Tag Archives: Braves

12 Jan

from the stove

Having agreed to terms with free agent Gerardo Parra, Colorado may look to deal an outfielder, and Meridian Community College product Corey Dickerson is a candidate to be moved. Not only is Dickerson a quality left-handed bat, but he is four years from free agency. Baltimore, where Parra finished 2015, is a possible destination. … Ole Miss product Chris Coghlan, who figures to see limited playing time with the talent-laden Chicago Cubs, might be a fit in Baltimore, some have speculated. Coghlan has enjoyed a career resurgence with the Cubs the last two years. … Former Ole Miss standout Zack Cozart’s time in Cincinnati could be coming to an end soon. The Reds are in the process of signing 21-year-old Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez, the 2014-15 Serie Nacional rookie of the year. Rodriguez is labeled “a glove-first prospect with good speed” whose bat still needs some polish. He’ll likely start 2016 in the minors but could eventually push Cozart out of his starting role. There already had been rumors that Cozart might be dealt this season by the rebuilding Reds. … Southern Miss and William Carey alum Dan Jennings, the ex-Miami Marlins GM and manager, is now a special assistant to the president of baseball operations for the Washington Nationals. (Can he help concoct a trade involving closer Jonathan Papelbon, the controversial ex-Mississippi State standout? Probably not.) … Months of wheeling and dealing by Atlanta’s front office has left just 11 Mississippi Braves alumni on the Braves’ current 40-man roster. Only three of those are position players: Freddie Freeman, Daniel Castro and Mallex Smith. The latest to go was power-hitting outfielder Joey Terdoslavich, put on waivers last week and claimed by Baltimore, which really must have a need for outfielders.

08 Jan

being there

Ex-Ole Miss star Chris Ellis is among the contingent (27, all told) of non-roster players invited to big league camp by the Atlanta Braves. Right-hander Ellis, acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in the Andrelton Simmons trade, went 7-4 with a 3.92 ERA in 15 Double-A starts in 2015. He was a third-round pick in 2014, one of the nine Rebels drafted that summer. Ellis likely will open 2016 at Triple-A Gwinnett, but when you check out the rotation candidates from the Braves’ 40-man roster – Julio Tehran, Bud Norris, Matt Wisler, Williams Perez, Ryan Weber – you have to think there are opportunities there. Also getting camp invites are 2015 Mississippi Braves Rio Ruiz, Lucas Sims and Ryan Kelly (who was in the big leagues for a period last year) and potential 2016 M-Braves Joseph Odom, Braxton Davidson, Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson. P.S. The lack of support Billy Wagner, the former Jackson Generals star, received in the Hall of Fame voting is hard to fathom. He was named on just 46 ballots, 10.5 percent, barely enough to stay on the ballot. Said Hall of Famer John Smoltz to mlb.com: “I was a little surprised by that. Billy was an incredible left-handed closer.” Wagner posted 422 saves, a 2.31 ERA, averaged 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings and made seven All-Star Games. Fellow closer Trevor Hoffman, also a first-timer on the ballot, was named on 67.3 percent; 75 percent is needed for induction. The third closer on the ballot, Lee Smith, was named on 34.1 percent. Little-known fact: Smith pitched in two games for the 1998 Generals during a comeback attempt at age 40. That was his final pro season.

16 Dec

who’s the boss?

The Mississippi Braves will be under the charge of a new manager in 2016, with former major leaguer Luis Salazar succeeding Aaron Holbert in that role. Salazar, a native of Venezuela, managed Atlanta’s high Class A club the last five years. Salazar, some may recall, lost his left eye when struck by a foul ball during a spring training game in 2011, his first year with the Atlanta organization. He becomes the sixth manager of the Double-A M-Braves since the franchise moved to Pearl in 2005, following Brian Snitker, Jeff Blauser, Phillip Wellman, Rocket Wheeler and Holbert. Holbert, the club’s winningest manager, did a four-year stint, same as Wellman. The team won its only Southern League title under Wellman in 2008. Salazar hit .261 over 13 seasons in the majors and has worked for many years in the minors as a manager and hitting coach. Dennis Lewallyn returns as M-Braves pitching coach and Garey Ingram as hitting coach. The team opens the 2016 season at Trustmark Park on April 7.

