After eight years of Brian McCann, the Atlanta Braves are turning to their second starting catcher in as many seasons. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The trade of slugging backstop Evan Gattis has opened the door for a young man who has long been referred to as the catcher of the future.

Atlanta will give the keys to Christian Bethancourt, a much heralded prospect who has been top of mind for most Braves fans over the past few years. His defensive prowess has been the talk of scouts since he signed for $600,000 back in 2008. Now he gets a chance to prove he is ready to be the every day catcher.

With the bat finally starting to catch up with the glove, Bethancourt was rated the No. 5 prospect in the organization by Baseball America following a busy winter which saw new President of Baseball Operations John Hart restock the farm system. He’s been in among the Top 10 prospects on most Braves lists since 2011.

His ascent through the system has been at a deliberate pace, but he won’t turn 24 until September. Bethancourt finally made real strides with the bat over the past two seasons, earning him a prolonged stay in Atlanta when Gattis was sidelined in 2014. He belted eight home runs among 26 extra-base hits and turned in a .283/.308/.408 slash line in 91 games with Triple-A Gwinnett last season.

The burgeoning power could allow Bethancourt to follow the Yadier Molina route of offensive improvement. He’s an aggressive contact hitter who doesn’t draw many walks. That’s consistent with a Molina comparison. However, stacking those two men side by side would be an unfair tag to slap on Bethancourt. The similarities are striking, but Atlanta isn’t expecting an overnight hitting sensation. They’ll settle for steady contributions and marked progress over the coming months and years. As for the comparison between Bethancourt and Molina behind the plate, that should be fun to watch.

Bethancourt’s defensive tools do have room for improvement in some areas, particularly blocking pitches. Attempting to backhand balls in the dirt has contributed to a high number of passed balls over the course of his career — 88 in 500 total games. That included half a dozen in his 31 big league games last season. It’s a habit he will have to break. Bethancourt’s ability to manage a staff and call games will be tested more than ever, but this is true of any young catcher transitioning to the big leagues. With 29 starts already under his belt, Atlanta feels confident he’ll be able to handle the responsibility.

One part of his game that comes ready to make an impact right out of the box is Bethancourt’s above average arm. He’s gunned down 37 percent (200-of-545) of attempted base stealers thus far in his career. A strong, accurate arm coupled with a quick release will be an excellent deterrent for opposing base runners.

The Backup

Atlanta signed A.J. Pierzynski, 37, to a one-year, $2 million deal to serve as a mentor and insurance policy of sorts. In fact, he was one of several veteran catchers who call the organization home in 2015. We’ll get to the rest shortly, but it’s worth noting that the Braves like the idea of having their young arms throwing to experienced battery mates en route to the big leagues. That should allow for added development.

Pierzynski is a lifetime .281 hitter with 177 homers and 837 RBI who has proven extremely durable over his 17-year career. He batted .251 with five home runs and 37 RBI last season between the Red Sox and Cardinals. Having a mentor with as much experience as Pierzynski makes perfect sense as Bethancourt begins his first full season in the big leagues. It probably doesn’t hurt to have a left-hand hitting platoon option as well.

For his part, Pierzynski told me he looks forward to the opportunity to work closely with Bethancourt:

“One thing they talked about with me is coming over and helping him. That was something I was very excited about. I’ve seen him play, obviously on TV, and I’ve heard a lot of good things about him from different people. So, they just talked to me about coming over and trying to get the most out of this kid and teach him how to be a big league catcher at an everyday level. I think that’s different than just being a big league catcher. To do it every day is a different animal than just showing up and doing it every couple of days or being a young kid and not having much thrown on you. To do it every day at a [high] level and have expectations is something different and I’ve done it for a long time. Hopefully, I can give him some knowledge to make him a better player.”

The Reserves

As touched on earlier, the Braves have brought in a slew of veteran catchers to help aid the development of the young pitchers working their way through the system. John Buck, 34, is a former All-star who has spent parts of 11 seasons in the big leagues. He joins his eighth organization after signing a minor league deal with Atlanta that includes a invite to spring training. Buck brings some power to the table, but is just a .234 career hitter. He’s likely to see the majority of his time with Triple-A Gwinnett, but could end up being a third catcher on the big league squad if the Braves continue that recent trend.

Jesus Flores, 30, is another catcher who signed a minor league deal with a invitation to spring training. He spent five seasons with the Nationals from 2007-2012, but a stress fracture in his shoulder derailed his career and cost him most of 2009 and all of 2010. Flores worked his way back, but failed to stick in Washington. He’s made stops in the Rays, Dodgers and Royals organizations the past two seasons and figures to compete with Buck for a roster spot or spend his time in Gwinnett.

In addition to those two, there will be plenty of non-roster invitees doing some catching this spring. Yenier Bello, 30, was signed by Atlanta last spring, but only got into 15 games between the Gulf Coast League and High-A Lynchburg. He’s had to go through quite a bit to find his way to a big league team, which Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com detailed last year. The jury is obviously still out on what the Braves have in Bello.

Another intriguing name is third-year prospect Tanner Murphy, a fourth round pick in 2013. Baseball America rated the soon to be 20-year-old Murphy as Atlanta’s No. 17 prospect heading into 2015, citing his power potential among a strong tool set. Regardless, he’s likely to be heading to Low-A Rome this season.

Other non-roster catchers who will be in camp include Matt Kennelly, the recently acquired Chris O’Dowd (son of former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd), Braeden Schlehuber and Jose Yepez.

Next Up: The Outfield (Feb. 11)

Not too long ago, the Braves rolled out what they hoped would be the finest outfield in baseball. Fast forward to two years later, and much has changed. Jason Heyward and Justin Upton were traded away over the winter and only B.J. Upton remains of that trio. If he can hold onto his starting gig, the elder Upton will be flanked by a new cast of characters in 2015. We’ll size them up in Part 3 of this preview series.

 

Grant McAuley covers the Braves for Sports Radio 92-9 The Game. You can follow Grant on Twitter. All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

The Atlanta Braves are coming down the home stretch of the busiest winter in the franchise’s history. With the disappointment of 2014 leading to wholesale change in the front office, we learned very quickly that the same would hold true when it came to the player personnel.

The influx of new talent came from numerous trades and a handful of free agent acquisitions, all designed to bring the vaunted “Braves Way” of doing things back to the forefront. Rebuilding the talent pipeline by stocking the farm system was the central component, regardless of the team’s reluctance to place the “rebuilding” tag on the process.

Over the next five days, we’ll delve into each of the areas on the 25-man roster: infielders, catchers, outfielders, starting rotation and bullpen. With many new faces and a couple of positional battles to be had this spring, this primer should cover all the bases as the team packs its bags for Orlando.

With that said, we get set to go around the horn with the Atlanta infielders.

Part 1: The Infield

The Braves have as many questions as they do reasons to be hopeful about the 2015 season. That is certainly true of the infield. Anchored by Andrelton Simmons, commonly referred to as the best fielding player in the game at any position, the Braves will always be a cut above defensively. They ranked fifth in the majors with a .986 team fielding percentage a year ago, committing the fifth fewest errors (86). Simmons trailed only teammate Jason Heyward (32) for the big league lead with 28 defensive runs saved.

First Base

When it comes to offense, the Atlanta infield has one thumper and a lot of unproven commodities. Freddie Freeman was an MVP candidate in 2013, but even he was not immune to the offensive woes that struck the Braves lineup last season. He was hardly part the problem, but Freeman saw a 31 point drop in batting average and his OPS dipped from .897 to .857. The team’s overall issues with run scoring also affected his RBI total, which went from 109 in 2013 to just 78 in 2014 despite a career-high 708 PA.

At just 25 and in the second season of an eight-year, $135 million contract extension, the Braves made a conscious decision to build around Freeman. He’s a better defender than he often gets credit for, but the impact he makes with the bat will always be his biggest contribution. His strike zone expanded just a bit last season, especially on breaking balls, but Freeman works pitchers over. He saw the fifth most pitches in baseball with 2,826 and had a major league leading 583 foul balls in 2014 (Special thanks to BaseballSavant.com for that really cool leader board).

Long story short, Freeman will once again be the best hitter in the Atlanta lineup. His numbers could trend back toward his 2013 totals if he can simply find a way to make Marlins pitchers pay doubly for what they did to him in 2014 (.135 with 21 K in 81 AB). His supporting cast has changed greatly from a year ago, but a conscious effort was made to bring in more contact hitters. That could bode well for Freeman’s run production numbers.

Shortstop

We’ll save the second base round-up for last, and switch the focus back to Simmons for now. Like Freeman, the Braves extended their young shortstop a year ago. Unlike Freeman, the impact part of Simmons’ game is his work with the glove. While he brought the expected gold glove caliber defense to the fray, Simmons took a big step back at the plate. New hitting coach Kevin Seitzer will try to help him get back on track.

Despite being one of the better contact hitters on the team, he struggled to turn in quality at-bats. Perhaps it was a bi-product of hitting 17 home runs a year prior, but Simmons’ swing got long at times and his aggressive approach worked against him last season. The homer total fell to just seven, which is still one more than he hit in his entire minor league career. Even though he was one of the toughest hitters in MLB to strike out, ranking ninth with 9 AB/K in 2014 and fourth with 11 AB/K in 2013, Simmons does not draw many walks —­ just 84 BB in 1,416 PA. That’s part of the reason he holds a .252/.297/.372 career slash line.

