Austin Riley

NL East Notes: Braves, Lowrie, Nunez, Martini

By Steve Adams | March 10, 2020 at 5:22pm CDT

It doesn’t sound as though the Braves’ decision on an everyday third baseman will come until the final days of camp. Austin Riley and Johan Camargo are vying for that spot, but manager Brian Snitker told reporters today that both players have impressed so far and he’ll “wait until the last couple of days” before making up his mind (Twitter thread via David O’Brien of The Athletic). Snitker has previously suggested that whichever player doesn’t get the Opening Day nod could head to Triple-A Gwinnett for everyday at-bats, as both have minor league options remaining. The skipper again implied as much today: “[A]ll things being equal, one guy’s not going to be real happy with the decision.”

Camargo is hitting .308/.333/.500 through 10 games thus far, while Riley is hitting .320/.346/.600 in the same sample. Obviously, we’re talking about a minuscule number of plate appearances (26), and the Braves’ decision will be based on more than the pair’s surface-level production at the plate.

A bit more from the National League East…

There’s still no clarity regarding the knee injury that’s limiting Mets infielder Jed Lowrie, writes Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. The 35-year-old is still wearing a sizable brace on his ailing leg, and neither he nor the organization have been forthcoming about the exact nature of his knee troubles. There’s still no timetable for Lowrie, who tallied just eight plate appearances with the Mets during the first season of a two-year, $20MM deal in 2019. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that with Lowrie unable to participate in Grapefruit League games, fellow veteran Eduardo Nunez has impressed the Mets in camp — perhaps positioning himself to snag a utility role. Nunez is playing on a minor league pact and would need to be added to the 40-man roster. He’s hitting .321/.387/.464 with a pair of doubles and a triple through 31 plate appearances so far in Spring Training and has experience at second base, shortstop and third base in addition to some more limited work in left field.
Outfielder Nick Martini was outrighted off the Phillies’ 40-man roster last month, but the news that Andrew McCutchen will open the season on the injured list once again has him in contention for an Opening Day roster spot. Standing in his way are former Phillies top prospect Nick Williams and fellow offseason acquisition Kyle Garlick — both of whom are on the 40-man roster. Nevertheless, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic writes that Martini has impressed manager Joe Girardi, who praised the “professional” manner in which Martini “grinds out” all of his at-bats. Martini does indeed have some of that “professional hitter” feel to him — at least based on his career numbers in Triple-A, where he’s slashed .305/.401/.435 with a hearty 13.5 percent walk rate against a 16.9 percent strikeout rate in more than 1400 plate appearances. Both Garlick and Williams have minor league options remaining, but the Phils would need to make a 40-man move to bring Martini north when camp breaks.

Quick Hits: Camargo, Riley, LoMo, Melville, Russell

By Mark Polishuk | March 2, 2020 at 12:13am CDT

Johan Camargo and Austin Riley are competing for not only the Braves’ starting third base job, but also potentially a spot on the 26-man roster altogether. Manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including The Athletic’s David O’Brien) that he feels both Camargo and Riley are best served by everyday playing time, rather than splitting third base in a platoon or one player working in a backup role. Sending one of the duo down to Triple-A is “not out of the question,” Snitker said. “They’ve got (minor-league) options, and if long term, for the health of our ballclub that’s (what) we see fit, that could happen.”

Plans could change in case of an injury, of course, and both players have experience at other positions. Riley played mostly left field in his rookie season and only four games at third base, as Atlanta had Josh Donaldson at the hot corner last year. Camargo, meanwhile, has a lot of experience at shortstop, second base, and both corner outfield positions in addition to third base, though Snitker felt that bouncing Camargo around the diamond last season hurt his productivity at the plate. After hitting .281/.343/.455 in 780 PA over his first two MLB seasons, Camargo struggled to a .233/.279/.384 slash line in 248 plate appearances in 2019.