13 Dec

name dropping

Over the last few days, the MLB transactions page has been littered with the names of former Mississippi Braves on the move: Christian Bethancourt, Yunel Escobar, Charlie Morton, Brett Oberholtzer, Ryne Harper and, of course, the big newsmaker, Jason Heyward. To recap: Atlanta, after signing free agent catcher Tyler Flowers, decided to punt (to San Diego) the enigmatic Bethancourt, a once-highly touted prospect who hit .219 in 80 MLB games and had defensive issues, as well. Bethancourt hit .277 with 12 homers in Pearl in 2013 – his second Double-A campaign — but always seemed to be hurt. … Escobar, an M-Braves standout in 2006, was traded by Washington to the Los Angeles Angels, despite hitting .314 as the Nationals third baseman in 2015. Escobar, a .281 career hitter known at one time for annoying on-field antics, has now been traded six times, starting with the deal that sent him from Atlanta to Toronto in 2010. … Morton, a standout pitcher on the M-Braves’ 2007 playoff team, was dealt by Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, going from contender to bottom-feeder. Ugh. Morton went 9-9 with a 4.81 ERA for the Pirates last season. … Oberholtzer, a lefty who won nine games for the 2011 M-Braves, was part of the package Houston sent to Philadelphia in the Ken Giles trade. Oberholtzer is a quality arm; he has a 3.94 ERA in 45 MLB games over three seasons. … Harper, a reliever – and a good one — in Pearl the past three seasons, has been shipped to Seattle by Atlanta to complete a deal for another reliever, Jose Ramirez. … And then there was Heyward, who made a splash with the M-Braves in 2009. The 26-year-old outfielder signed an 8-year, $184M deal with the Chicago Cubs, leaving St. Louis after one year. Heyward is a true 5-tool talent who may just now be peaking. He could be the piece that propels the Cubs to that much-coveted World Series crown. … So much for looking back. Here’s a look ahead: Dansby Swanson, pilfered by Atlanta from Arizona in the Shelby Miller trade, will probably wind up in Pearl sometime in 2017. The first overall pick out of Vanderbilt back in June played in short-season A-ball this season, so it figures he’s a year away from Double-A. But the Braves, who need help at the big league level, might move him up quickly. Great things are forecast for Swanson, a shortstop with power.

20 Nov

fall guys

Ex-Mississippi State standout Chad Girodo made a good impression in the Arizona Fall League, which concluded its regular season slate on Thursday. Left-hander Girodo, a ninth-round pick by Toronto in 2013, didn’t give up an earned run until his sixth appearance and finished with a 1.80 ERA in seven games (10 innings) for Salt River. Girodo moved from A-ball to Triple-A in the Blue Jays’ system this past season. He posted a 1.32 ERA at Class A Dunedin and an 0.62 at Double-A New Hampshire before getting knocked around a bit in four appearances at Triple-A Buffalo. He has 163 strikeouts in 160 2/3 minor league innings. … Adam Frazier, another State alum and a Pittsburgh farmhand, hit .321 with three triples, four RBIs and six runs for Glendale before heading off to Asia for the Premier 12 tournament. … Before he was hit with a 50-game suspension (see previous post), Richton’s JaCoby Jones (Detroit) batted .280 with two homers, four RBIs and nine runs in 12 games for Scottsdale. Ole Miss product Stuart Turner, a catcher in Minnesota’s system, scuffled on that same Scottsdale club, hitting .171 in 12 games. Rehabbing big leaguer T.J. House (Cleveland) from Picayune pitched for Scottsdale and threw three scoreless innings. … Scottsdale plays Surprise in the AFL championship game on Saturday. Several Biloxi Shuckers alums are on the Surprise roster, including infielder Yadiel Rivera (.315) and starting pitcher Adrian Houser (2-2, 3.51 ERA). P.S. Atlanta added center fielder Mallex Smith and right-hander John Gant, both 2015 Mississippi Braves, to its 40-man roster on Thursday.

13 Nov

this just in

If the reports are true, former Ole Miss standout Chris Ellis, a fast-rising pitching prospect, is changing organizations. Ellis is reported to be part of the package the Los Angeles Angels are sending to Atlanta in the eye-opening deal for Andrelton Simmons, the ex-Mississippi Braves shortstop. Erick Aybar, a veteran shortstop, and Sean Newcomb, another pitching prospect, are also said to be joining the Braves. Ellis, a third-round pick by the Angels in 2014, made it to Double-A last summer and handled that key level very well. He was 7-4 with a 3.92 ERA. The 6-foot-4 right-hander started 2015 at Class A Inland Empire, going 4-5, 3.88 before getting the bump to Arkansas. He was rated the No. 9 prospect in the California League by Baseball America.

12 Nov

there and here

Adam Frazier’s off-season work took him first to Arizona and then to Taiwan. Mississippi State product Frazier is on the U.S. team for the Premier 12 international tournament and has continued to swing a hot bat. Frazier had three hits in a 10-0 win over Mexico on Thursday after getting two hits and two RBIs in an 11-5 victory against the Dominican Republic on Tuesday. Frazier, a lefty-hitting middle infielder, batted .321 with four RBIs and six runs in seven Arizona Fall League games. He hit .324 with 30 RBIs and 59 runs in 103 games for Double-A Altoona in the Pittsburgh system this past season. The U.S. team, which also includes Ole Miss alum Cody Satterwhite, is 2-1 in the Premier 12, a big-time event on the world stage. P.S. Add Alex Presley to the list of Mississippi-connected players on the minor league free agent market. Outfielder Presley, 30, spent most of 2015 at Triple-A Fresno, where he hit .292; the ex-Ole Miss star got just 12 MLB at-bats with Houston. … Finally cleared to work – and play — in the U.S., Cuban outfielder Dian Toscano could be headed to the Mississippi Braves next spring. Toscano, 26, a lefty hitter with more speed than power, signed with Atlanta last January but did not play in 2015 as he awaited employment approval. He apparently has played very little the last two years, so some Double-A seasoning might be in order.

