Braves Rumors

Braves To Designate Reid Brignac

By Jeff Todd | May 27, 2016 at 12:37pm CDT

The Braves have designated infielder Reid Brignac for assignment, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. A corresponding move has yet to be reported.

Brignac, 30, has seen action in every major league season dating back to 2008, though he’s still yet to accumulate over 1,000 total plate appearances and has only cracked 100 in a single season twice. He’s a lifetime .219/.264/.309 hitter and has fallen below even that line in his 13 games this year with Atlanta. Of course, the utilityman is valued more as a depth option with a reliable glove.

Hector Olivera Receives 82-Game Suspension

By Steve Adams | May 26, 2016 at 10:55pm CDT

Braves outfielder Hector Olivera has accepted an 82-game suspension, without pay, under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy, the league announced earlier this afternoon. Olivera’s suspension is retroactive to April 30 and will run through Aug. 1. The time he’s served on paid leave from April 30 until now will be retroactively credited toward the suspension, and any pay he has received in that time will be revoked. All told, the suspension will cost him roughly $2.03MM of this season’s $4MM salary. Olivera has accept the punishment and will not file an appeal.

Olivera, 31, was arrested on April 13 and charged with one count of misdemeanor assault and battery. The victim reportedly called 911 the morning of the arrest and told police that she had been assaulted, and she was taken to the hospital with visible bruising. Olivera’s punishment is the strictest yet under Major League Baseball’s newly implemented policy. Aroldis Chapman received a 30-game suspension in his case due to the fact that he was not arrested and criminal charges were never filed. Jose Reyes, meanwhile, received a 51-game ban after criminal charges were reportedly dropped shortly before he faced a criminal hearing. Charges against Olivera, however, have seemingly not been dropped, which is presumably the impetus for commissioner Rob Manfred’s most aggressive suspension to date.

A year ago, Olivera was a highly touted Cuban free agent and agreed to a six-year, $62.5MM contract with the Dodgers that included a gaudy $28MM signing bonus. However, Olivera’s stay in the Dodgers organization didn’t last long, as he was traded to the Braves as part of a three-team, 13-player blockbuster that sent Mat Latos, Alex Wood and Jose Peraza to the Dodgers, with Olivera, Paco Rodriguez and Zachary Bird going to Atlanta. The Braves reportedly held quite a bit of interest in Olivera while he was a free agent, but he quickly fell out of favor in the organization due to defensive questions about his work at third base. Atlanta moved Olivera to the outfield, but he’s yet to deliver much in the way of offense since being acquired. He’s batted .245/.296/.378 in the Majors.

That, of course, is secondary to his off-field troubles. The Braves are troubled enough by his transgressions that they’ve reportedly attempted to trade him. Unsurprisingly, they’ve had little success. How much he’ll factor into Atlanta’s plans moving forward, or whether he will at all, remains to be seen.

Braves Claim Dario Alvarez

By Jeff Todd | May 25, 2016 at 2:26pm CDT

The Braves have claimed southpaw Dario Alvarez off waivers from the Mets, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. Alvarez had recently been designated for assignment.

The 27-year-old has been roughed up in limited MLB action over the last two years. He’s scuffled this year at Triple-A, too, though Alvarez has recorded 27 strikeouts against ten walks in his 15 1/3 innings and has posted better results in the past.

Braves Acquire Brian Matusz, Draft Pick From Orioles

By Jeff Todd | May 23, 2016 at 7:16pm CDT

The Orioles and Braves have struck a deal that sends lefty Brian Matusz and the 76th overall draft pick from Baltimore to Atlanta. Minor league pitchers Brandon Barker and Trevor Belicek are headed to the O’s in the swap.

Ultimately, the move constitutes a draft pick purchase, with the Orioles willing to part with their competitive balance round B selection and its $838,900 assigned pool value in order to offload the commitment to Matusz and add some potentially interesting arms. Of greater consequence than the selection itself, the Braves will boost their bonus pool up to just over $13MM, per the calculations of Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs (Twitter link). They’ll still fall a bit shy of the Phillies to remain in third in total spending capacity this summer.

