Rumors for Atlanta Braves
PRO Rumors Customer Survey
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Hi all,
With baseball season coming up, we’d like to poll our readers regarding our current features and see if you have suggestions regarding future features. We have a really short survey and we’re hoping that you can take less than 5 minutes to help us out. Thanks!
Allan
Braves sign Livan Hernandez
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The Atlanta Braves have signed Livan Hernandez to a one year Major League deal worth $750k, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports are reporting.
The deal comes hours after the Houston Astros released Hernandez.
Hernandez went 8-13 with a 4.47 era for the Nationals in 2011. His experience in the NL East probably played a role in the Braves signing Hernandez as prospects Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado failed to pitch effectively this Spring and claim the fifth spot in the rotation.
Image taken by Miss Chatter and used under the Creative Common License Agreement.
Right hander Jon Hunton is looking for new representation
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Jon Hunton who was the closer of the year in Venezuela,reached out to PRO Rumors earlier this week and explained that he is looking for new representation. Hunton, 29, had a strong 2011 season both in the summer and the winter leagues respectively.
As part of the Grand Prairie AirHogs (The American Association of Independent Professional Basebal) Hunton was named “Reliever of the Year” in 2011 (link here). Hunton went 7-2 with a 1.77 ERA, 25 saves, 47 SO, 0.4 HR/9, 3.5 BB/9 and 8.3 SO/9 in 51.0 innings.
During the winter, Hunton was named “Closer for the Year” again (link here), but this time in Venezuela as part of the Caribes de Anzoategui. He was 2-4 with 3.16 ERA, 18 saves, 0.3 HR/9, 3.5 BB/9 and 7.0 SO/9 in 31.1 games. Then he was selected as a replacement for Tiburones de la Guaira in the Final and was Francisco Rodriguez’s setup man. He also represented Venezuela in the Caribbean Series .
While Hunton was in Venezuela he left a great impression among the other teams, players and the media. He was one of the first foreign players to report and stayed until the last game of the Caribbean Series, his commitment with the Caribes organization and the rest of the league was undeniable.
I had the opportunity to watch Hunton pitch in Venezuela at least a dozen times this winter. The first thing you notice about him is his height, Hunton is 6′9” with a fluid delivery. He’s not a flame thrower, but he will keep hitters off balance with his slider, which has nice movement. Also, his 3/4 delivery makes all of his pitches move. I believe he is a great athlete in good physical condition (he used to play basketball in College), he is also a strong competitor and he definitely showed that in Venezuela.
Most of you don’t have an idea of how hard it is to pitch in winter ball. Fans are harsh with their players and they will let you know when you’re not doing your job right. You have to face strong competitors, not only young Minor Leaguers, but also Major Leaguers as well. There’s also a lot of competitiveness here but Hunton cruised throughout the season without a sweat. This league has chewed up and spit out countless top MLB prospects, but Hunton wasn’t one of them.
Hunton was drafted five times during the June Amateur Draft, the last one in 2004 by the Chicago Cubs in the eleventh round. During his eight years as a professional player Hunton is a career 34-27 with 3.18 ERA, 0.5 HR/9, 4.0 BB/9 and 8.9 SO/9 in 453.1 innings. In 2010, he was 6-6 with a 3.57 ERA, 0.7 HR/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 5.7 SO/9 in 63.0 innings for the A’s Triple-A team.
last offseason we had a Q & A with Hunton. Make sure to check that out if you haven’t.
Having the right representation can sometimes be the key to getting that tryout or invite to Spring Training that can open the door to a big league career. If you wish to contact Hunton you can write or follow him on Twitter (@Big_Jon_Hunton).
Image by Edixon Gamez of LiderEnDeportes.com.
Chipper Jones set to retire after the 2012 season
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Third baseman Chipper Jones has announced that will retire as an active baseball player after the 2012 season according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The 39-year old still has a vesting option for 2013 that will automatically activate if he plays in 123 games.
Jones is a career .304/.402/.533 hitter with 454 HR’s, 1561 RBI’s and a .935 OPS in 8597 AB’s during his 18-year career. His career VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) is 868.7, and his career FRAA (Fielding Runs Above Average) is -169.7.