With an improved approach, he should still be able to hit for higher average as he enters his third full season. Simmons turned in a .299/.352/.397 slash line in the minors and hit just six home runs in those 1,024 PA. De-emphasizing the “swing from your heels” mentality that crept into his at-bats far too often will be the key for Simmons.  His line drive stroke will provide some extra-base hits. Some of those will even go over the wall, but he’ll have to make some necessary adjustments if he wants to see an offensive uptick in 2015.

Third Base

Speaking of hitters looking for bounce back seasons, third baseman Chris Johnson is another man hoping to prove 2014 was just a blip on the radar. He’s also another of the Braves extension players from a year ago, though his came in early May and was met with some head scratching. Johnson, 30, got 3 years and $23.5 million from Atlanta after vying for a batting title as he replaced the retired Chipper Jones in 2013.

He would not enjoy a repeat performance. After a nice opening act in 2013, Johnson saw his slash line fall from .321/.358/.457 to just .263/.292/.361 in year two. That came thanks in part to an unsustainable .394 BABIP in 2013 dropping to .345 in 2014. Consider last year’s major league leader, Starling Marte of the Pirates, posted a .373 BABIP. Johnson had a career-high 611 PA, but saw his walk rate (3%) bottom out to sixth lowest in baseball while his strikeout rate (26%) jumped to 15th highest.

Johnson may not be guaranteed another season of 600+ plate appearances either. He raked against LHP yet again in 2014, hitting .394 in 114 AB, but his struggles against RHP (.231/.256/.314 in 486 PA) may open the door for Alberto Callaspo or even Jace Peterson to steal some playing time if the trend continues. Both of those men are in the mix at second base as well, which may grant Johnson an early reprieve. Recently acquired Rio Ruiz could be Atlanta’s long term answer at the hot corner, but his arrival in the big leagues is still a couple of years away.

Second Base

Now we come to what could be the most interesting storyline of the entire spring: Who will be the Braves everyday second baseman? Yes, there are quite a few candidates and it could end up being a platoon, but it sure beats another year spent wondering about the state of Dan Uggla. In fact, the second baseman’s name that is going to be front and center throughout Grapefruit League play this time around is Jose Peraza. That is a most welcome change.

We’ll start with Callaspo, 31, who is the odds-on favorite to open the season with the everyday job, with Peterson and Phil Gosselin also fighting for the opportunity. A veteran switch-hitter coming off a miserable .223/.290/.290 line in 127 games for Oakland last season, Callaspo signed a one-year, $3 million contract in December. It’s an opportunity to rebuild his value on a short-term deal.

He has a little pop, hitting double-digit homers in four of his six full seasons, and puts the bat on the ball consistently (just 331 K in 3695 PA in his career). Those are two things that would prove useful if he returns to pre-2014 form. It’s worth noting that Callaspo hasn’t played second base consistently since 2009 and has actually logged more games at third throughout his nine-year career. As noted earlier, he could see time there depending on how Johnson fares.

Peraza, 20, is the Braves top prospect according Baseball America and just about every other hot sheet. He has a chance to skip Triple-A and jump straight to the majors, a la Rafael Furcal in 2000. There are plenty of similarities between the two, not the least of which would be the ability to solve Atlanta’s lead-off dilemma. Peraza is a contact hitter who can find the gaps, evidenced by his 2014 slash line of .339/.364/.441 between High-A Lynchburg and Double-A Mississippi. He roped 20 doubles and 11 triples, while showing off his game-changing speed by stealing 60 bases for the second straight season.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez has already stated that he plans to give Peraza a serious look this spring, bringing him on every road trip and plugging him at some point in every game. While a ticket to Triple-A Gwinnett appears to be the most likely scenario, there’s still a chance Peraza could force the issue with a strong showing. Even if he doesn’t break camp with the big club, Peraza’s arrival in 2015 would inject the Atlanta lineup with a dynamic top of the order speed threat it has lacked for most of the last decade.

Check out these numbers (visit the tweet to enlarge):

 

The Reserves

Gosselin and Peterson could both figure heavily into what the Braves hope will be an improved bench. Both men provide versatility and can play second, short or third. Gosselin, 26, earned some extended time in 2014, getting into 46 games and making 30 starts spread across three positions. He batted .264 for Atlanta after hitting .344/.379/.487 in 96 games with Gwinnett. There’s not a lot that stands out about him offensively, but Gosselin makes consistent contact and makes the plays at second.

Peterson, 24, is a former 1st round pick by the Padres in 2011 who came over in the Justin Upton trade. The lefty hitter batted .307/.402/.447 in 96 games at two levels and was up and down with San Diego throughout the season. Peterson has stolen 148 bases in 389 minor league games, so he brings a speed dynamic that neither Gosselin nor Callaspo have to offer. He’s also shown himself to be more than capable of handling both righties and lefties, which is always helpful. Though he showed good plate discipline and was fairly difficult to fan in the minors, Peterson batted just .118 and struck out 18 times in 53 at-bats with the Padres. Thus, insert small sample size disclaimer here.

Kelly Johnson, 33, returned to Atlanta on a minor league deal and received a invitation to spring training. He has played all over the diamond in recent years. Again, this is a case where versatility could help the player earn a roster spot and make the bench more stout than it was in 2014. Johnson earned the odd distinction of  playing for every club in the AL East over the past three seasons, including three different stops last year alone. Outside of some occasional power, Johnson hasn’t enjoyed much success at the plate of late. After hitting .284/.370/.496 with a career-high 26 homers for the Diamondbacks in 2010, Johnson has batted .225/.306/.390 over 1898 plate appearances in the four seasons since. To make matters worse, he’s struck out once every 3.4 AB. His chances of winning the second base job are remote at best, but Johnson could play his way onto the 25-man roster with good Grapefruit League campaign.

Next Up: The Catchers

The Braves have cleared the way for Christian Bethancourt to become their catcher of the future. After getting his feet wet in 2014, the heralded backstop prospect will have to prove he is capable of handling the rigors of the everyday job. Will the glove live up to expectations? Will the bat provide the necessary production? Much will be asked of Bethancourt in 2015.

 

Grant McAuley covers the Braves for Sports Radio 92-9 The Game. You can follow Grant on Twitter. All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

The 2016 Braves Positional Preview Series examines who could comprise the 25-man roster on Opening Day as well as players who could make a difference this season and beyond. A new preview will be released each Monday, with accompanying podcasts featuring special guests coming out each week as well.

• Part 1 – Catchers
• Part 2 – Infield
• Part 3 – Outfield
• Part 4 – Starting Rotation
• Part 5 – Bullpen
• Part 6 – Top Prospects

 

 

The Atlanta Braves enter spring training with no shortage of candidates to fill out the starting rotation. Unfortunately, there is also no shortage of questions surrounding each man. Some are seeking to rebound in 2016, while others are simply hoping to establish themselves at the major league level and cash in on the promise that comes with that “top prospect” billing. After utilizing 10 different starters in 2015 and trading away two of its better horses in last year’s rotation, Atlanta is banking on several men from its stockpile of young arms to turn the corner and contribute this season.

 

Julio Teheran | RHP| Age: 25 | Contract Status: 4-years, $29.6 million

How does a 25-year-old become the elder statesman in a major league rotation? Simple. The Braves have turned over their starting five roughly two times in the last two seasons. Julio Teheran is, in fact, the last man standing from Atlanta’s previous crop of highly touted young arms. After establishing himself as one of the top starters in the league, Teheran struggled throughout the first half of 2015. He seemed to find himself midseason and parlayed that into a finish that would suggest he was getting back to normal by the end of the year. Teheran may have toiled at times, but he led the league with 33 starts and registered his second consecutive 200 inning campaign.

Coming off all-star honors just one year prior, 2015 was an obvious step back for Teheran. A quick look at the numbers shows that Teheran’s hit (8.5 H/9), home run (1.2 HR/9) and walk (3.3 BB/9) rates were all career-worsts, contributing to a career-high 4.04 ERA (4.40 FIP) and 1.30 WHIP. Oddly enough, in a season in which he allowed a career-high 27 home runs, Teheran posted both his lowest fly ball percentage (36.2 FB%) and his highest ground ball rate (39.7 GB%).

A frequent talking point through his first three full seasons is the fact that Teheran has been much better at home than on the road, a trend which continued last season:

Obviously, Teheran struggled during 2015 on several fronts. The road was just one of those. During the first half, both pitch selection and execution were a problem. Command issues led to control issues, which in turn contributed to his struggles. According to FanGraphs, Teheran’s average fastball velocity ticked back up from 90.4 mph in 2014 to 91.2 mph last season, which is encouraging. His strong finish to the season (5-2, 2.95 ERA and .227 BAA over his final 76.1 IP) is another positive heading into 2016. Scott Spatt of FanGraphs broke down the location adjustment Teheran made as he turned the corner last August.