A 29-year-old southpaw, Matusz is earning $3.9MM this year in his final season of arbitration control. The remaining $3MM or so of that deal will all be assumed by the Braves, who have already designated Matusz for assignment, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman suggested on Twitter.

Matusz has struggled mightily out of the gates in 2016, allowing eight earned runs in six innings while recording just one strikeout against seven walks. He’s been hurt especially by the long ball, having allowed a three bombs on just ten flyballs.

Of course, the southpaw was much more effective in years past, though he’s generally outperformed his peripherals to do so. Over 2013-15, he put up 151 2/3 innings of 3.32 ERA ball, with 9.4 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9. Even if he won’t get a chance in Atlanta, Matusz seems to be a worthwhile rebound candidate given his solid track record. His fastball velocity is down by just over one mile per hour, and he’s been missing the zone a bit more than usual, but there’s good reason to believe that he’s also been hit with some poor fortune.

Neither of the pitchers acquired by the Orioles opened the year among the top 30 in a deep system, per Baseball America, but both had impressed thus far in 2016. Barker, 23, was off to a very nice start at the Double-A level, working to a 2.00 ERA in 45 frames with 8.0 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9. The righty was a 16th-round selection in the 2014 draft out of Mercer.

Belicek, meanwhile, is also a 23-year-old former 16th-rounder. The Texas A&M southpaw was taken last year, and just earned a promotion to Double-A after an impressive showing at the High A level. In his 28 1/3 total frames this year, he’s worked to a 2.22 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and a ridiculous 32:1 K/BB ratio.

Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com first reported that Matusz was traded (via Twitter).

Cafardo’s Latest: Markakis, Bruce, McLeod, Fernandez, Lincecum, Reddick

By Mark Polishuk | May 22, 2016 at 7:21pm CDT

Here are some hot stove items from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…

The Royals and Phillies are among the teams looking at Braves outfielder Nick Markakis. “The money is an issue there, especially with the Royals,” Cafardo writes; Markakis is owed $10.5MM in each of the next two seasons and roughly $7.25MM remaining on his 2016 salary. Markakis entered Sunday hitting .252/.362/.348 in 185 PA, and his near-total power dropoff over the last two seasons has surely hurt his trade value, as MLBTR’s Connor Byrne pointed out earlier today. While both K.C. and the Phils could use help in right field, Markakis has delivered only replacement-level production this season, with an even 0.0 fWAR.
The Reds’ Jay Bruce is another target for the Royals and other teams looking for a left-handed hitting outfielder. Bruce’s terrible defensive metrics (-9 Defensive Runs Saved, -34 UZR/150) have his overall value at below replacement level (-0.2 fWAR) though he’s enjoying a good year at the plate, hitting .270/.327/.518 with eight homers through 156 PA. Bruce is under contract only through the 2016 season, owed approximately $8.1MM more in remaining salary plus a $1MM buyout of a $13MM club option for his services in 2017. Cincinnati has been shopping Bruce for months, including one proposed offseason trade that nearly saw him get shipped to the Blue Jays.
Jason McLeod, the Cubs’ senior VP of player development and amateur scouting, would eventually like to run his own front office but is content to remain with Chicago, having already turned down interviews with the Mariners and Padres in recent years. McLeod figures to be one of the game’s most sought-after GM candidates should he decide to pursue a general managing position. Between his stints running the scouting departments for the Cubs, Padres and Red Sox, several well-regarded young prospects and currently stars were drafted on McLeod’s watch.
Cuban infielder Jose Miguel Fernandez is eligible to sign at any time, though he could possibly have to wait until the offseason simply due to awkward timing. Though Fernandez is 28, an eight-year veteran in Cuba’s top league and is pitched by his agent Alan Nero as a Ben Zobrist or Dustin Pedroia type of player, he won’t be able to immediately help an MLB club. Fernandez hasn’t played since 2014 so he’ll need some minor league time to get back into game shape.
As per “a couple of GMs” and at least one AL talent evaluator, Tim Lincecum made a mistake in coming to the American League to sign the Angels. “I just don’t see his style of pitching at this juncture in his career working in the AL,” the evaluator said. “The designated hitter makes a big difference, and when you have a guy who relies on having to be pinpoint, that makes it a tough league to succeed.” Lincecum was known to prefer pitching for a West Coast team so his choices were somewhat limited in that sense, especially given that the two-time Cy Young Award winner also wanted to start.
As of last week, Josh Reddick told Cafardo that there wasn’t any progress towards an extension with the Athletics. Much has changed, of course, since Reddick’s chat with Cafardo, as the outfielder suffered a fractured left thumb and will miss several weeks of action.