Last week, Chipper spoke with the media and hinted at the possibility that he may retire when he said, “ I don’t know what next year entails…. I don’t know if I can make it through this year.”
Image by Keith Allison under the Creative Commons License.
Could this season be it for Chipper Jones?
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The soon to be 40-year old Chipper Jones spoke to reporters today which included David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and hinted that this season may be his last.
“Tomorrow might be my last day,” he said “I don’t know. I don’t really focus on it that much. The body is starting to tell me every morning when I wake up that it’s getting close. I’m signed through the end of this year. If I play in a certain amount of games, I got an option for next year. I don’t know what next year entails…. I don’t know if I can make it through this year.”
Jones who has not played in more than 150 games since 2003 as he has battled injuries his entire career, is in the last year of his three-year $42mm deal. He is set to make $13mm this season with a team/vesting option for $7mm next season.
The option vest if he averages 127 games over the 2011 and 2012 seasons or if he plays in 123 games this season (salary would then be $9mm). The option would increased by $1mm for playing in 128, 133 and 140 games in 2012 or averages 132, 137, 138 or 140 games in 2011-12.
Image taken by SD Dirk and used under the Creative Common License Agreement.
MLB announces expanded playoffs for 2012
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MLB officially expanded its playoff format to 10 teams Friday, adding a second wild card in each league. The addition will now pit the two teams with the best records who are not division winners against each other in a one game playoff.
“This change increases the rewards of a division championship and allows two additional markets to experience playoff baseball each year,” commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.
For only the 2012 postseason, the five-game Division Series will begin with two home games for lower seeds, followed by home games for the higher seed. In 2013, it will return to the 2-2-1 format that was previously used.
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Amnesty Clause in MLB-NL East
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The last stop on our tour around the Big Leagues is the NL East.
NL EAST
Braves- The Braves presented an interesting situation as they were able to trade Derek Lowe away this summer to the Indians, who was probably their only really bad contract. You could focus on Chipper Jones and his deal but I think he will have a solid year. What isn’t a secret is the fact that the Braves need offense. That’s why Matt Diaz and the $2mm left on his deal come to mind. Yes it is only $2mm, but if you free up his money and scrape the piggy bank a bit, you could possibly have enough to sign free agent Johnny Damon. Damon who is looking for more something in the range of $3-$5mm is also looking for significant at-bats as he continues his pursuit of 3,000 hits (currently at 2,723) He would be an easy upgrade in the outfield.
Marlins- After spending the most money this offseason next to the Angels, the Marlins still have a few holes that need to be filled before they can take the next step to be considered a legitimate contender. To free some money up, say $12mm over the next two-years, John Buck could be amnestied. I know I am jumping the gun a bit with him as last season was his first in the NL, but his career numbers are .241 avg, .303 OBP and .412 SLG. I didn’t like his contract when the Marlins signed him prior to last season as I thought he was cashing in on one good season and six below average ones.
Mets- The Mets presented two candidates with the likes of Jason Bay and Johan Santana. Both players are signed through 2013 with team options for ‘14. Santana will make about $24-25mm each season while Bay will make $16mm each season. But I believe Santana could come back and contribute towards the end of this season and help the team next year. Bay on the other hand has flat out stunk in his two years in New York hitting .251 and putting up only 18 home runs.
Phillies- This decision may not sit well with some, but hear me out. I would use the amnesty clause to get rid of Ryan Howard and his five-year $125mm deal. In eight seasons with the Phillies, Howard has a career .275 avg and has only one season where he hit .300 or above. The last two seasons, his OBP, SLG and OPS have all dropped with his SLG and OPS last year being the lowest of his career (SLG .488 and OPS .835). Howard will make $20-$25mm in each season of the deal and will miss the beginning of the upcoming season as he rehabs from a full tear in his Achilles’ Tendon. The Phillies would instantly have financial flexibility which allow them to easily resign Cole Hamels who is set to be a free agent after the season.
