Braves' News Tidbits

[General]

Not recently, no. I'll look for one later tonight.

[General]

Tim Hudson allowed one run and five hits in two innings verus the Astros today.
Manager Bobby Cox was impressed, citing the fact that only two of the hits left the infield. "Throws like that, he's got a chance to win 30," Cox said. Over the next two years, we suppose.

[General]

James Jurries went 3-for-4 with a double and four runs scores as the Braves beat the Astros today.
He also walked. If the Braves decide to carry a platoon partner for Adam LaRoche, the 26-year-old Jurries would be the favorite for the job.

[General]

Andruw Jones woke up with a fever on Saturday and didn't work out with Team Netherlands as planned.
Jones still might play in Sunday's exhibition against the Braves.

Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt has decided to make Pete Orr his starting shortstop for the WBC.
The position was to belong to Danny Klassen until he got hurt. Orr played in a total of three games at shortstop between Triple-A and the majors the last two years. If he does well, it might result in a little more playing time for him this year.

[General]

Marcus Giles missed his ninth straight day of Braves camp after returning home to be with his wife and newborn daughter.
Bobby Cox said he thought Giles was coming back "a couple of days ago," but Giles has reportedly been told by the front office to stay away as long as he needs to. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the baby, who was born five weeks premature, is improving.

[General]

Wilson Betemit homered and singled today versus the Indians.
He's off to a 5-for-12 start. Betemit isn't currently due any more playing time than he received last year, but he is capable of putting up nice numbers if either Edgar Renteria or Chipper Jones gets hurt. That makes him a quality $1 pick in NL-only leagues.

[General]

Kyle Davies pitched scoreless first and second innings today against the Indians.
There's a slight chance that the Braves could trade John Thomson for a quality reliever or a left fielder, but Davies is probably only in the running for a spot in middle relief. He'll still likely get 15-20 starts over the course of the season, giving him some value in NL-only leagues

[General]

Andruw Jones was able to play against the Braves for Team Netherlands today. He grounded out in both of his at-bats.
Jones is limited by flu-like symptoms. He was a designated hitter today.

[General]

John Smoltz worked two scoreless innings today as the Braves beat Team Netherlands 4-0 in an exhibition.
Smoltz had some fun with Andruw Jones in the game, unleashing his knuckleball. Afte the game, he said his plan Sunday, and for the season, is to keep his fastballs in, place more emphasis on his changeup and stay under control instead of trying to overpower batters.

[General]

The Rangers are reportedly interested in trading for John Thomson.
Of course they are. Texas is always looking for starting pitching and Thomson had a solid year for the Rangers back in 2003. The Braves seem willing to part with Thomson, which would open up a rotation spot for Kyle Davies.

[General]

Braves in Rotoworld's top 100:

19. Jarrod Salatalamacchia - C Braves - DOB: 05/02/85 - ETA: July 2007
Previous rankings: mid-2005 #109

.314/.394/.519, 19 HR, 81 RBI, 99/57 K/BB, 4 SB in 459 AB for Single-A Myrtle Beach
.288/.386/.438, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 19/13 K/BB, 1 SB in 73 AB for Phoenix (AFL)

As impressive as Brian McCann was last year, he may not be the future behind the plate for the Braves. Saltalamacchia, the 36th overall pick in the 2003 draft, showed tremendous offensive ability while playing in one of the best parks for pitchers in the minors. He also has quite a bit more defensive potential than McCann, though since he is the more athletic of the two, he probably has a better chance of excelling at another position. It’s something the Braves may choose to take account when Salty’s progress forces them to decide on a direction. His bat could be ready for the majors as soon as early 2007. He may not remain a .300 hitter, but at .280-.290 with 20-25 homers per year, he’d be a top fantasy catcher.

73. Joey Devine - RHP Braves - DOB: 09/19/83 - ETA: Now
Previous rankings: none

0-0, 1 Sv, 0.00 ERA, 0 H, 7/3 K/BB in 5 IP for Single-A Myrtle Beach
1-1, 5 Sv, 2.70 ERA, 19 H, 28/12 K/BB in 20 IP for Double-A Mississippi
0-0, 0 Sv, 18.00 ERA, 3 H, 1/1 K/BB in 1 IP for Triple-A Richmond
0-1, 0 Sv, 12.60 ERA, 6 H, 3/5 K/BB in 5 IP for Atlanta

Devine, who was selected 27th overall out of N.C. State, was the first 2005 draft pick to reach the majors. Unfortunately, he celebrated by becoming the first pitcher ever to surrender grand slams in his first two appearances. Later on, he gave up the 18th-inning homer to Chris Burke that ended the NLDS in four games. So, Devine has some things to shake off this year before he goes about establishing himself as Atlanta’s long-term closer. Devine throws 95-97 mph and has a plus slider. He’s going to be an excellent reliever in time, though one who is always a little vulnerable to left-handed hitters. The Braves will give him a chance to win a bullpen spot coming out of spring training.