Braves Sign Lucas Harrell, Rob Wooten To Minor League Deals

By Connor Byrne | May 21, 2016 at 6:25pm CDT

The Braves have signed a pair of right-handers – Lucas Harrell and Rob Wooten – to minor league contracts, the team announced. Harrell is a client of Frontline Athlete Management, while the Ballengee Group represents Wooten.

A former starter for multiple teams, primarily the Astros, Harrell has pitched to a 4.84 ERA and an underwhelming 1.34 K/BB over 401 2/3 big league innings (62 starts). Harrell’s best showing came in 2012, when he amassed 193 2/3 innings of 3.76 ERA/3.75 FIP/3.89 xFIP pitching as a member of Houston’s rotation and posted a 6.51 K/9, 3.62 BB/9, and 57.2 percent ground-ball rate.

With a 54.2 percent career rate, Harrell has consistently generated grounders, but that wasn’t enough to keep him in the majors after poor showings in 2013 and ’14. Harrell spent last season in Korea and logged a lofty 4.93 ERA in 171 2/3 innings with the LG Twins, though it’s worth noting that the KBO is a tough environment for pitchers.

Harrell returned to the United States earlier this year when he signed a minor league deal with the Tigers. He threw a combined 29 2/3 innings (six starts) at the Double-A and Triple-A levels and put up a terrific 3.34 ERA, but his trend of posting below-average strikeout (6.1 per nine) and walk (4.9) rates continued. The Tigers subsequently released Harrell, who could nonetheless figure into the Braves’ rotation mix at some point this season.

As for Wooten, this will be the reliever’s second stint with the Braves organization this season. The club released him May 9 after he threw 7 1/3 innings of three-run ball for Triple-A Gwinnett. Almost all of his career has been spent with the Brewers organization since going in the 13th round of the 2008 draft. The 30-year-old owns a 4.07 ERA with 8.3 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 in 185 2/3 Triple-A innings and a 5.03 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 68 big league frames.

Sean Burnett Opts Out Of Braves Contract

By Steve Adams | May 20, 2016 at 10:36am CDT

Left-handed reliever Sean Burnett has opted out of his minor league contract with the Braves, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (via Twitter). The 33-year-old is now a free agent, joining fellow southpaw Neal Cotts as an experienced southpaw available to clubs in need of some left-handed help in the bullpen.

Burnett began the season with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate and struggled a bit, walking six batters and striking out five in 7 2/3 innings, though he was more solid in six appearances with Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate, firing 5 1/3 shutout innings with five strikeouts and a walk. Overall, he’s sporting a 1.38 ERA and, more importantly, has been healthy enough to take the ball consistently this season. Burnett battled elbow problems in 2013 and 2014, ultimately undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2014 and missing the entirety of the 2015 season recovering from that procedure. Prior to those injury struggles, Burnett was a very solid bullpen option with the Nationals and Pirates, posting a 2.85 ERA in 234 innings of relief from 2009-12. He’s also held lefties to a .228/.293/.336 batting line in 315 opportunities over the course of his career.