With the sky-rocketing prices of free agent deals for starting pitchers in recent winters, Teheran’s contract is ultra-affordable in contrast. Trades have been a central term in the Atlanta lexicon over the past two seasons, but Teheran has remained despite the rumors swirling. With four years remaining at roughly $29 million total, it gives the Braves another reason to keep him around. He would remain under control through the age of 30 if Atlanta exercises the $12 million option ($1 million buy-out) for the 2020 season.

If anything, Teheran is also a case study for some of the other prospects that Atlanta has collected over the past two winters. He demonstrated that patience is part of the process. Once one of the Top 5 prospects in all of baseball (2011 and 2012 according to Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus), his transition to the majors was anything but smooth. Teheran also struggled mightily during his second stint with Triple-A Gwinnett in 2012 (7-9, 5.08 ERA in 24 starts) and found his name linked to trade talks the following winter. Atlanta opted to keep the talented righty, who took the challenge of a losing season and turned into motivation to improve. Armed with lessons learned and a refined approach that came in part from working with hall of famer Pedro Martinez, Teheran put it all together in 2013. He went 14-8 with a 3.20 ERA in 30 starts and earned a long term extension. Given that Teheran has already shown the ability to comeback from and build off adversity, he can be seen as a good bounce back candidate in his own right in 2016. Atlanta will be leaning heavily on Teheran to supply 200+ innings of quality baseball this season. He posted a 3.2 WAR in 2013 and 3.9 WAR in 2014, before regressing to a 1.5 WAR last season. A return to form would go a long toward fortifying an unproven rotation.

Matt Wisler | RHP| Age: 23 | Contract Status: Pre-arbitration

One of the many pieces acquired from the San Diego Padres last winter, Matt Wisler showed flashes of what he brings to the table in 2015. The wide-eyed righty closed his rookie season with an 8-8 record and a 4.71 ERA in 109 innings. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but Wisler seemed to find another gear in the season’s final month. After being on the receiving end of a September 3rd drubbing courtesy of Washington (1.2 IP – 7 ER), he came right out of the bullpen three days later to throw two scoreless innings at the Nationals. Wisler followed that up with 2.34 ERA over his final five starts and came within one out of his first career shut-out in his final outing of the season.

While he may not be an ace in the making (as John Sickels of Minor League Ball points out), Wisler’s makeup and arsenal certainly profile as a middle of the rotation pitcher, if not more. Like Teheran before him, the improvement over his final handful of starts of the season may indicate Wisler made adjustments as he gained valuable experience. Wisler was a key piece in the trade that sent Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton Jr. to the Padres and was rated San Diego’s top prospect by Baseball America at the time of the trade – and top three on just about every other hot sheet.

Wisler works in the 92-94 mph range with good sink and tops out at 96 mph. That velocity seemed to surprise some folks in his major league debut on June 19th against the Mets, when he spun eight strong innings to earn his first career win. His slider has the potential to be a strikeout weapon, and he’s going to need one after averaging just 5.9 K/9 last season. Wisler will no doubt continue working to improve and implement his changeup, giving him another wrinkle to keep opposing hitters guessing. A fly ball pitcher (0.76 GO/AO) in 2015, he must also work on keeping the ball in the park. It’s something Wisler struggled with in Triple-A in 2014 (19 homers in 117 IP) and last year with Atlanta (16 homers in 109 IP). He was not alone on the Braves staff in this regard in 2015. These are the lumps that young pitchers routinely take in their first season, and there was some indication that Atlanta was hoping Wisler would benefit from a re-do in Triple-A before he was pressed into action at the big league level during the summer. Baptism by fire can be a powerful teaching tool, however.

The Braves have dealt away two starters under the age of 25 in the past six months – first with Alex Wood to the Dodgers and again with Shelby Miller to the Diamondbacks – and lost another young arm in Mike Minor to a shoulder injury which led to his eventual release. This substantially altered the plans that the Braves brought into spring training just last February. Of course, those plans had been altered by the losses of Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy in 2014. Atlanta has had a rough go of it when it comes to putting together the rotation over the past two seasons. Wisler will be leaned upon fairly heavily in his first full season in the big leagues in 2016.

Mike Foltynewicz | RHP| Age: 24 | Contract Status: Pre-arbitration

If you’re looking for the best stuff on the entire staff, look no further than Mike Foltynewicz. The hard throwing right-hander took his fair share of lumps during his first long look in the big leagues, but he also showed flashes of what he could become. Foltynewicz can hit triple digits, which put him among the hardest throwing starters in the National League in 2015. In fact, his average fastball velocity of 94.9 mph was 15th in MLB and 8th among NL starting pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched (Leaderboard). That’s just behind Mets strikeout artist Jacob deGrom (95.0) and just ahead of Cy Young award winner Jake Arrieta (94.6) of the Cubs and Nationals big money starter Max Scherzer (94.2). That’s pretty good company.

For now, Foltynewicz’s calling card is velocity, but he’ll need to polish his skills in order to have sustained success at the big league level. To that end, Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell worked with Foltynewicz to incorporate a split-finger into his repertoire. Establishing a reliable breaking ball offering has been a work in progress, and a split-finger could really aid the cause. After scrapping his slider while still in the Astros organization, Foltynewicz brought it back with Atlanta. The belief at the time was that a renewed focus on his fastball and curveball combination was the key to building the foundation to a successful career. There was also some arm soreness that may or may not have been associated with the pitch. Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle detailed the changes, which were geared toward harnessing Foltynewicz’s high-octane stuff and pairing it with the right secondary offerings.

As a rookie in 2015, Foltynewicz had his fair share of ups and downs. He won his major league debut on May 1 and turned in a 3-2 record, 3.96 ERA and 38 strikeouts during his first six starts. Foltynewicz allowed just four home runs over 36.1 IP over that stretch. After that, it was a struggle to maintain any kind of consistency. Foltynewicz went 1-4 with a 6.97 ERA in his final 50.1 IP, fanning 39 men while allowing 12 home runs. Among Braves hurlers with at least 10 starting assignments last season, Foltynewicz led the staff with 7.8 K/9, but his 1.82 HR/9 and .340 BABIP were both team-highs and illustrated that hitters were having their way with the young right-hander. His groundball rate of just 33.8 GB% was edged out only by Wisler (33.5 GB%) for the lowest of all 10 Atlanta starters in 2015.

The question lingers of whether or not his future is in the rotation or the bullpen. While it’s a legitimate debate, there is no reason to rush the process. With just 15 big league starts under his belt, the jury is still very much out and a bullpen role will always be a fallback option. When I spoke with Braves executives and manager Fredi Gonzalez over the past year about Foltynewicz’s ideal role, the reigning sentiment was to give him every chance to succeed as a starting pitcher before changing course. Given the rarity of finding a hard thrower who possesses a strong arm, rushing him to the bullpen is not something Atlanta is interested in doing. For his part, Foltynewicz has a strong desire to remain a starting pitcher as well.

Though he underwent surgery to remove a portion of a rib due blood clots in his right arm, Atlanta believes Foltynewicz will be ready to pitch and be a big factor in their rotational plans for 2016. Alex Cobb of the Rays had a similar procedure in August of 2011 and returned to the rotation the following May. With a handful of other options in camp, there is no reason to rush Foltynewicz back.

Bud Norris | RHP| Age: 30 | Contract Status: 1-year, $2.5 million

In an off-season that was filled with pitchers from seemingly all walks of life finding a big payday, Atlanta took a very a cost-conscious flyer on Bud Norris. He enjoyed a career year with the Orioles in 2014, but fell on hard times last season. Soon to be 31 years old, Norris is coming off a dreadful 2015 in which he lost his spot in the Baltimore rotation in June and was released in August. It was a precipitous fall for a man who was coming off a 15-win season and a pair of playoff starts, which included a series-clinching victory in the ALDS against the Tigers.

Norris started 28 games for the Orioles in 2014, going 15-8 with a 3.65 ERA (4.22 FIP) in 165.1 IP. Though his strikeout rate of 7.6 K/9 fell below his career average of 8.5 K/9 entering the season, he was a solid contributor to a Baltimore team that was ultimately ousted by the Royal in the ALCS. Norris was just 2-9 with a bloated 7.06 ERA in 18 appearances (11 starts) for the O’s before being designated for assignment on July 31 last year. After six extremely poor starts to open the season, Norris came down with a terrible case of bronchitis which sent him to the 15-day disabled list and caused him to lose 14 pounds, according to the Baltimore Sun.

“I got real sick,” Norris told Roch Kubatko of MASN. “I tried to battle back. I came back from the DL and made some good starts and some shaky ones. I got demoted to the ‘pen, and that’s not the best place to try to find yourself.”

Alas, he never found another starting gig, but his work in the bullpen for the Padres was somewhat encouraging. He racked up 21 K in 16.2 IP with a 5.40 ERA (2.65 FIP). It’s no secret that Norris was hoping to land a starting job this winter, and that’s exactly what he gets with Atlanta. President of Baseball Operations John Hart has said the team is providing an opportunity to an established pitcher like Norris this season, with the financial component making the righty a low-risk bounce back candidate. He averaged 29 starts and 170 innings per season from 2010-2014 with the Astros and Orioles, turning in a composite 4.21 ERA (4.09 FIP) with 3.5 BB/9 and 8.3 K/9. If he returns to previous form, Norris could very well fill an important hole in a rotation that is need of a veteran innings-eater. He could also become an attractive trade deadline commodity in the process.