91. Chuck James - LHP Braves - DOB: 11/09/81 - ETA: July 2007
Previous rankings: mid-2005 #105

3-3, 1.08 ERA, 20 H, 59/8 K/BB in 41 2/3 IP for Single-A Myrtle Beach
9-1, 2.09 ERA, 62 H, 104/18 K/BB in 86 IP for Double-A Mississippi
1-3, 3.48 ERA, 21 H, 30/10 K/BB in 33 2/3 IP for Triple-A Richmond
0-0, 1.59 ERA, 4 H, 5/3 K/BB in 5 2/3 IP for Atlanta

It’s harder to tell because he spent time at three levels, but James was one the most dominant performers in the minors last season, finishing with a 2.12 ERA and a 193/36 K/BB ratio in 161 1/3 IP. Opposing batters managed a .179/.231/.277 line against him. James got the job done with a fastball in the 88-91 mph range and an outstanding changeup. His slider remains a work in progress, and because he’s such a flyball pitcher, he’s sure to have more problems in the majors. Still, it’d be disappointing if he didn’t become at least a reliable fourth starter. With Kyle Davies ahead of him in line for a rotation spot, James appears likely to spend at least half of this year back in Triple-A. A place in Atlanta’s bullpen can’t be ruled out, but the Braves will likely want to run through some other candidates first.

110. Elvis Andrus - SS Braves - DOB: 08/26/88 - ETA: 2010

120. Anthony Lerew - RHP Braves - DOB: 10/28/82 - ETA: June 2006

[General]

Marcus Giles returned to Braves camp today and is set to make his spring debut before the end of the week.
Giles missed 10 days of camp because of his newborn daughter's health problems. "It feels great to be back," Giles said. "Wish I could take infield practice twice."

Anthony Lerew allowed four runs -- three earned -- in his inning of relief against the Tigers today.
He committed an error that we assume led to the unearned run. He also walked two and threw a wild pitch. Lerew had been impressive since the start of the camp, so this won't ruin his chances of making the team. Still, if he doesn't really set himself apart, the Braves would probably prefer having him start game at Triple-A Richmond to carrying him as one of the last pitchers in the pen.

Horacio Ramirez yielded three runs in three innings today in a loss to the Tigers.
He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out none. Especially with Leo Mazzone gone, it's hard to be optimistic about Ramirez's chances of reemerging as a quality fantasy starter this year.

Adam LaRoche, Matt Diaz, Kelly Johnson and Wes Obermueller are the latest Braves suffering from high fevers and flu-like symptoms.
Andruw Jones is apparently over the worst of it now, but the illness is likely to spread further. "It's going to be bad," manager Bobby Cox said. "We're going to be in those buses the next [four] days. The whole team is going to come down with it."

[love_that_reefer]

Quarantine those Braves!

[General]

Hurt by a gusting wind to right field, Brad Baker gave up two homers and six runs in two innings today against the Pirates.
Although he was given a major league contract in the offseason, Baker opened spring training as something of a long shot to win a bullpen spot. He'll probably be the closer at Triple-A Richmond initially.


Team Canada reliever Chris Reitsma gave up three runs and the lead in the eighth inning against South Africa tonight.
Try as we might, we're just can't convince ourselves that the Braves want to go into the season with Reitsma as their closer. He was beaten by guys named Shannon Ekermans and Paul Bell tonight.

When asked about it Tuesday, manager Bobby Cox welcomed the comparison between Chuck James and Tom Glavine.
"Chuck James is something, I'm telling you," Cox said. "I think he's legit." James has quietly put up dominating numbers in the minors, but his extreme fly ball tendencies are somewhat concerning for his long-term outlook.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia took fielding practice at first base before Tuesday's game.
Manager Bobby Cox said he was "just messing around out there," but obviously someone told him to do so. Saltalamacchia may end up at first base down the road, but for now he's baseball's top catching prospect.

[General]

Manager Bobby Cox said today that he plans to use Todd Pratt as a personal catcher for one his five starters this season.
Since it will be easy to tell when to sit him, those in daily change leagues might be a little more eager to draft Brian McCann this year. Cox didn't know which pitcher he would choose to pair Pratt with, though he said it wouldn't be either Tim Hudson or John Smoltz.

Manager Bobby Cox said today that he plans to use Todd Pratt as a personal catcher for one his five starters this season.
Since it will be easy to tell when to sit him, those in daily change leagues might be a little more eager to draft Brian McCann this year. Cox didn't know which pitcher he would choose to pair Pratt with, though he said it wouldn't be either Tim Hudson or John Smoltz.