East Notes: Harvey, Werth, MASN Dispute, Travis, Yanks, Fredi

By Jeff Todd | May 19, 2016 at 10:16pm CDT

Matt Harvey’s dreadful outing tonight has left the Mets uncertain as to whether he’ll be on the hill for his next scheduled start, which also comes against the division-rival Nationals. Skipper Terry Collins said after the game that he hadn’t yet decided whether to give the ball to Harvey in D.C., as Mike Puma of the New York Post was among those to report (Twitter links). “We will take a hard look at what the next move is going to be,” said Collins. Harvey’s earned run average has ballooned to an ugly 5.77 over his first 48 1/3 frames on the year. It does seem fair to note that the peripherals suggest Harvey has suffered from some bad luck, with ERA estimators crediting him with a sub-4.00 effort entering the day, though his effort this evening will hurt those figures and he’s lost just over a tick on his average fastball. Meanwhile, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post draws the inevitable comparisons between Harvey and Nats ace Stephen Strasburg, who had a strong showing to pick up the win.

Here’s more from the eastern divisions:

Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth agreed last fall to a new payout structure for his contract, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Under the agreement, Werth has deferred $10MM of his salary this year until 2018, at a 5% interest rate. That continues a pattern of postponed paydays in Washington’s player contracts, which is in some part a reflection of the team’s efforts to deal with an ongoing television-rights dispute with the Orioles and the Baltimore-controlled Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.
Commissioner Rob Manfred addressed that TV battle today, as Svrluga reports. As things stand, the parties are appealing a lower court’s refusal to enforce a determination by the league’s Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee, putting a hold on the Nationals’ efforts to recoup additional rights fees for past years and increase their future take. Manfred had harsh words for the Orioles’ actions in the matter. “It is important to bear in mind the fundamentals,” he said. “The fundamentals are that the Orioles agreed that the RSDC would set the rights fees for MASN and the Orioles every five years. The Orioles have engaged in a pattern of conduct designed to avoid that agreement being effectuated.” MASN issued a counter-statement saying that Manfred was ignoring “the fundamentals of the case” — namely, the court’s findings of a conflict of interest (based on the law firm that represented the Nationals) — and stating that the RSDC had failed to use an appropriate method for setting the rights fees. If you’re interested in the gory details, you can find a recap of the trial court decision here.
The departure of David Ortiz and reemergence of Hanley Ramirez leaves the Red Sox with both opportunity and uncertainty at first base. Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com suggests that youngster Sam Travis could keep the team from needing to add a major bat via free agency. The 2014 second-rounder has risen quickly, and is currently putting up a solid .281/.338/.438 batting line over his first 160 plate appearances at the Triple-A level at 22 years of age. Pawtucket hitting coach Rich Gedman credits Travis with being aggressive without seeking to hit the ball out of the park, suggesting that he’s a polished and well-rounded hitter.
Entering the day in last place in the AL East, the Yankees need to seriously consider prioritizing future improvements over their 2016 prospects, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney argues (Insider link). Olney ticks through a variety of ways — including allocation of playing time and weighing trades — that New York can and should shift its focus to 2017, suggesting a sort of realistic re-tooling rather than any kind of full rebuilding project.
Deposed Braves skipper Fredi Gonzalez tells MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM that he’s looking forward to other opportunities now that he’s lost his post in Atlanta. (Twitter link.) But he said that he isn’t necessarily looking for another job running a dugout. “I am looking forward to doing something in the game and it doesn’t have to be managing,” said Gonzalez.

NL East Notes: Alderson, Braves, Cespedes, Phillies

By Steve Adams | May 18, 2016 at 9:46pm CDT

Mets GM Sandy Alderson underwent surgery last week as part of his ongoing battle with cancer and described the operation as “fantastically successful,” as Danny Knobler writes for MLB.com. “From where we were to where we are today, I’m still on a road to full recovery,” said Alderson. “I’m not running a four-minute mile at the moment, and my mouth is still dry from time to time, but that’s what happens when you have surgery.” Alderson added that he expects to be at Citi Field for at least part of nearly every day, and he’s been in close contact with other members of the Mets’ baseball ops staff when he’s been forced to be away. Alderson has also undergone chemotherapy as part of his treatment but said the doctors, at present, do not have any additional chemo or surgery planned. We at MLBTR wish Alderson continued health and success in his fight against cancer.

