes that the Padres are interested enough in Puig to at least be thinking about it and points out the connection between pro scouting director Logan White and Puig. White was the Dodgers VP of amateur scouting prior to his Padres gig and was one of the execs that recommended Puig to his colleagues.
The Rangers weren’t able to swing a deal for any of the big-name starters they pursued, but that’s in part due to the asking prices they received. The Rays asked the Rangers for Jurickson Profar and other pieces in exchange for Matt Moore, while Rougned Odor’s name was suggested by the Rays in Chris Archer talks and by the White Sox in talks for Chris Sale.

Joakim Soria, Eric O’Flaherty Clear Revocable Trade Waivers

By Steve Adams | August 18, 2016 at 11:54am CDT

Royals right-hander Joakim Soria and Braves lefty Eric O’Flaherty have cleared revocable trade waivers, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. As such, either player is free to be traded to any other club.

That Soria, 32, went unclaimed is hardly a surprise considering the fact that he’s just four and a half months into a substantial three-year, $25MM contract signed as a free agent this offseason. Soria, though, has hardly performed like a $25MM pitcher, pitching to a pedestrian 4.03 ERA with 9.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 52.9 percent ground-ball rate. While the strikeouts and grounders are impressive, Soria has demonstrated the worst control of any healthy season he’s had in his career this year and is allowing hard contact at a career-high rate of 29.3 percent, per Fangraphs. The frequency with which opponents are barreling up his offerings has led to a career worst 1.4 HR/9 rate.

Soria is earning $7MM this season in the first year of the slightly backloaded deal, meaning he still has $19.72MM remaining on his pact from now through the end of the 2018 season (including the buyout of a 2019 option). While his performance to date hasn’t been encouraging, the Royals may be able to find a taker if they’re willing to eat some of that contract, though they could also simply hope for a better performance in 2017. Soria is, after all, still missing bats and keeping the ball on the ground, as previously mentioned, and his 92.8 mph average heater is actually the best of his career.

The 31-year-old O’Flaherty is more affordable than Soria, with a $1.75MM base salary on the minor league deal he signed this winter, but his performance has been considerably worse. His ERA to date sits at a decidedly unappealing mark of 6.91, and while his 54 percent ground-ball rate is promising, his 22-to-11 K/BB ratio (plus two hit batters and three wild pitches) is less inspiring. While some might hope that O’Flaherty could at least be relied upon as a lefty specialist, he’s allowed same-handed opponents to bat .284/.329/.439 against him. The Braves were able to find a taker for Erick Aybar, so perhaps there’s hope that he could be moved, but even Aybar had a solid three or four weeks of production under his belt prior to being flipped (in a trade that saw the Braves take some salary back in the form of Mike Aviles). O’Flaherty has surrendered six earned runs in his past six innings, issuing more walks (six) than strikeouts recorded (five) in that time.

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Braves Designate Mike Aviles For Assignment

By Jeff Todd | August 17, 2016 at 1:40pm CDT

The Braves have designated infielder Mike Aviles for assignment, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets. Atlanta also has activated catcher Tyler Flowers from the DL and placed fellow backstop A.J. Pierzynski there in his place with a hamstring injury.

[Related: Updated Braves Depth Chart]

Aviles was acquired just yesterday — along with minor league catcher Kade Scivicque — in the trade that sent shortstop Erick Aybar to the Tigers. Clearly, he was involved in that deal only to offset part of Aybar’s salary. Acquiring and then designating players is a tactic the Braves have utilized in several recent deals to facilitate financial exchanges.

The 35-year-old veteran had struggled rather notably this year, carrying only a .210/.258/.269 slash in his 181 plate appearances on the season. Aviles is a versatile defender and valued presence in the clubhouse, but he has never been a terribly productive hitter and his results at the plate have steadily dipped over the last three seasons.

Braves Release Omar Infante

By Jeff Todd | August 16, 2016 at 9:49pm CDT

Before they two other, more significant middle infield moves today, the Braves cut ties with veteran Omar Infante, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Twitter. Atlanta went on to trade Erick Aybar, getting Mike Aviles and a prospect in return, and promoted top prospect Dansby Swanson.