Camp Battles: Braves’ Third Base Situation

By Connor Byrne | February 21, 2020 at 6:41pm CDT

The Braves had a better third base setup than the vast majority of major league teams a year ago. Josh Donaldson, whom they signed to a one-year, $23MM contract heading into 2019, finished as one of the most valuable players at his position. In his first (and maybe only) season in the National League, the former AL MVP hit .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs and 4.9 fWAR in 659 plate appearances. His contributions helped the Braves to a 97-65 record and their second straight NL East title, but they’re now facing life without him as the new season nears.

Atlanta’s hope was to retain Donaldson after his productive 2019, but the club was unable to pull off the feat. The 34-year-old instead went back to the AL, where he had previously played with the Athletics, Blue Jays and Indians, on a four-year, $92MM contract with the Twins. Donaldson’s loss leaves a serious void in the Braves’ lineup, but they’re hoping to somewhat fill his offensive void with outfielder Marcell Ozuna, whom the club inked to a one-year, $18MM contract a few weeks back. But what of third base? Well, the Braves have a couple options there, though they’ll have a very hard time making anyone forget about Donaldson. Let’s explore who’s in the mix…

Johan Camargo: An underrated producer in 2018, the switch-hitting Camargo posted 3.3 fWAR while seeing time at both positions along the left side of the Braves’ infield. The 2019 campaign didn’t make for much of an encore, though, as Camargo batted a miserable .233/.279/.384 with seven home runs and minus-0.5 fWAR in 248 plate appearances. Perhaps it wasn’t that surprising; after all, while Camargo registered good bottom-line results from 2017-18, his Statcast numbers lagged well behind in both years. He only put up a .282 expected weighted-on base average in ’19, which didn’t fall that far behind the .304 and .310 marks he recorded in the prior two seasons.
Austin Riley: The 41st overall pick of the Braves in 2015, Riley earned his first major league promotion last May, at which point he was considered one of the absolute best prospects in the sport. Riley began with a flourish in the bigs, but his numbers trailed off significantly as the year progressed. The 22-year-old spent the majority of his season in left field and slashed .226/.279/.471 over 297 trips to the plate. Riley exhibited impressive power (18 homers. .245 ISO), but his strikeout and walk numbers left plenty to be desired. He fanned in 36.4 percent of plate appearances and drew free passes just 5.4 percent of the time. Both figures are going to have to improve if he’s going to turn into a viable major league regular.

The Braves continue to look like one of the most talented teams in the NL, but if Camargo and Riley fall flat this year, it could help lead to a fall in the standings. The Braves could still bolster their third base situation via trade, though, as they’ve been connected to the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado and the Cubs’ Kris Bryant in recent months. It doesn’t appear either star will wind up on the move before the season, but perhaps Atlanta will revisit acquiring them if the team’s not happy with its production at third during the first half of the season.

Anthopoulos: Braves Seek Middle-Of-The-Order Hitter

By Jeff Todd | December 10, 2019 at 11:58am CDT

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos said yesterday that he’s interested in acquiring a middle-of-the-order bat, as David O’Brien of The Athletic reports (subscription link). That could be a third baseman or outfielder, per the club’s top baseball operations decisionmaker.

The top preference for the Atlanta organization would surely still be a new deal with third baseman Josh Donaldson. But the Braves may decide not to keep pace with bidding that seems to be going to four years.

It always seemed quite possible, probable even, that Donaldson would move on to another team after making good on the one-year deal he signed last winter. What’s most interesting about the latest update is the fact that the team is not limiting itself to finding impact at the hot corner.

“Ideally,” says Anthopolous, the desired offensive output would come from a player that suits up at third. But it “can come in the form of an outfielder, as well,” he said. The primary goal is to get a big bat to replace the outgoing production that Donaldson delivered. “I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to accomplish that, but I’d like to add a middle-of-the-order bat if we can,” says Anthopoulos.

In terms of open-market corner outfield possibilities, there are quite a few younger players, though none to Donaldson’s standard. Where one draws the line in deeming a player a “middle of the order bat” is obviously a subjective matter. The Braves could go after Nicholas Castellanos, Marcell Ozuna, Yasiel Puig, or Avisail Garcia. Or, the club might consider lefty swinging veterans Corey Dickerson and Kole Calhoun. Two conceivable options — Tommy Pham and Hunter Renfroe — were already traded for one another. There are some other possible candidates that may be available via trade, though the remaining market has yet to gain much clarity.