Braves Fire Fredi Gonzalez; Brian Snitker Named Interim Manager

By Jeff Todd | May 17, 2016 at 6:23pm CDT

6:23pm: O’Brien adds further details in a full column on the situation, most notably that Gonzalez’s dismissal took an awkward turn on Monday evening. O’Brien reports that Gonzalez actually learned of his firing last night when he received an email confirming a Tuesday afternoon flight from Pittsburgh to Atlanta, despite the fact that the the Braves’ four-game series with the Pirates runs through Thursday. The Braves weren’t planning on informing Gonzalez of the decision until Tuesday morning, when president of baseball operations John Hart had planned to fly to Pittsburgh to join GM John Coppolella to break the news go Gonzalez in person. Instead, Atlanta officials had to confirm to Gonzalez last night that the decision had been made.

11:45am: The Braves have brought an end to the speculation by officially firing manager Fredi Gonzalez, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was first to report (Twitter link). Gonzalez becomes the first skipper to lose his post this year.

Atlanta has named Brian Snitker as an interim skipper, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported via Twitter. He is expected to keep the position through the end of the 2016 season, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. Long the Braves’ third base coach, Snitker had been managing the club’s top affiliate, Triple-A Gwinnett, since 2014. Atlanta has also fired bench coach Carlos Tosca, Bowman adds on Twitter. Terry Pendleton will take over his duties, with Eddie Perez moving to the first base coach job and Marty Reed becoming bullpen coach.

Gonzalez has long been rumored to be on shaky ground, and the organization finally pulled the plug after last night’s loss to the Pirates. Atlanta never expected to contend in 2016, but the team also certainly expected better than its brutal 9-28 start to the season.

The 52-year-old skipper has seen good and bad times with the Braves, but it’s been much more of the latter of late. He was at the helm from 2011-13, racking up 279 regular season wins against 207 losses. Things went south from there, as the Braves fell shy of expectations in 2014 and haven’t sniffed .500 since.

Of course, even when the club was in position to contend, there were plenty of disappointments. While it bounced back from an epic collapse late in 2011, the 2012 team lost in controversial fashion in the Wild Card play-in game after the Nationals ran away with the division. The Gonzalez-led Braves rebounded to take the NL East in 2013, but were bounced by the Dodgers in the first round of the postseason. And a late-season collapse doomed the otherwise-competitive 2014 iteration, spurring greater organizational change.

Gonzalez previously managed the Marlins, but he was let go in the middle of 2010. He had risen through that organization as a coach and manager after never moving above the Double-A level as a player.

It appears that Atlanta will not undertake a search for a permanent replacement during the present season, instead rolling with Snitker for the time being. It seems likely, though, that the Braves will at least begin a soft hiring search sooner rather than later in order to get a jump on the market. That being said, it’s worth noting that the division-rival Phillies ended up installing their own mid-season interim replacement, Pete Mackanin, on a long-term basis.

It certainly doesn’t help the Braves that the Mackanin-led Phils are off to a surprisingly winning (albeit questionably sustainable) start to 2016. If anything, the hope was that Atlanta might overplay projections a bit, with the organization installing numerous bounce-back veterans and possessing numerous young pitchers at and near the majors. With a new park set to open next year, there was at least some possibility that a solid campaign could allow the team to ramp up toward contention as soon as 2017.

Instead, the Braves will keep pushing on with a tough rebuilding process that began in earnest with the firing of GM Frank Wren in September of 2014. John Hart took over as the club’s president of baseball operations, eventually passing on day-to-day general managing duties to young executive John Coppolella. That pair has engineered several bold trades, stockpiling youthful talent in exchange for veterans.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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