Manny Banuelos | LHP| Age: 24 | Contract Status: Pre-arbitration

Once a prized prospect in the Yankees organization, Manny Banuelos finally realized his dream of making it to the big leagues with Atlanta in 2015. It was a long road to get there as well. He spent the better part of three seasons on the road back from Tommy John surgery (2012) and his elbow troubles were not completely behind him as he switched organizations either. Banuelos went under the knife again in September to remove a bone spur from his left elbow, but general manager John Coppolella mentioned during the Winter Meetings that Banuelos’ agent said the young lefty is feeling better than he has in years heading into spring training.

The Yankees were ultra-cautious with Banuelos’ rehab program and limited him to just 77 IP in 25 minor league starts in 2014. Atlanta added Banuelos to its prospect stockpile last winter, shipping relievers David Carpenter and Chasen Shreve to New York in exchange for the man that Mariano Rivera once referred to as the greatest pitching prospect he has ever seen (Link). More encouraging, Banuelos was named Gwinnett’s pitcher of the year after turning in a 2.23 ERA in 84.2 IP across 16 starts at Triple-A. Though he experienced some command issues, evidenced by 40 walks, that was the case for Banuelos even before his initial arm surgery. Once he made it to Atlanta in July, elbow inflammation sent him to the disabled list before the end of the month and ultimately shut him down in September. He finished 2015 with just a 1-4 record and a 5.13 ERA in seven appearances, losing his final four big league starts.

Banuelos showed glimpses of his potential last year, but his velocity has not returned to pre-surgery levels – when he was consistently in the low to mid-90s and clocked as high as 97 mph at times. His average fastball velocity was just 89 mph in his 26 innings with the big club last season. Banuelos still appeared to be searching for his command on some nights (as mentioned above with Gwinnett), which is not uncommon of pitchers after major arm surgery. Now three full years removed from Tommy John and coming off a clean-up procedure that should alleviate any lingering pain, Banuelos will seek to get back to the 92-94 mph range. He mixes in a slider, a curve and a changeup, which will all likewise have to take a step forward to lift Banuelos to his previous luster. Long story short, he has the arsenal and the ability to become a middle of the rotation pitcher, but health has been his biggest obstacle to this point. However, despite all the setbacks, he is still just 24 years old.

Willams Perez | RHP| Age: 24 | Contract Status: Pre-arbitration

While Williams Perez had his ups and downs, including a foot injury that interrupted his rookie season, he showed an uncanny ability to pitch out of trouble and provide quality starts. Suffice it to say, he made an impression. After making a pair of relief appearances in early May, Perez joined the rotation and proceeded to go 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA in his first eight major league starts. It may have involved some smoke and mirrors at times, but Perez used his sinker to keep the ball in the park and induce a few timely double plays. That run of success was put on hold when he was struck in the foot by a line drive off the bat of Pittsburgh’s Josh Harrison on June 26.

His return to the rotation a month later (following the trade of Wood to the Dodgers) did not exactly go according to plan. Perez could not escape the fifth and was tagged for nine earned runs by the Phillies on July 31. Anything but a warm welcome, that kicked off a string of seven starts in which he went 0-6 with an 9.50 ERA. The honeymoon appeared to be over. That could be chalked up to the residual effects of the foot contusion, or simply course correction, but Perez turned in just one quality start during the span.

Amazingly, that was not the end of the story. Perez once again found a way to get into and, more importantly, out of trouble. He closed the season with a 3-0 record and a 2.35 ERA over his final five starts. The timely double plays were back, allowing Perez to mitigate the damage the league was doing (.289/.339/.456) in that 30.2 IP. It’s a tricky proposition to assume that he’ll be able to continue his trend of navigating through troubled waters, but Perez did enough in 2015 to warrant some consideration for a spot at the back of the Atlanta rotation this season. Relying on his movement and location to stay ahead of hitters, he does not miss enough bats to make mistakes up the zone, especially since he pitches to contact. A sinker-baller typically comes in in handy, but whether or not Perez remains in the rotation or has a future as a long man remains to be seen.

Kyle Kendrick | RHP| Age: 31 | Contract Status: Non-roster Invitee

A veteran of nine big league seasons, Kyle Kendrick will be fighting for a spot at the back end of Atlanta’s rotation as he returns to the NL East after a one year absence. For all of Atlanta’s young arms who have yet to get their feet under them at the highest level, Kendrick has been going to the post since 2007. He finished fifth in the rookie of the year voting for the Phillies that season and has been a serviceable back-end starter for most of his career. Kendrick is coming off his worst campaign, however, after going 7-13 with a 6.32 ERA in 27 starts for the Rockies. He led the league in with 33 home runs allowed and 100 earned runs, all in just 142.1 IP. Colorado has a way of being unkind to pitchers of all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities. Consider Kendrick’s misadventures last season, when he posted a 7.62 ERA and 1.71 WHIP while allowing 21 home runs in just 65 innings at Coors Field.

Kendrick holds a career 81-81 record with 4.63 ERA (4.81 FIP) in 1,281 IP. He doesn’t miss many bats (just 4.9 K/9) and deals with plenty of base runners, but he has been a regular contributor for the majority of his career, including some good Phillies clubs from 2007-2012. It’s worth noting that if Kendrick is able to make the Atlanta rotation, it would represent the first time he hasn’t had to pitch in a hitter friendly home park. That said, he is going to have plenty of competition this spring and is coming off the worst season of his career. If he’s right, Kendrick could add experience to a very young staff.

Jhoulys Chacin | RHP| Age: 28 | Contract Status: Non-roster Invitee

Jhoulys Chacin accomplished something that not too many pitchers can claim. He established himself as a solid starting pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. As noted above with Kendrick, pitching in Coors Field is not an easy task, but Chacin did a pretty fair job of it until a shoulder injury caused his career to stall out in his mid-20s. The Rockies cut ties with Chacin last spring, ending a six year run with the club which originally signed him out of Venezuela in 2004. With a career record of 40-49 to go along with a 3.76 ERA and 6.9 K/9 in 698.2 IP, Chacin turned in a respectable 23-23 mark and 4.28 ERA in 374.1 IP at Coors Field. He navigated through that minefield about as well as could be asked of any pitcher in the rare air.

A Top 50 prospect for both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus in 2009, Chacin cracked the Colorado rotation for good as a 22-year-old in 2010. He pitched well, though both back and shoulder injuries have worked against him at times. Though he was able to avoid surgery, Chacin missed most of 2014 with shoulder inflammation, brought on by a rotator cuff sprain and a frayed labrum. The injury had caused him to lose considerable amount of velocity, which did not fully return in his time with Arizona in 2015. Chacin turned in a 3.22 ERA, but just 6.0 K/9 in 128.2 IP at Triple-A between the Indians and Diamondbacks organizations, then returned the majors to go 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in five appearances (four starts) with the D-backs. He struck out 21 batters in 26.2 IP during his late season call-up, but his once low 90s fastball was still averaging just 89 mph. Chacin has shown the ability to sink the ball throughout his career and may rely on it more heavily moving forward. He is a relatively safe bet to open the season with Gwinnett if he remains with the Braves.

Other Non-Roster Invitees:

RHP Chris Volstad, 29, is a seven-year veteran who has made 123 starts between the Marlins and Cubs, while pitching briefly for the Rockies and Pirates as well. He holds a 35-51 record with a 4.92 ERA in 705.2 IP in the big leagues. Volstad is a long shot to make the club, but is useful as veteran depth at Triple-A Gwinnett… LHP David Holmberg, 24, is another minor league signing. Holmberg was has made just 12 major league starts, posting a 3-6 record with a 6.24 ERA for the Diamondbacks and Reds. He was 2nd round pick by the White Sox in 2009, who was twice traded and has battled shoulder injuries. Holmberg was Top 10 prospect for Arizona a few years ago, but has lost his luster in recent years thanks to injury (shoulder) and inconsistency. He’s likely earmarked for Gwinnett if he stays in the organization… Several Top Prospects, including LHP Sean Newcomb, RHP Aaron Blair, RHP Lucas Sims and RHP Chris Ellis (all non-roster invitees) will join RHP Tyrell Jenkins, RHP John Gant, RHP Casey Kelly and RHP Ryan Weber (already on the 40-man roster) to compete for spots. Most, if not all, of those men will be featured in my Prospect Preview on February 8th.

 

Grant McAuley covers the Braves for 92-9 The Game. You can follow Grant on Twitter. Subscribe to his podcast, “Around the Big Leagues” on (iTunes) or (Stitcher). All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference unless otherwise noted.

The Braves spent the winter buying arms at a faster pace than a small country with a chip on its shoulder. As a result, a young rotation will be backed by a largely veteran bullpen. A year ago, Atlanta’s 3.31 ERA was sixth best among NL relief corps, while its 54 saves ranked second to only the Cardinals’ 55 in all of baseball.

Bullpen turnover is just part of the game and this off-season has been no different. The Braves are hoping their winter of wholesale changes will revitalize the organization. Prospects aplenty have restocked the farm system, but the influx of relievers was steeped in experience. That could come in handy on a team that will place a premium on each and every run scored.