What of Johan Camargo and Austin Riley? We’ve often heard indications of confidence in that pair of younger players. But that doesn’t seem to be the vibe around the organization. “[P]rivately it’s not believed [the Braves] consider either a good or perhaps even acceptable option” for the hot corner in 2020, O’Brien writes.

That adds to the intrigue surrounding the possibility of the team landing a corner outfield bat. Perhaps the club would then also need to pick up another option at the hot corner. Having already re-signed Nick Markakis to go with young star Ronald Acuna Jr., adding another outfielder would also likely increase the possibility of a trade involving Ender Inciarte. The Braves are also said to be interested in adding a glove-first, shortstop-capable utility piece, meaning the team is still shopping for at least two and possibly three position players.

Alex Anthopoulos On Donaldson, Riley, Offseason

By Connor Byrne | October 11, 2019 at 1:06am CDT

Offseason planning is underway for the Braves, whom the Cardinals routed, 13-1, in Game 5 of the teams’ NLDS matchup Wednesday. One of the most important questions now facing the Braves is whether they’ll be able to re-sign standout third baseman Josh Donaldson. The soon-to-be 34-year-old is weeks from returning to free agency after posting an excellent bounce-back season in Atlanta, which inked him to a $23MM guarantee last winter.

During the Braves’ NL East-winning regular season, both general manager Alex Anthopoulos and and Donaldson expressed an openness to keeping their union alive beyond this year. Anthopoulos again spoke on Donaldson’s future Thursday, telling reporters (including Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and David O’Brien of The Athletic) that talks on a new deal haven’t begun yet. However, Anthopoulos is of the belief that “we positioned ourselves, if all things are equal from a contractual standpoint – I haven’t had this discussion with him or his agent – but I believe this would be where he wants to be. I know he enjoyed it here.”

Of course, whether all things will end up being equal from a contractual standpoint is far from a given. Anthopolous noted that “it’s just too hard” to handicap the Braves’ chances of retaining Donaldson, as he’s set to venture back to the market as one of the elite position players available. Donaldson surely won’t get there without first receiving an ~$18MM qualifying offer from the Braves, which won’t do his market any favors. His age and the fact that injuries have hampered him in the past (including from 2017-18) will also work against him.

On the other hand, Donaldson’s a former AL MVP who remains a star. And if he was able to score a lofty $23MM salary last year off his worst season in recent memory, it stands to reason he’ll do even better this time after a return to form. Donaldson slashed .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs and 4.9 fWAR in 659 plate appearances this season, thereby making a case for a two- to three-year contract worth in the range of $23MM per annum. That would be a substantial and risky commitment, of course, though Donaldson should draw plenty of interest from third base-needy teams that can’t or won’t go to what could be $200MM-plus lengths for Nationals pending free agent Anthony Rendon.

If the Braves don’t end up with Donaldson, Rendon or any other starting-caliber option, they could theoretically plug Austin Riley in at the hot corner next season. The 22-year-old Riley’s a natural third baseman who, thanks to Donaldson’s presence, spent his first major league season in the outfield. Riley, one of the game’s highest-ranked prospects when the Braves promoted him in mid-May, began his career with a flourish. But his offensive bubble burst as the year progressed, leaving him a .226/.279/.471 hitter with a bloated 36.4 percent strikeout rate in his first 297 trips to the plate. The Braves kept Riley off their NLDS roster, and they’re not heading into the offseason with the belief that he’s a slam dunk to start anywhere next year.

“As we sit here today, do I see us cementing him and giving him a position going into next year, where the job is his, whether it’s outfield or third base? Unlikely at this point,” said Anthopoulos. “That being said, do we believe in him long term? Absolutely.”

Anthopoulos went on to note that Riley still has minor league options, giving the team the ability to send him down if he doesn’t win a job in the spring. Even if Atlanta re-signs Donaldson to continue handling third, the club’s unwillingness to guarantee Riley a spot could have an effect on its offseason outfield plans.