Infante had signed on with Atlanta on a minor league deal about six weeks ago, following his release by the Royals. Kansas City is still paying the full $8MM owed to Infante this year, as well as a $2MM buyout on a 2017 option.

Since joining the Braves organization, the 34-year-old Infante has played in 27 games for Triple-A Gwinnett. Unfortunately, he has largely continued the same listless hitting that led K.C. to cut ties with him in the first place. Over 116 plate appearances at Triple-A, Infante carries a .209/.226/.300 batting line that is actually a fair bit worse than the .239/.279/.321 mark he owns in 149 trips to the plate this year in the majors.

Braves To Promote Dansby Swanson

By Jeff Todd | August 16, 2016 at 6:39pm CDT

The Braves will promote top shortstop prospect Dansby Swanson tomorrow, according to a team announcement. President of baseball operations John Hart says that the youngster will be in the starting lineup tomorrow, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.

Swansons promotion comes on the heels of the team’s trade of shortstop Erick Aybar to the Tigers. That deal brought in a prospect and also opened a spot for Swanson to receive his first taste of the majors. For the time being, at least, he won’t be accompanied by hopeful future double-play partner Ozzie Albies.

Mid-season top-prospect lists all agreed that Swanson is one of the ten best pre-MLB assets in baseball. MLB.com (#5), Baseball America (#7), and Baseball Prospectus (#10) all concurred in that regard.

Regardless of his precise placement, Swanson looks to be a key future piece for the rebuilding Braves, who acquired him — along with outfielder Ender Inciarte and righty Aaron Blair — in an offseason swap for righty Shelby Miller. That trade seemed like a score at the time and has further tilted in Atlanta’s favor as Miller has struggled. Still, it remains to be seen how the trio of quality assets will perform for the Braves — though they have plenty of seasons to come to provide value.

[Related: Updated Braves Depth Chart]

Swanson was always seen as the headliner of that deal. The number one overall pick of the 2015 draft out of Vanderbilt, he came to Atlanta with expectations of both a swift rise and strong future value. Both he and Albies are shortstops by trade, though it seems the latter will likely end up playing second when both reach the majors.

Though he has moved as quickly through the system as had been forecasted, Swanson hasn’t dominated the minor league ranks to the extent of Alex Bregman of the Astros — another SEC shortstop who was taken one pick behind Swanson but beat him to the majors. Swanson made short work of the High-A level, but owns a solid but not overwhelming .261/.342/.402 slash in his 377 plate appearances thus far at Double-A.

Still, the Braves felt that Swanson was ready to skip the highest level of the minors altogether. And prospect watchers seem to agree with the optimism, grading him as an above-average future big leaguer in virtually all aspects of the game. An advanced approach, good pop, some base stealing ability, and a sure glove with good physical tools give Swanson a full arsenal with which to work. Though he isn’t a true standout in any area, he comes with both a solid floor and the ceiling of a perennially above-average regular.

By making the move now, the Braves will allow Swanson to accumulate 47 days of service time. Assuming he is able to play well enough to lock down the starting job at short for the 2017 campaign — which is surely the club’s hope — then he’d first reach arbitration eligibility in advance of the 2020 season while qualifying for free agency after 2022.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tigers Acquire Erick Aybar

By Jeff Todd | August 16, 2016 at 6:38pm CDT

The Tigers have announced a deal to acquire shortstop Erick Aybar from the Braves. Headed in return to Atlanta are infielder Mike Aviles and catcher Kade Scivicque. Detroit will receive cash in the deal, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). Tigers GM Al Avila declined to discuss details, but did offer that “it’s pretty even” in terms of the salaries involved, MLB.com’s Jason Beck tweets.

Detroit made the move with its two starters on the left side of the infield — shortstop Jose Iglesias and third baseman Nick Castellanos — currently parked on the DL. Adding Aybar will presumably provide an option at both positions, though he has played almost exclusively up the middle over his 11-year career.