Nationals- As hard a decision Howard was to amnesty, the Nationals’ selection in Jayson Werth is the complete opposite. Unlike Howard who I think can and is the focal point of the Phillies offense (though he is declining), Werth is better suited as a fifth hitter protecting others in the line-up. As the focal point in the line-up last season for the Nats, he hit .232 with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs. He is set to make $112mm over the next six seasons and has a full no-trade clause.
Image taken by Keith Allison and used under the Creative Common License Agreement.
Should Billy Beane take a shot with Gregor Blanco and Luis Jimenez?
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Billy Beane, the A’s General Manager, has been praised for building competitive teams by taking advantage of “market inefficiencies.” This means that he signs inexpensive players, that almost no other organization wants or would consider, because they overlook important statistics like OBP (on-base percentage), and give way too much importance to stats that aren’t that important like RBI’s (runs batted in).
He’s been known to sign players like Scott Hatteberg and Jeremy Giambi among others for their ability to wear down pitchers and get on-base. For him, the ultimate offensive statistic is the OBP.
The A’s are not getting positive results, and other teams like the Red Sox have adopted a similar approach to building a team, making it harder for the A’s to get cheap, but productive players. So why doesn’t Beane gives Gregor Blanco and Luis Jimenez a shot to make the team?
You might think that I’ve gone crazy, and yes, I have gone crazy, but in situations like this one, you have to think outside the box. Maybe you guys are not familiar with these two young players, but I’m going to tell you why I think they could work up in Oakland. It would be a low risk investment that would cost the team only a Minor League deal.
First there’s Blanco. A 28-year old center fielder with an incredible talent for wearing down pitchers and a keen eye for drawing walks. In three Major League seasons his career OBP is .358, or .100 points above his career batting average. I believe this numbers can still go up. In 2010 he played 36 games with the Braves where he hit .310/.394/.362. He was then traded to the Royals and in 66 games hit .274/.348/.369. In 237 AB’s in 2010 between the two teams he walked 29 times and struck out 50. Nothing impressive, but I’m sure he can improve.
This winter in Venezuela, Blanco hit .337/.478/.520 with 4 HR’s, 14 2B and 5 3B in 196 AB’s. He also walked 47 times and struck out 46. Impressive numbers that earned him the MVP award in the Venezuelan Winter League this year. In the semi-finals, Blanco kept his torrid offensive output up hitting .347/.484/.714 with 5 HR’s, 1 2B and 1 3B in 49 AB’s. He also has walked 13 times and struck out 11. Now tell me why doesn’t Beane gives him a Minor League deal with a ST invitation to see if he can makes the team? After all the kid fits perfectly in the OBP-driven offensive/cheap player category.
Jimenez is another case study. He has incredible power and is a left handed hitter. The other day, he hit two 450+ ft home runs in the same game in Venezuela. And one of them was well beyond the 500 ft mark. The ball left the stadium, and was apparently the longest hit in the “Estadio Universitario” (Caracas, Venezuela) history. In 10 Minor League seasons Jimenez has a hitting line of .284/.367/.468 with 121 HR’s in 2,876 AB’s. This year in Venezuela, Jimenez hit .300/.417/.486 with 10 home runs in 220 AB’s. He also walked 44 times and struck out 47.
For Beane and the A’s, these two players are not going to be pricey. Just a couple of Minor League deals with invitations to Spring Training. I think they will prove their value to a team that is always looking for bargains.
Image by J. Chris Vaughan under the Creative Commons License.
Indian sign Julio Lugo
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The Cleveland Indians have signed Julio Lugo to a minor deal with an invite to Spring Training, Dionisio Soldevila of the AP reports.
Last season with the Braves, Lugo hit .136 avg in 136 plate appearances.
In 2005, Lugo posted a career year with the Rays where he hit .295 in 616 plate appearances while posting a .362 OBP. That year he made $3.15mm.
Image taken by Keith Allison and used under the Creative Common License Agreement.
Braves sign Jack Wilson
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The Atlanta Braves have signed Jack Wilson to a one-year deal worth $1mm, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports. The deal also includes an extra $500k in performance bonuses.
Wilson will be the primary backup middle infielder for the Braves.
In 2011, Wilson hit .243 for while splitting time with the Mariners and Braves.
Image taken by Keith Allison and used under the Creative Common License Agreement.