 

The Closer

Craig Kimbrel is just 26 years old, but over the past four seasons has established himself as the best closer in baseball. His success is unprecedented. Kimbrel is the only pitcher in history to lead the league in saves in each of his first four seasons, and also the only man to open his career with four consecutive 40+ save campaigns. In fact, only three pitchers have ever compiled four straight 40-save seasons.

Fun fact: Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera combined to lead their respective league in saves just five times, an amazing statistic considering the duo combined for 1,253 regular season saves.

Kimbrel has posted a microscopic 1.43 ERA while amassing 186 saves in 205 chances. That 90.7 percent success rate is the third best in baseball history. His 14.8 K/9 and 4.41 K/BB ratios are likewise among the best any reliever has ever compiled. Suffice it to say, Kimbrel possesses every indicator you need to establish his credentials as the best closer in the game. He’s done it all thanks to electric stuff. A fastball in the high 90s lights up radar guns, while Kimbrel’s sharp, breaking curveball causes considerable distress for opposing hitters.

Even though there has been an inordinate amount of change to the Atlanta roster this winter, Kimbrel remains focused on the task at hand. His job is to finish games, and that’s exactly what he’s planning to do. With old teammates gone and a new supporting cast in place, Kimbrel said he’s ready for the challenges of 2015.

“Obviously our expectations are still going to be high. They’re high every year. We don’t play this game to come in second. We play this game to come in first. That’s going to be our expectations and our goal, and it’s going to be fun to get to know the guys we’re going to do it with.”

The theory that Kimbrel won’t be able to reach the 40 save plateau if Atlanta’s win total falls into the low-to-mid-70s is not well-founded. Consider that he saved 47 on a 79 win team in 2014. If the pitching staff does its job, the Braves figure to be in a lot of close games. While having an elite closer does not make much sense for a team that is out of contention, one must also factor in that Atlanta does not plan to set up permanent residence at the bottom of the National League East standings.

With the busy winter now all but wrapped up, the Braves don’t come into the spring with many familiar faces. Kimbrel is one of the few young, marketable stars that the franchise could build around as they seek to produce a winning product sooner than later. On the other side of the coin, he also represents a luxury that a rebuilding team may choose to forgo.

Could be dealt away? Sure. The speculation will likely increase as the July trade deadline approaches. The return would obviously be the determining factor. Kimbrel is in the second season of a four-year, $42 million extension which includes a $13 million option for 2018. That means “Welcome to the Jungle” could still be playing over the PA system in the top of the ninth inning when the Braves move into SunTrust park two years from now.

 

The Righties

Jason Grilli is an experienced late inning arm who seemed to get things back on track with the Angels after some injury woes and early season struggles with the Pirates. The 12-year veteran signed a two-year, $8 million contract with a club option for 2017 in January. Since sticking with Pittsburgh in 2011, Grilli averaged 11.9 K/9 with a 3.09 ERA (2.83 FIP) over 195.1 IP in that four year span.

Grilli, 38, assumed the ninth inning duties for the Pirates in 2013 and held the role into the early stages of last season before he was sidelined with an oblique injury in late April. He returned after missing over a month, but was ineffective and lost the closer’s role to Mark Melancon in late May. Grilli was eventually dealt to the Angels in exchange for another deposed closer, Ernesto Frieri, in June.

He’ll be serving as the primary set-up man for Kimbrel. It’s a role that Grilli said he is eager to fill, given that it allows him to be part of a potentially dynamic group of late inning arms again.

“It’s definitely exciting. I got to be part of one of the best bullpens in the league with Pittsburgh and I hope that we can make the same thing happen here. Pitching is always key, and we saw that this past World Series with the Giants and especially the Royals. I think teams are kind of building around and for that, so to come in and formulate that with the young talent and guys who have experience and the veterans here, backed by a guy like Kimbrel, man, it’s going to be awesome.”

While Grilli signed a multi-year deal with the Braves, he could become a valuable trade piece if he pitches well and the club is out of the playoff picture this summer. That’s when the beauty of Atlanta’s plan to grab a seemingly endless supply of veteran arms may actually bear fruit. It may be less about what they do in a Braves uniform and more about the prospects they could fetch from a contender on the trade market. That’s worth noting for several of the men on this list. For the immediate future, however, it’s all about getting outs.

Jim Johnson, 31, is the other veteran addition who brings plenty of late inning experience. An All-Star fireman with the Orioles, Johnson used his power-sinker to turn in consecutive 50-save seasons in 2012 and 2013. He fell on hard times after being traded to Oakland in what amounted to a salary dump by Baltimore last winter. Johnson was shelled early and often with the A’s and lost his closer’s job almost immediately.

Johnson was peddled to Detroit later in the summer and finished 2014 with just two saves, a 7.09 ERA and a 1.95 WHIP in 53.1 IP. This is a reclamation project for pitching coach Roger McDowell if ever there was one. Johnson signed a one-year, $1.6 million deal with Atlanta. The team is hoping he can become an effective part of the bridge to get the ball to Kimbrel with a lead.

Perhaps it was a confidence issue that compounded Johnson’s woes, but his command was lacking and his sinker was not as effective. His walk rate sky-rocketed from 2.3 BB/9 in 2013 to 5.9 BB/9 last season between Oakland and Detroit. When coupled with a three-year rise in opponents batting average — from .220 BAA in 2012, up to .272 BAA in 2013, before topping out at .318 BAA in 2014 — the amount of base runners was simply untenable.

The key to his turnaround will be generating lots of ground balls. Every team needs a reliever who fits that description. Johnson has a 2.37 career GB/FB (ground ball to fly ball ratio). Never a big strike out pitcher, he will need to get that sinker working again in order to elicit bad contact from hitters. Combine that with solid defense from the infield and Johnson could be successful again.

Jose Veras, 34, is a well-traveled righty who signed a minor league deal with a spring training invitation earlier this month. It’s somewhat surprising that the Astros did not opt to keep him around. Veras enjoyed a good run as their closer in 2013 before being traded to the Tigers. His brief time with the Cubs was an unmitigated disaster, but Veras found his form upon returning to Houston in the final months of 2014.

Atlanta is Veras’ 11th organization. He mixes a low 90s fastball with a split-finger and a curveball. Veras owns a 3.91 ERA in 440 career relief appearances, but if he can replicate the success from his Astros days — 2.97 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 9.6 K/9 in 75.2 IP — then he should be a welcome addition in the middle frames.

Arodys Vizcaino, 24, begins his second stint with the Braves, but he may have a better opportunity to stick this time around. Like so many of Atlanta’s off-season additions, he battled arm troubles and has undergone “Tommy John” surgery. Vizcaino’s rehab was well-documented in Braves circles, since he was already on the disabled list when the team dealt him to Chicago as part of the Paul Maholm/Reed Johnson trade in 2012. It took him two full seasons to get back into game action, but Vizcaino’s velocity returned to its pre-surgery levels as he rehabbed in the Cubs system last year. He even made it back to Chicago for a five-game cameo in September.

Vizcaino posted a 3.51 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 41 minor league innings in 2014. He was hitting 97 mph on the gun to go with a slider and occasional change. Still relatively young, the Braves feel like a healthy Vizcaino can slot into the middle inning mix and perhaps grow into something more. His days as a starter are likely behind him, but Vizcaino has a bright future in relief.

Michael Kohn, 28, may not be a well-known commodity, but he brings yet another power arm for Atlanta to trot out of the pen. It’s this kind of low-key signing that just might pay off in a big way as the Braves construct a bullpen of largely new faces. Kohn comes from the Angels, where he pitched parts of four big league seasons and spent time with Grilli to close out 2014.

He has a fastball in the mid-90s which has helped him post a 3.67 ERA and  8.7 K/9 in 110.1 IP with Los Angeles.  However, that strikeout rate comes with a walk rate of 6.0 BB/9, so command will be an obvious point of emphasis for Kohn as he works with McDowell this spring and beyond. Kohn is another veteran of “Tommy John” surgery (2012), but came back to regain his velocity and make 88 appearances for the Angels over the past two years.

Kohn walked 20 batters in 23.2 IP last season, including 10 in his final 5.1 IP before being demoted. He made a couple of stops this winter after being designated for assignment by the Angels. Kohn initially signed with the Rays but refused assignment upon being outrighted to Triple-A in November. His path eventually led him to sign a minor league deal with Atlanta in December. It included an invitation to spring training, where he figures to battle for a middle relief role.

 

The Lefties

Atlanta never found a reliable lefty to use in match-up situations last season. Though several men tried to fill the role, it was a sore spot in an otherwise effective bullpen. The Braves need a pitcher who can neutralize lefty bats, and they may have found one in time for 2015.

Josh Outman, 30, bounced around a little over the last two seasons, but the one-time starter has transitioned into a situational lefty. Yes, Outman is yet another in an increasingly long line of pitchers to have his career impacted by “Tommy John” surgery. He underwent the procedure in 2009 and lost the entire 2010 season as well.

Originally a Phillies farmhand, Outman has been traded four times in his 10-year career. He moved to the bullpen with the Rockies in 2012 and has proven effective against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .186/.254/.283 career slash line in 413 PA. Outman’s extreme platoon splits have dictated his use, given the fact that righty hitters have a .303/.378/.473 line against him in 778 PA.