Aside from the all-world Ronald Acuna Jr., the Braves are currently lacking high-impact options in the grass. Stud prospects Cristian Pache and Drew Waters are getting closer to the bigs, though, which could persuade Atlanta against a big-ticket acquisition. Regardless, the Braves will have to decide whether to exercise right fielder Nick Markakis’ $6MM option or buy him out for $2MM after he underwhelmed in 2019. Billy Hamilton looks like a $1MM buyout waiting to happen, as the Braves won’t want to pay him $7.5MM. Ender Inciarte still has two guaranteed years left on his contract, and he’ll earn an affordable $7MM in 2020, though he’s coming off an injury-plagued campaign. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Adam Duvall’s projected to make a not-insignificant $3.8MM in ’20 despite having spent most of the season in the minors.

The Braves haven’t won a playoff series in 18 years, a streak they’ll hope to be in position to break next fall. Until then, Anthopoulos’ goal is to “get better in all areas — offense, defense, bullpen, rotation — and we plan on doing that. We just don’t know how the offseason … what opportunities will present themselves.”

Braves Activate Austin Riley

By Steve Adams | September 6, 2019 at 11:46am CDT

The Braves announced this morning that they’ve reinstated outfielder/third baseman Austin Riley from the 10-day injured list. A knee sprain wound up sidelining the young slugger for nearly a month.

Atlanta has had a starting outfield’s worth of injuries, with Riley joined by Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis on the shelf. In the absence of that trio, the Braves have utilized Matt Joyce, Rafael Ortega, Charlie Culberson, Adam Duvall and Billy Hamilton in the outfield alongside young star Ronald Acuna Jr.

Leading up to his injury, Riley had seen his playing time diminish thanks to a dismal slump, but the general play of the Atlanta outfield during his absence could again lead to increased opportunities for playing time. Since Riley’s last game, non-Acuna outfielders for the Braves have batted a collective .228/.321/.320. Riley’s own offensive output cratered after his blistering start to the season, but improving upon that collective level of production is a fairly low bar to clear.

Riley burst onto the Braves’ roster with a .293/.333/.629 batting line and an 11 homers in his first month of MLB action but has faceplanted with a .192/.258/.383 slash and a 38.6 strikeout rate in 132 plate appearances since that time. He batted .250/.286/.325 with three doubles and 10 strikeouts in 42 plate appearances during a 10-game minor league rehab assignment.

Barring a catastrophic collapse, the Braves have the National League East locked down for a second straight season, so Riley’s return to the roster has little bearing on whatever glimmer of a race for the division title remains. However, getting Riley on back on track in advance of the postseason would provide a significant boon to the team’s chances of advancing beyond the NLDS for the first time since 2001.

Anthopoulos On Donaldson, Riley, Braves Prospects

By Jeff Todd | August 29, 2019 at 9:13am CDT

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos covered a host of topics of interest in a chat with David O’Brien of The Athletic (subscription link). Of particular hot stove relevance was his discussion of third baseman Josh Donaldson.

While he declined to dish on the team’s interest in hammering out a new deal with Donaldson, who’s a pending free agent, Anthopoulos left clear that the door is open to a return. That’s true even with Austin Riley representing a big-league option at the hot corner. Riley earned praise from the GM for his outfield glovework. Offensively, we’ve seen cause for both promise and concern. Anthopoulos says he’ll “be curious” to see how Riley hits after returning from the injured list, while adding that “long term we still feel the exact same about him.”

Per Anthopoulos:

“If our best team is with Austin Riley in the outfield and Josh Donaldson at third base, and that makes sense, we’ll do that. … There’s clearly room for both guys; we can see a team with both guys. Problem is, one guy’s a free agent. And I expect the market for him to be strong because of the year that he’s had and what he’s done.”

But what of the final months before Donaldson formally returns to the open market? Is there any possibility of a late-season extension? Addressing the topic generally, Anthopoulos said “there might be a scenario” where the club engages in contract talks during a season. But that’s not idea, he indicated. Ultimately, there’s really no reason to believe Donaldson won’t become a free agent. After all, that was the point of his decision to take a one-year deal in the first place.