10 Nov

strong credentials

When he arrived in Jackson in 1995, he was the personification of effectively wild. Texas League hitters didn’t want to get too comfortable against Billy Wagner, who threw in the upper 90s from the left side and might hit a batter, walk another and then strike out the next three. By the time he retired in 2010, Wagner had much better command but was no less scary to face. Wagner is on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, and he is likely to get strong consideration. He ended his big league career with 422 saves, a 2.31 ERA and 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings. He was a seven-time All-Star and helped Houston reach the postseason in 1997, ’98, ’99 and 2001. His final season, with Atlanta, was one of his best: 1.43 ERA, 37 saves, 7-2 record for another playoff club. A first-round pick in 1993 out of NCAA Division III Ferrum (Va.) College, Wagner was a starter for the ’95 Generals and went 2-2 with a 2.57 ERA in nine games before being promoted. He struck out 77 in 70 innings and walked 36. (He hit four batters and threw four wild pitches.) Wagner, Bobby Abreu and Lance Berkman are three players from the Generals era (1991-99) whose numbers should garner at least some attention from Hall of Fame voters. P.S. Ed Easley, Scott Copeland, Tim Dillard, Phil Irwin, Cody Satterwhite and Julio Borbon are Mississippians on the list of minor league free agents provided today by Baseball America. Easley and Copeland made their MLB debuts this past season before getting sent back to the minors. Several 2015 Mississippi Braves are also in the free agent group, including Kevin Ahrens, Tyler Jones, Greg Ross and Mycal Jones, along with Robby Hefflinger, who didn’t play in 2015 because of health issues.

10 Nov

in memoriam

Seven years have passed since Tommy Hanson pitched at Trustmark Park in Pearl. He is one of literally a hundred Mississippi Braves who have advanced to the big leagues – and one that ardent M-Braves fans surely remember. He arrived early in the 2008 season with a lot of hoopla, a big (6 feet 6, 220 pounds), hard-throwing right-hander on a fast track to the big leagues. And Hanson delivered on his promise. He went 8-4 with a 3.58 ERA, throwing a 14-strikeout no-hitter on June 25 at the TeePee against Birmingham and helping the M-Braves win their only Southern League pennant later that summer. He was an approachable, soft-spoken guy with bright red hair, originally from Oklahoma, drafted by Atlanta out of a California junior college. He went on to win 49 games in the big leagues, most of those in four seasons with the Braves. Injury issues curtailed his MLB career, but he was still pitching this past season in the San Francisco system. Hanson, just 29, died in Atlanta on Monday of what is described as “catastrophic organ failure.” It was shocking news. He is remembered here fondly.

09 Nov

up in arms

Cody Reed’s strong finish this past season has attracted attention. The left-hander out of Horn Lake and Northwest Mississippi Community College is ranked the No. 2 prospect in Cincinnati’s organization by Baseball America. Reed, a second-round pick by Kansas City in 2013, reached Double-A in the Royals’ system last summer before being traded to the Reds as part of the Johnny Cueto deal. He went to Double-A Pensacola of the Southern League and put up a 6-2 record with a 2.17 ERA in eight starts for a Blue Wahoos team that made the postseason. The 6-foot-5 Reed had 60 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 49 2/3 innings. Rated the No. 9 prospect by mlb.com, Reed’s big league arrival date is projected as 2018. He may get there well before that. … Wondering if Chris Stratton, the ex-Mississippi State All-American from Tupelo, might work his way into San Francisco’s rotation next spring. The 6-foot-3 right-hander, rated the No. 14 prospect in the Giants’ system by mlb.com but not yet on the 40-man roster, finished 2015 at Triple-A Sacramento, going 4-5 with a 3.86 ERA. Stratton was a first-round pick in 2012 whose pro career got off to a rocky start when he was hit in the head by a batted ball during a practice. But he may have proved himself ready for a chance at The Show last summer, and the Giants need some arms. … Jackson native Donnie Veal, in his 11th year of pro ball, is pitching in the Dominican Winter League, where he has not allowed a run in seven appearances (2 2/3 innings) for Cibaenas. Veal spent some time with Atlanta last season (14.54 ERA) and Triple-A Gwinnett (no earned runs in 16 innings) before landing in the independent Atlantic League. The left-hander had a 1.45 ERA in 20 games for Long Island. … Also in the DWL is Hattiesburg native Robert Carson, another erstwhile big leaguer who pitched in the Atlantic League (with Bridgeport) this season. Carson, a lefty, has a 4.76 ERA in eight games for Cibao.