Despite those numbers, Outman has said he’d like to be more than just a LOOGY for Atlanta:

“For me, I’ve kind of fallen into a niche role the last couple of seasons. Hopefully I can prove I can do more and be a larger role in the bullpen than just getting left-handers out. I think that I’m capable of that, but also with a bullpen and pitching staff that has a history of being dominant, I’d like to be able to grow myself and maybe figure out how to reach my full potential. [I’d like to] do that here and help win.”

Outman has a tremendous name for a relief pitcher. Additionally, he sports the traditional stirrup socks, making him an increasingly rare breed. Outman figures to wear his trademark uniform No. 88, which he donned in 2011 in order to let Hideki Matsui have No. 55 with the Athletics.

James Russell, 29, was picked up from Chicago via trade last season. The son of former Rangers and Red Sox closer Jeff Russell, he’s 10-16 with a 3.74 ERA in 338 career appearances (six starts) over five seasons. After being home run prone during his first two seasons, Russell turned himself into a solid one inning reliever. He put together a solid 2014 between the Cubs and Braves, posting a 2.97 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 66 appearances.

The knock on Russell was his reverse platoon split. He limited RHH to a minuscule .165/.239/.182 slash line, while LHH had a more comfortable .284/.351/.455 line with all three of the home runs he surrendered.

Russell’s career splits do not follow last year’s trends, but he needs to get things turned around to better serve the Braves out of the pen this season. He was given a spot start at the end of 2014, but any plans to stretch him out this spring went out the window with so many fifth starter candidates in camp.

Luis Avilan, 25, took a big step back from a sparkling 2013 campaign. His walk rate shot up nearly 50 percent in 2014 (from 3.0 BB/9 in 2013 to 4.4 BB/9). At the same time, he was getting hit at much higher rate (up from 5.5 H/9 in 2013 to 9.8 H/9). Apply those numbers to his season line and you get a pitcher who went from a 1.52 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 75 appearances in 2013, to one who turned in a 4.57 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 62 games last season.

Avilan found himself back in Triple-A in mid-July, but a lack of left-handed depth contributed to his eventual return. That and the fact it would be hard to believe that the Braves would completely give up on him so quickly.

Given his struggles, there is no guarantee Avilan will make the 25-man roster out of spring training. He’ll need to make the most of his Grapefruit League innings and demonstrate the ability to get outs on a regular basis in order to head north with the big league club in April.

The Others

A slew of other arms are in camp, hoping to impress the Braves brass. Most are likely end up finding work out of the Gwinnett bullpen. Atlanta signed Matt Capps, 31, earlier this month. The former All-Star closer has been limited to just 10 minor league appearances in the Indians organization the last two seasons. Capps has dealt with shoulder problems and has not appeared in the majors since 2012 with the Twins. Reports about his velocity this winter varied between 80-92 mph according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. That’s extremely odd,  and it should be fascinating to see what end of the spectrum he clocks in at during the spring. Capps has a 3.52 ERA and 138 career saves in 444 appearances.

Donnie Veal, 30, is another lefty candidate for Atlanta. A non-roster invitee who spent the last four years with the White Sox organization, Veal is just 3-3 with a 4.87 ERA in 100 career appearances. He’s struck out 70 while walking 47 in 64.2 IP, holding LHH to a paltry .205/.321/.311 line in 156 PA. The walks are obviously his problem area, but Veal provides an option at Triple-A if nothing else. Having an extra LOOGY never hurt anybody.

 

Grant McAuley covers the Braves for Sports Radio 92-9 The Game. You can follow Grant onTwitter. All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

Another strong class is heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer. Just one year after electing three players, the baseball writers bestowed the game’s highest honor on four men on Tuesday.

Longtime Braves star John Smoltz along with fellow pitchers Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez all made it on the first try. Holdover Craig Biggio was elected in his third year on the ballot. The group will be enshrined on July 26, 2015 in Cooperstown, New York.

Players must receive the necessary 75 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to gain election to the hall. Johnson was listed on 534 of the 549 ballots, finishing with class-best 97.3 percent.

John Smoltz joins Atlanta teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine as well as manager Bobby Cox, all of whom were inducted last year. The newly elected Smoltz was listed on 82.9 percent of the ballots.

Smoltz was acquired in a trade deadline deal in 1987, when Atlanta shipped veteran Doyle Alexander to Detroit in exchange for a Tigers pitcher prospect. That young right-hander would go on to spend all but one season of his 21-year career with Atlanta, building a unique hall of fame campaign by becoming the only pitcher in history to win 200 games, save 150 and strike out 3,000 batters. Smoltz and fellow hall of famer Dennis Eckersley are the only two pitchers who own both a 20 win and a 50 save season. He was an excellent starter who went to the bullpen and then returned to the rotation only to enjoy success again.

He led the league in wins in both 1996 and 2006, before and after leading the league in saves in 2002 during his time in the bullpen. Smoltz won a Cy Young Award in that 1996 season when he went 24-8 with a 2.94 ERA and 276 strikeouts. He finished his career with 3,084 career strikeouts and holds the Braves franchise record with 3,011 – that’s Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta.

Smoltz was also one of the best postseason pitchers of all-time, which only bolstered his case. He was 15-4 with a 2.67 ERA and 4 saves in 41 playoff games – 27 starts. It was basically another season for him, but it was built at the most important time of the year. Smoltz logged 209 innings in October and racked up another 199 strikeouts.

Johnson, at 6’10”, becomes the tallest hall of famer in history. The lefty had just amassed just nine wins by his 26^th birthday, but went on to become the 24^th member of the elite 300 win club. It’s possible Johnson could be the last pitcher to reach that milestone. Second only to Nolan Ryan with 4,875 strikeouts, Johnson averaged a big league best 10.6 SO/9 over his 22-year career. He won five Cy Young Awards and finished runner-up three more times. Though his postseason record is a mixed bag at first glance (7-9, 3.50 ERA), Johnson will be remembered for teaming with fellow hall candidate Curt Schilling to propel the Arizona Diamondbacks to the 2001 World Series championship.

Pedro Martinez was a dominant pitcher in an era dominated by sluggers. The slightly built right-hander from the Dominican Republic stood just 5’11”. Originally a Dodgers prospect, Martinez was traded to the Expos and went on to star on a Boston Red Sox team that found its way back to prominence just over a decade ago. He received 91.1 percent of the vote.

During his prime years from 1997-2003 he may have been the most dominant pitcher in baseball. Martinez won three Cy Young Awards, finished second twice and third another during that seven-year span in which went 118-36 with a 2.20 ERA and 1761 K in 1408 IP. He finished with 219 wins, but his .687 winning percentage is the third highest among hall of famers. Martinez fanned over 3,000 men and ranks third in history with 10.0 SO/9.

Craig Biggio fell just two votes shy last in 2014, but got the expected push to gain election. He garnered 82.7 percent of the vote this time around. A member of the 3,000 hit club who spent three years on the ballot. The versatile Biggio played three positions and was a seven-time all-star during his 20 seasons with the Houston Astros, becoming perhaps the greatest player in franchise history. He ranks fifth with 668 doubles and is baseball’s all-time leader with 285 times hit by pitch.

Only one player approached the 75 percent threshold, only to fall short.

Mike Piazza was named on 69.9 percent of the ballot. He was a 12-time All-Star who turned in a .308/.377/.545 (143 OPS+) career slash line, belting 427 home runs to go with 1335 RBI. Piazza set a major league record with 396 home runs as a catcher. Though he never failed a drug test or was substantively linked to any scandal, suspicion of PED clouded Piazza’s case with some voters.

Grant McAuley covers baseball for 92-9 The Game. You can follow him on Twitter. All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

The San Diego Padres have been one of the busiest teams in baseball this winter. That trend continued on Friday as they acquired outfielder Justin Upton in a six-player trade with the Atlanta Braves.

The deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Upton and a minor league pitcher Aaron Northcraft head to San Diego according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

In return, Atlanta receives a package of prospects including left-hander Max Fried, infielder Jace Peterson, third baseman Dustin Peterson and outfielder Mallex Smith. The Braves also get the Padres’ fourth international bonus pool slot in the deal.

Upton, 27, is a year away from free agency, which led to rampant speculation the Braves would be shopping his services this winter. He set a career-high with 102 RBI, winning his second career Silver Slugger in 2014. Upton was due to make $14.5 million in the final season of the six-year, $50 million extension he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010. He was acquired in a trade by Atlanta prior to the 2013 season.

How hard is it to find consistent power threat like Upton?

Over the past two seasons, a player has hit 27 or more home runs on 41 occasions. Just eight men did so in both 2013 and 2014, with Justin Upton the only National League player to accomplish that feat. That power is what made him the most productive hitter in an Atlanta lineup that struggled to score runs last season.

While Petco Park is not exactly a hitters’ haven, Upton has batted .291 with 10 HR and .541 SLG in 192 PA in his career as a visiting player. His “light tower power” shouldn’t be too adversely affected:

First year GM A.J. Preller has pulled off a number of deals to revamp the Padres over the past week, including one that landed star slugger Matt Kemp from the Dodgers on Thursday. San Diego was part of a three-team, 11-player trade that netted former AL Rookie of the Year Wil Myers from the Tampa Bay Rays.