[Related: Updated Tigers Depth Chart]

Aybar, 32, was picked up by the Braves in last winter’s Andrelton Simmons deal. Presumably, the club hoped he’d provide a steady option that might turn into a trade chip, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. After an abysmal start to the season and some injury issues, the veteran has actually been rather productive of late.

Things began to turn around in June, when Aybar slashed .302/.393/.396 upon his return from the DL. Though he dipped a bit in July, he is putting up a strong .333/.333/.519 batting line over 54 plate appearances thus far in August. The overall results aren’t pretty, and defensive metrics are also down on Aybar’s glovework, but Detroit is understandably focused on near-term performance in bolstering its roster for the stretch run. With Aybar set to hit the open market after the season, he’s a pure rental.

The Braves appear to have sent a fairly significant amount of cash to facilitate the swap. Aybar was earning $8.5MM this year, while Aviles is playing on a $2MM deal. With about $2.18MM still owed to the former and around $517K to go for the latter, Atlanta would have needed to send around $1.5MM to make up the difference.

It’s tough to view the inclusion of Aviles as much more than a salary-balancing tactic, though he’ll presumably bolster the infield depth and provide a veteran presence for the rebuilding Braves. He had been relied upon rather heavily by the Tigers in June and July, but generally hasn’t produced in his age-35 campaign. Overall, Aviles owns a .210/.258/.269 slash over 181 plate appearances.

The key to the deal from the Braves’ side is the addition of the 23-year-old Scivicque, who was taken in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. He has spent the entire year at the High-A level, posting a .282/.325/.380 batting line with six home runs. Still, he was recently rated the 20th-best prospect in a thin Tigers system by MLB.com, which credited his strong receiving skills while noting that he may not have enough bat to profile as more than a back-up in the majors.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brewers Acquire Michael McKenry

By Steve Adams | August 15, 2016 at 3:28pm CDT

The Brewers announced today that they’ve acquired veteran catcher Michael McKenry from the Braves and assigned him to Triple-A Colorado Springs. While the Brewers’ announcement didn’t specify a return, it seems likely that the Braves will get some degree of cash considerations out of the swap.

McKenry, 31, will give the Crew some additional depth behind the plate to pair with the likes of Martin Maldonado, Manny Pina and recently acquired Andrew Susac. McKenry picked up a pair of plate appearances with the Cardinals earlier this season but has spent the bulk of the season playing at Triple-A, where he’s combined to bat .292/.409/.518 in 203 plate appearances with the affiliates for the Braves, Cardinals and Rangers.

Though his time in the Majors has been limited this year, McKenry comes with a great deal of big league experience. The former seventh-round pick debuted with the Rockies back in 2010 and has appeared in each MLB season since, averaging 60 games per year from 2011-15. All told, he’s a .238/.318/.406 hitter with 29 homers in 953 plate appearances as a Major Leaguer.

Braves Claim Kyle Kubitza, Designate Manny Banuelos For Assignment

By Steve Adams | August 12, 2016 at 1:39pm CDT

The Braves have claimed third baseman Kyle Kubitza off waivers from the Rangers, according to an announcement from Rangers VP of communications John Blake. Texas had designated the 26-year-old infielder for assignment earlier this week. The Braves, too, announced the move, adding that left-hander Manny Banuelos has been designated for assignment.

[Related: Updated Atlanta Braves Depth Chart]

Kubitza is a known commodity for the Braves, who selected him in the third round of the 2011 draft. The Texas State product ranked among the Braves’ top 30 prospects from 2011-14, per Baseball America, but he was traded to the Angels in January of 2015 in exchange for minor league lefty Ricardo Sanchez and minor league right-hander Nate Hyatt. Kubitza’s stock tumbled with the Halos, however, and he ultimately landed with Texas after Anaheim designated him for assignment. In 928 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, Kubitza is a .249/.342/.399 hitter. He’s walked in a strong 11.8 percent of his plate appearances at that level but has also struck out at a 25 percent clip. He has drawn praise in the past for a strong throwing arm and soft hands at third base.