There’s some clear spillover to the Atlanta outfield situation. There’ll be room to add there, with Nick Markakis headed for free agency. That’s all the more true if Riley ends up sliding over to third base. It’s an interesting situation for the Braves, who have two highly regarded young outfielders knocking on the door in Cristian Pache and Drew Waters.

Anthopoulos made clear he’s not planning to head into Spring Training next year with a plan to turn over jobs to the young and unproven duo of Pache and Waters. “We love those guys; we think they’re going to be really good players,” Anthopoulos explains. “We just have no idea when. And you can’t go into a season counting on those guys.”

But that doesn’t answer the question of just how aggressive the Braves will be in pursuing outfield help. Riley’s flexibility gives the team options. Ender Inciarte remains a notable part of the picture. Perhaps Markakis will again be a candidate to return. There’s an argument to be made that the Braves ought to pursue a big bat to put alongside superstar Ronald Acuna Jr.

It’s equally arguable that a placeholding/platoon approach would be more sensible, with resources being utilized instead in other areas. In that case, the concept would be to hold down the fort while Pache and Waters make their case for a promotion. As Anthopoulos puts it, the team can and will “find a way to get them up” once the prospects force the situation.

Austin Riley, Darren O’Day Start Rehab Assignments

By Connor Byrne | August 23, 2019 at 7:20pm CDT

Braves outfielder/third baseman Austin Riley and reliever Darren O’Day started rehab assignments Friday, the team announced. Riley’s playing at the Single-A level, while O’Day is beginning at the rookie level.

The rookie Riley has been on the injured list since Aug. 8 with a sprained knee. The 22-year-old had been in the midst of a cold stretch before hitting the shelf, but he has still given the Braves decent overall production this season. Riley has slashed .242/.294/.504 with 17 home runs and a .263 ISO in 255 plate appearances on the offensive side, and has chipped in 4 Defensive Runs Saved and a 3.8 Ultimate Zone Rating as a left fielder. His absence, not to mention those of fellow injured outfielders Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte, has weakened the Braves’ depth in the grass. Still, the team has won five in a row and continues to hold a comfortable lead of 5 1/2 games in the National League East.

The Braves’ success this year has come in spite of a maligned bullpen – one that hasn’t gotten a single out from O’Day. The longtime Oriole still hasn’t thrown a pitch for the Braves since they acquired him from the O’s (in a deal centering on the now-gone Kevin Gausman) at the July 2018 trade deadline. O’Day, who was included in the swap for financial purposes, was dealing with a hamstring injury at the time, but a forearm strain has kept him off a major league mound this season.

The 36-year-old O’Day did quality work for Baltimore over 20 innings in 2018, continuing a rather effective career that began in 2008 with the Angels. To this point, O’Day has amassed 555 frames of 2.56 ERA/3.47 FIP ball with 9.28 K/9 and 2.46 BB/9. He’s on a $9MM salary this year, the last season of his contract.

East Notes: Nola, Stroman, Dansby, Riley, Deivi, Lowe

By George Miller | August 21, 2019 at 9:41pm CDT

As the Phillies quest for a playoff berth intensifies, manager Gabe Kapler looks poised to increase his ace’s workload in hopes that Aaron Nola can carry the team to the promised land. As Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports writes, the Phillies are considering starting the 26-year-old Nola every fifth day for the stretch run, regardless of intervening off days. Last year’s third-place NL Cy Young finisher has been far and away the most reliable of the Phillies’ starting rotation, which has sorely lacked for production outside of its ace. If the Phillies were to employ such a plan, Nola would make eight more starts over the next month-plus, which would place him at a total of 35 at season’s end. As Salisbury notes, though, Nola has often benefitted from a fifth day of rest and features considerably better career numbers with the extra day off. Of course, it’s undeniable that Nola is the Phillies’ best option to start games and the club is confident that, in a playoff race that may well be decided in the waning days of the season, their chances are maximized with Nola on the mound as often as possible.