With both Jason Heyward and the younger, more marketable of the Upton brothers now traded, Atlanta’s projected outfield includes the recently-signed Nick Markakis in right, B.J. Upton in center and Evan Gattis in left field. Both manager Fredi Gonzalez and President of Baseball Operations John Hart said the team is open to giving Gattis at-bats as an outfielder, though he could see some time behind the plate as well. Gattis has also been the subject of trade rumors this winter.

As for the Braves’ return for Upton, Fried is the centerpiece of the deal even though he is coming off a lost season. The seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft, Fried turns 21 years old in January and entered last season ranked as the #53 prospect in minor league baseball and #3 in the Padres organization according to Baseball America.

He was 6-7 with a 3.49 ERA in 118.2 IP over 23 starts for Low-A Fort Wayne in 2013, striking out 100 batters against 56 walks. Forearm tightness derailed his 2014 campaign before finally leading to “Tommy John” surgery in August.

Jace Peterson, 24, is a versatile infielder who can play second, short and third. He was a 1st round supplemental pick in the 2011 draft (58th pick overall). The lefty hitter owns a career .287/.381/.411 minor league slash line in 1,732 PA. He’s also a solid base runner, evidenced by his 148 stolen bases (78% success rate) over the past three seasons. Peterson batted just .113 in 53 AB with San Diego in 2014. He also saw some action in the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros, where he hit .262 with a .360 OBP, collecting nine RBI and eight steals in 22 games.

Third baseman Dustin Peterson, 20, was the Padres 2nd round pick in 2013. He’s of no relation to Jace, but Dustin’s older brother, D.J. Peterson, is likewise a third baseman and was a 1st rounder for Seattle in that very same draft class. The younger Peterson played his first full season in 2014 and batted just .233/.274/.361 with 44 XBH (10 HR) and 25 BB/137 K in A-ball.

Outfielder Mallex Smith, 21, was selected by the Padres in the 5th round of the 2012 draft. He hit .310 /.403/.432 with 88 SB in 120 G between A/A+ last season. Primarily a center fielder, he can play all three spots. Speed is an exciting element of his game. Smith played in the Arizona Fall League alongside Peterson, batting .305 with a .408 OBP in 15 games.

 

Grant McAuley covers baseball for 92-9 The Game. You can follow Grant on Twitter.

SAN DIEGO — The Atlanta Braves contingent touched down on the West Coast on Sunday evening, checking into the Machester Grand Hyatt to begin what could be the club’s busiest Winter Meetings in recent history.

Some call it a rebuild, but this new regime seems to have something more than that in mind. Tearing it all down to start over has never been the design. Thus, new president of baseball operations John Hart finds himself in the peculiar position of being charged with fielding a competitive big league club in the midst of attempting to strengthen the farm system. Being competitive for 2017 was a much talked about goal when Hart took on a newly created full-time roll, but it’s not the only objective here.

A talented core is in place, and the blueprint is vaguely reminiscent of Hart’s formula for constructing the Cleveland Indians two decades ago. With Hart in an advisory role last winter, the Braves signed Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrel, Julio Teheran and Andrelton Simmons to long term deals. All of those men are under the age of 26. What’s more, prized prospect Jose Peraza is on the cusp of bringing his talents to the big league level.

Atlanta has a young rotation led by Teheran, Alex Wood, Mike Minor and the recently acquired Shelby Miller. They’re seeking a fifth man, but starting pitching was not a detriment for the 2014 team.

It was a scuffling offense that eventually forced Atlanta out of contention in the second half. That, however, is a point that’s been recapped sufficiently since season’s end. The current focus has turned to improving the big league roster for 2015 and beyond, a process which will be carried out over the coming years rather than weeks or months.

The initial moves have raised a few eyebrows.

Facing the possibility to of losing him to free agency next winter, the Braves traded right fielder Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals for Miller and pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins. It’s rare that a deal can be both surprising and expected, but somehow it was. Heyward, 25, was supposed to be a cornerstone for the club, but the narrative seemed to change as the years wore on. Great defense coupled with unfulfilled expectations on the offensive side, Heyward possesses the talent be a star. That quite simply became a question that won’t be answered in Atlanta.

Last week, the Braves dipped into the free agent market to sign right fielder Nick Markakis to a four-year contract. It’s a somewhat puzzling move, but not one without merit. Atlanta seems convinced that a possible neck surgery will not hinder Markakis’ availability for opening day. Regardless, that signing gives the Braves three corner outfielders with only two spots to go around.

Now the team is in San Diego with a shopping list that includes at least one starting pitcher, some help at second base and a back-up catcher. Adding depth to a bench that left much to be desired in 2014 is also a priority, as is strengthening the bullpen leading up to Kimbrel. Signing former All-Star Jim Johnson in hopes of a return to form was a calculated risk, a move that could pay dividends. There’s more to accomplish though.

Filling those remaining needs is largely dependent on how actively the Braves continue to pursue trades. The big chips are obvious, with Justin Upton and Evan Gattis among the hottest commodities out there. They share a common thread – power – but Upton stands a year away from free agency and his chances of signing an extension to stick around are slim. Meanwhile, Christian Bethancourt is primed to take over the regular catching duties. Trying Gattis in the outfield again was something manager Fredi Gonzalez said they’d consider back in October.

Sending Heyward to the Cardinals netted Miller and a prospect, but could the slugging Upton bring more? Some, if not most, believe he could, but finding the right offer could be a little more complicated writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

Rival executives agree with that. Upton, due to better power and overall offense, is worth more than Heyward.

But here’s the problem: Executives also believe the Braves got too much for Heyward, a defensive specialist whose offensive numbers are declining a bit. They see young pitcher Shelby Miller as an overpay, so no one wants to do better than that yet.

The Mariners declined to include Taijuan Walker (who interestingly was offered two years ago for Upton), and the Orioles won’t give up Kevin Gausman.

Heyman cited a tweet by the New York Post’s Joel Sherman which listed a number of teams linked to Upton:

That’s a slew of clubs, but the Indians may well be out of the running after acquiring Brandon Moss from the Athletics on Monday morning. The Padres have the kind of pitching that the Braves desire, but they’ve been linked heavily to Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp. That could make Upton a secondary pursuit for San Diego.

Kemp, 30, is due $107 million over the next five seasons while the 27-year old Upton is a short term commitment who makes a reasonable $14.5 million in 2015. That could make him more attractive to some contending clubs that may feel they’re missing that one big bat to make an immediate difference. That seems like an ideal fit for a team like the Royals, which is searching for a right handed power hitter. As noted, those are in short supply.

Another plus for any club that does go the Upton route is the opportunity to either extend him or extend a qualifying offer as he heads for what is likely to be a big deal in free agency next winter. None of that lessens the fact that a short term add like Upton won’t necessarily garner an overpay from teams hesitant to part with highly regarded young pitching prospects. Those are likewise in short supply.

Other clubs that could make sense on the Upton front are the Orioles and Mariners, even though the latter just plucked last season’s MLB home run champ Nelson Cruz from the former. If Cruz slots in at DH, which is best for all parties involved, then Seattle could still be in the market for a left fielder. Should their free agent pursuits fail, perhaps the M’s would revisit acquiring Upton. Baltimore’s need stems from losing Cruz and would actually be a similar situation to filling the void he left with another slugger on a one-year deal.

Another of Cruz’ former clubs, the Texas Rangers, remains on the radar. His power could play even bigger in Arlington. Ravaged by injury last season, it’s unclear whether or not they’d be willing to pay the price to land any trade target with just one season remaining under contract.

The Evan Gattis rumblings have been fewer and further between. His considerable power and four years of team control remaining are the selling points. Gattis, 28, has mashed 43 home runs in 783 PA in his first two season with Atlanta. American League clubs should be lined up, given the DH option which would get his bat in the lineup on a more regular basis. Hard to say the return would be greater than Upton, but it should be considerable if the right party decides Gattis is the piece they need. The fact he’s immediately cheaper than Upton on the salary scale is something that factors into Atlanta’s interest in trying him in left field should Upton be dealt.

With the free agent market for top tier starting pitchers putting those arms out of Atlanta’s financial reach, filling that final spot in the rotation with a young high-upside arm hinges on those trade talks. However, there are some free agents worth noting.

Veteran righty Jake Peavy has long been linked to the Braves. At 33, Peavy no longer possesses the front of the rotation stuff that earned him the 2007 NL Cy Young award and made him a coveted target for Atlanta in years past. He is still a fierce competitor and could be the right kind of veteran to put in the mix with Atlanta’s current young and talented quartet.

There’s always a chance that Aaron Harang could return after impressing during a bounce back campaign. Harang, 36, had his best season since 2007, going 12-12 with a 3.57 ERA and 161 K in 204.1 IP for Atlanta. He won’t be a $1 million bargain this time around, and he’d like to have the stability of a multi-year offer, but Harang makes sense on some levels.

Speaking of bounce back seasons and pitchers who could use one, Justin Masterson qualifies. After winning 14 games in an All-Star season for the Indians in 2013, the two sides broke off extension talks last spring. What followed was an injury-filled 2014. Masterson struggled mightily (7-9, 5.88 with  in 128.2 IP) and was eventually traded to the Cardinals prior to the non-waiver deadline. Several clubs are in the derby according to Heyman, though the Braves haven’t emerged as a suitor. Masterson is the guy who helped new Braves starter Shelby Miller add a sinker to his arsenal in St. Louis. He’s an intriguing name, but may be more speculation than anything at this point.