Banuelos, 25, made his big league debut with Atlanta last season. The once-vaunted Yankees prospect managed just a 5.13 ERA in his 26 1/3 innings at the big league level, though, and the 2016 season has been a considerable struggle for him. He’s battled elbow issues this season and is currently on the disabled list with Double-A Mississippi. Banuelos has a collective 5.33 ERA in 50 2/3 innings across three minor league levels this season, and he walked more batters (22) than he struck out (21) in 30 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level.

Braves Designate Roberto Hernandez For Assignment

By Steve Adams | August 12, 2016 at 8:55am CDT

The Braves have designated right-hander Roberto Hernandez for assignment as part of a series of roster moves, reports MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (on Twitter). In addition to Hernandez’s DFA, the Braves have optioned right-hander Brandon Cunniff to Triple-A Gwinnett, recalled right-hander Akeel Morris from Double-A Mississippi and selected the contract of right-hander Jason Hursh from Gwinnett.

Hernandez, 35, made two starts within the past week for the Braves but served up eight runs on 13 hits and a walk with six strikeouts in nine innings. Four of those hits cleared the outfield fence, thus accounting for the vast majority of the runs he surrendered. While those results, clearly, are uninspiring, Hernandez proved at least capable of delivering a mid-4.00 ERA from 2013-15 with the Rays, Phillies, Dodgers and Astros, as he pitched to a 4.45 earned run average with 5.8 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a ground-ball rate near 52 percent. His Triple-A work this season, split between the Jays and Braves, was largely similar, as he posted a 4.60 ERA in 86 innings of work. If he doesn’t get another crack in the Majors this season, Hernandez should still be able to secure another minor league pact to serve as rotation depth for a club heading into the 2017 campain.

As for the players being added to the Braves’ roster, Morris was acquired from the Mets earlier this year in exchange for Kelly Johnson. The return for Johnson was somewhat of a surprise, as Morris ranked as a solid prospect within the Mets’ system. Morris is a relief prospect with a big fastball, gaudy strikeout numbers and questionable control, and none of that changed when he switched organizations. He’s posted a 2.78 ERA and averaged 11.9 K/9 in 22 2/3 innings with Atlanta’s Double-A affiliate, but he’s also issued 17 walks in that time. The 24-year-old Hursh was a first-round pick by the Braves back in 2013 (No. 31 overall), but he’s moved from the rotation to the bullpen in recent seasons. In 64 innings of relief between Double-A and Triple-A, he’s turned in a 1.83 ERA this year, though that pristine mark comes with a less exciting 45-to-26 K/BB ratio.

Heyman’s Latest: Yankees, Braun, Miller, O’s, Marlins

By Jeff Todd | August 11, 2016 at 6:10pm CDT

In his column for Today’s Knuckleball, Jon Heyman takes a lengthy look at the Yankees’ rebuilding process, including the numerous deadline deals struck by the club. GM Brian Cashman says that the club would have traded Carlos Beltran to the Red Sox had their offer topped that of the Rangers, but obviously it did not. Per the report, New York was also willing to consider moving Brett Gardner, but “no serious takers” emerged.

Here are some other highlights:

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.
In August shopping news, the Orioles are looking to add a left-handed reliever, per the report. As Baltimore’s depth chart shows, the club doesn’t have any southpaws in the pen other than ace closer Zach Britton.
The Marlins are also still looking for pitching this month. Though the team hopes that Wei-Yin Chen can return for the stretch run in September, the team still wants a starter after sending Colin Rea back to the Padres. That move brought back prospect Luis Castillo, who remains a useful trade piece for the club as it pushes hard for the post-season.
One bullpen piece that is freely available is veteran righty Joe Nathan, who was designated recently by the Cubs. Heyman says that there’s “strong interest” given the solid (albeit quite brief) showing the 41-year-old put on in his brief time in Chicago.

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