Here’s all the latest from baseball’s East divisions…

Mets starter Marcus Stroman left today’s start against the Indians after just four innings because of left hamstring tightness. Tim Healey of Newsday has an update, with Stroman undergoing an MRI that showed no reason for concern. Indeed, it’s only hamstring tightness for the new Met, who has now made four starts with his new club. All indications are that the injury is nothing serious, so it seems as though Stroman should be good to go for his next start.
A pair of young Braves regulars are slated to begin rehab assignments in the coming days, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Shortstop Dansby Swanson will join the Class-A Rome Braves on Thursday for a rehab stint, with rookie slugger Austin Riley joining him the following day. Swanson has been out since late July with a heel issue, while Riley has missed about two weeks with a partially torn right LCL. While the Braves have found capable replacements for both young stars and has gotten by without the pair, the club would no doubt welcome Swanson and Riley back to the lineup as soon as possible. Swanson has put together his best offensive season, while Riley has gotten his career off to a blistering start, slugging 17 home runs in just 66 Major League games.
Yankees pitching prospect Deivi Garcia has been moved to the bullpen for Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, according to Connor Foley of the Scranton Times-Tribune. While the organization has not given an explicit explanation for the move, it seems likely that it’s motivated by one of two things: most likely, the Yankees are limiting the workload for Garcia, who is just 20 years old and has already eclipsed 100 innings pitched for the season, a threshold that he never reached prior to 2019; or, less likely, the team is preparing Garcia for the role he would have in the Majors as a potential September call-up. The club has taken a similar course of action in the past with Justus Sheffield and Chance Adams, though both were further along in their development than Garcia.
Injured Rays rookie Brandon Lowe may have hit a roadblock in his recovery from a right shin contusion, as he exited his rehab game with Triple-A Durham with a left quad strain, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com. That injury, of course, is separate from the shin contusion, though the severity is not yet known. Lowe will return to St. Petersburg tomorrow to be further evaluated, at which point more details will likely be made available. Lowe, who has generated buzz as a Rookie of the Year candidate, has not played for the Rays since July 2. He had previously been expected to return in late August or early September, but that timeline may have been complicated by the introduction of another, unrelated injury.

Latest On Austin Riley, Dansby Swanson

By Connor Byrne | August 13, 2019 at 3:42pm CDT

The partially torn right LCL that sent Braves third baseman/corner outfielder Austin Riley to the injured list last week will not require surgery, Mark Bowman of MLB.com was among those to report. Now that his season will continue, Riley’s hoping to start a minor league rehab assignment two weeks from now, according to Bowman.

The 22-year-old Riley joined the Braves in the middle of May, at which point he ranked as one of baseball’s 50 best prospects. Riley, whose promotion came in response to an injury to outfielder Ender Inciarte, began his career in excellent fashion. He owned an OPS upward of .900 as of the end of June, though Riley has come crashing to earth more recently. He’s now a .242/.294/.504 hitter with 17 home runs through his first 255 plate appearances, during which he has fanned in 35.3 percent of trips and walked in just over 5 percent.

With Josh Donaldson holding down third and right fielder Nick Markakis on the IL, the Riley-less Braves have been going with Adam Duvall in left, Inciarte in center and superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. in right. Inciarte has performed well dating back to his return July 18, while Duvall’s numbers have plummeted since a red-hot start after the Braves promoted him from Triple-A Gwinnett toward the end of last month.

The Braves’ infield, meanwhile, has been making do without shortstop Dansby Swanson since July 27 because of a heel issue. There’s still no timetable for his return, per Bowman, while David O’Brien of The Athletic adds that he’s not able to do much of anything in terms of baseball activities at this point. Doctors have told Swanson the injury isn’t something he’d be able to play through. It’s especially unfortunate considering the former No. 1 overall pick was enjoying a career season before he landed on the shelf. The 25-year-old has slashed .265/.330/.468 (103 wRC+) with 17 homers and seven steals over 431 trips to the plate.

Atlanta has replaced Swanson with a combination of Johan Camargo and Charlie Culberson. Camargo has endured a dreadful year after what looked like a breakout 2018, while Culberson’s still-impressive output has declined since he took on a greater role. Nevertheless, the Braves continue to hold a six-game lead in the National League East.

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