Atlanta non-tendered right-handers Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy last week. It’s possible one or both could return on a lower guarantee with some incentives built in. What’s hard to ignore is that both are coming off their second career Tommy John surgeries and would not factor into rotation plans until late May at the earliest.

There will be plenty of non trade-related names that could be or have been explored by the Braves. That’s where the search for a second baseman and fortifying the bench is likely to be found. There’s no pressing need to find anything more than a place filler at second base with Peraza’s star on the rise. Just 20 years old, he slashed .339/.364/.441 in 499 PA while stealing 60 bases between Lynchburg and Mississippi last year. Bringing him along at the right pace is part of the equation, as is keeping an eye on his arbitration clock. Those two factors could keep Peraza in the minors, likely Gwinnett, until June.

Stephen Drew turns 32 years old in March and had a disastrous 2014 season which was put on hold thanks to a rejected qualifying offer. With no multi-year deal to be found, the longtime shortstop eventually signed back with Boston, but ended being traded to the Yankees and shifting to second base. Drew finished the year with a .162./.237/.299 line in 300 PA. Hardly encouraging numbers, but he could be had for a lower base deal which would allow him to rebuild his value and test the market again sans qualifying offer.

The Braves already have versatile infielder Phil Gosselin, but could seek another multi-positional player to add to the mix. Gordon Beckham, 28, might fit that bill. Recently non-tendered by the Angels, Beckham spent the bulk of his career with the White Sox, morphing from a highly regarded prospect into a perennial underachiever. He’s a .245/.307/.375 career hitter in 2,958 PA across six seasons. Beckham will latch on somewhere, with Atlanta on a list of possible landing spots.

As Bethancourt takes the reins behind the plate, Atlanta is in the market for a veteran backstop to pair with him. Among the names mentioned have been former back-up David Ross, who turns 38 in March, who played with the Braves from 2009-2012. Well liked and well respected, he spent the last two seasons with the Red Sox. Batting just .197 with 11 homers in 86 games over that time, Ross is unlikely to command anything close to the two-year, $6.2 million deal that lured him to Boston.

Mark Bowman of MLB.com listed Ross among the top targets to serve behind Bethancourt:

With more story lines than most clubs, it should be an interesting week for the Braves. Whether they complete all their deals here in San Diego or simply lay the foundation for moves to come, John Hart and company will be very busy during the Winter Meetings.

Grant McAuley covers the Braves for Sports Radio 92-9 The Game. You can follow Grant on Twitter @grantmcauley.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Facing a potential season-ending injury to Kris Medlen, the Atlanta Braves moved quickly to shore up the rotation. The team announcing the signing of right-hander Ervin Santana to a one-year deal on Wednesday morning.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Santana will make $14.1 million this season, the same amount as the qualifying offer he turned down from Kansas City. Atlanta will surrender the No. 26 pick in this June’s draft for signing Santana.

I had a chance to catch up with Santana following Wednesday’s introductory press conference. Here’s what he had to say:

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Santana, 31, is coming of a strong 2013 campaign for the Kansas Royals, one which he had hoped would lead to a lucrative long-term contract over the winter. That failed to materialize in the wake of the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes, which left Santana among a number of proven big league arms searching for work into the new year.

Though his record was just 9-10 last season, Santana turned in a career-best 3.24 ERA in 211 innings across his 32 starts. He also saw his home runs surrendered and walk-rates fall as well.

“It’s going to be different because I don’t know the [National League], but I will be adjusted and I will do my job like always. Go out there every five days and do my work. It’s going to be fun,” said Santana.

Over the course of his nine-year career spent in the American League with Los Angeles and Kansas City, Santana has a 105-90 record with a 4.19 ERA in 1686.2 IP. With Medlen likely ticketed for a second Tommy John surgery, Atlanta is banking on Santana’s ability to provide 200 innings this season, something he has done three of the last four years.

While Santana is obviously a few weeks behind the other pitchers who have been in camps across both leagues, he has continued to take the steps to have himself physically ready to slide back into a daily routine.

“I’ve been working out every single day, throwing bullpens. I’m basically almost ready to go,” said Santana. “I need to face some hitters in a game.”

The Braves will be taking the same steps they do with all of their pitchers as they arrive for Spring Training, easing him into the day-to-day activities.

“We’re not going to push it that fast,” Braves GM Frank Wren when asked if Santana will be ready to go on Opening Day. “I think we want to take it slow – not extraordinarily slow – but I think we want to take the right amount of caution to get him ready right, because we want him to be ready for the long-haul.”

The next steps for Santana will be to throw at least one bullpen session before facing live hitting in batting practice. Wren added they may be able to get him on the mound in a game in roughly a week.

Grant McAuley covers the Braves for Sports Radio 92.9 The Game. Follow Grant on Twitter.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Atlanta Braves continued a flurry of activity in the month of February, announcing a seven-year contract extension with shortstop Andrelton Simmons on Thursday.

The deal contains no option years and runs through the 2020 season. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that it will pay the 24-year-old defensive wizard a $1 million signing bonus and a total of $58 million over the life of the contract.

“We feel that Andrelton is one of the premier shortstops in the game today and we are happy that we were able to agree on this multi-year contract,” said general manager Frank Wren in the team release.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman provided a yearly salary breakdown of the deal:

• 2014: $1 million (plus $1 million signing bonus)
• 2015: $3 million
• 2016: $6 million
• 2017: $8 million
• 2018: $11 million
• 2019: $13 million
• 2020: $15 million

That averages out to just under $8.3 million per season, making Simmons the latest  in a group of young core players to sign a multi-year deal over the past three weeks. He joins Freddie Freeman (8-years, $135 million), Craig Kimbrel (4-years, $42 million), Julio Teheran (6-years, $32.4 million) and Jason Heyward (2-years, $13.3 million), all of whom gained the financial security of avoiding the arbitration process altogether, whether it be now or in the future.

Atlanta has now committed roughly $28o million (not including option years and possible incentives) to those five players, while also extending the contracts of manager Fredi Gonzalez and general manager Frank Wren (financial terms not disclosed). It is a serious investment in the future of the franchise as they head into their new $672 million stadium in suburban Cobb County in 2017.

Simmons led all National League shortstops with 499 assists while earning his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2013. He was also named the NL’s Platinum Glove Award Winner, which recognizes the best overall fielding player in the league. Simmons turned in a 5.4 DWAR (defensive wins above replacement in 2013) while accounting for plus-41 DRS (defensive runs saved), which is the best single season mark in the 11 years that statistic has been kept.

Though his glove justifiably attracts Simmons the most attention, he took major strides at the plate in 2013. He batted .248/.296/.396 with 17 homers, 59 RBI and 76 runs scored in his first full major league season. Those 17 home runs were fourth most by a shortstop in the NL and fifth most in MLB.

Last season was really a tale of two halves at the plate for Simmons. After turning in just a .243/.282/.348 slash line in 90 games prior to the All-Star break, he slugged nine home runs and had a .255/.316/.472 mark in 67 contests thereafter.

Simmons has seen his power grow exponentially in the last calender year as well. It took him 361 games to collect the first 14 home runs of his professional career (minors included), but just 75 contests to belt his last 12. He also has a penchant for making contact, proving fourth toughest to strikeout in all of baseball last season – just once every 11.96 at-bats.

Combine that budding power with room to grow at the plate and his unparalleled defensive ability, and it’s easy to understand why the Braves decided to invest heavily in Simmons.

Grant McAuley covers the Braves for Sports Radio 92.9 The Game. Follow Grant on Twitter.

The Atlanta Braves extended the contracts of manager Fredi Gonzalez and general manager Frank Wren on Wednesday.

This continues a string of extensions for Atlanta, now stretching all the way from the field, to the dugout, to the front office.

Both men were entering the final season of their previous deals in 2014. Financial terms and length of the contracts were not immediately announced.

Dave O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the club declined to release the contract specifics at this time in order keep focus on the on-field product.

Gonzalez, 50, was tasked with following in the footsteps of Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox, who retired following the 2010 season. In his three years at the helm, Gonzalez has led Atlanta to a 279-207 record and two trips to the postseason.

Wren, 55, likewise had big shoes to fill upon taking up the general manager’s duties in 2007 after John Schuerholz was promoted to team president. In his six years serving as GM, Wren has seen the club reach the playoffs on three occasions while turning in an overall record of 528-444.

Over the past four seasons, only the free-spending New York Yankees (372) have won more regular season games than the Braves, who have compiled 370 victories over that four-year span (the Texas Rangers also have 370 wins). Unlike New York, Atlanta has accomplished its success while operating under a self-imposed salary cap of roughly $90 million.

In recent weeks, the Braves have been in a frenzy of activity when it comes to multi-year deals. Wren oversaw long-term extensions for first baseman Freddie Freeman, closer Craig Kimbrel and starter Julio Teheran while also avoiding arbitration with outfielder Jason Heyward for the next two seasons.

Grant McAuley covers the Braves for Sports Radio 92.9 The Game. Follow Grant on Twitter.