SB Nation - Matt Diaz

Filling Out the Braves 2010 Lineup Card

gondeee — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:43:33 -0000

Troy Glaus is the final piece of the Atlanta Braves off-season puzzle -- a solidifying force in the middle of the order.

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With the expected signing of Troy Glaus, and the recent trade of Javier Vazquez for Melky Cabrera, the holes on the roster that the Braves entered the off-season with seem to have been filled. With that in mind, I fill out the lineup and the rest of the 25-man roster:

Lineup
1. Nate McLouth, CF
2. Martin Prado, 2B
3. Chipper Jones, 3B
4. Troy Glaus, 1B
5. Brian McCann, C
6. Yunel Escobar, SS
7. Matt Diaz, RF
8. Melky Cabrera, LF

Rotation
1. Tim Hudson
2. Derek Lowe
3. Jair Jurrjens
4. Tommy Hanson
5. Kenshin Kawakami

Bench
1. David Ross, C
2. Omar Infante, IF
3. Brooks Conrad, IF
4. Brandon Jones, OF
5. Mitch Jones, OF

Bullpen
1. Billy Wagner, LH
2. Takashi Saito, RH
3. Peter Moylan, RH
4. Eric O'Flaherty, LH
5. Kris Medlen, RH
6. Jesse Chavez, RH
7. Mike Dunn, LH

That's a pretty solid lineup with Glaus in the middle. I'm assuming the Braves will take the Tommy Hanson approach with Jason Heyward and let him get some time at triple-A first, but if he does make the team I would expect him to hit 7th between the right-handers Escobar and Diaz. But I think it's more important for Heyward to get a first footing at triple-A before he's promoted to Atlanta. With the lineup above, there's really no reason to rush Heyward. Yes, he would make it stronger, but it's pretty solid the way it is and burying Melky in the 8th spot obscures his underwhelming bat.

The rotation is strong, and of course any of those guys could be swapped around. They're all right-handed, so order is not really that important.

The bench will probably have a lot of competition, and there's still a chance the Braves could sign someone else to fill out a pinch-hitter role. As it stands we would have to rely on young players like Conrad, Jones, and Jones who don't have much experience pinch-hitting. They are also all free swingers and the Braves would probably prefer at least one other pinch-hitter who is more of a contact hitter.

The bullpen is more than solid from top to bottom. Actually, this is likely the best I've felt about our bullpen in years, and there's still some other guys who could sneak into the mix like Luis Valdez, Jeff Lyman, and Lee Hyde. Too many bullpen arms is a good problem to have.

Overall I like our 25-man roster the way it is constructed above. Glaus really solidifies the lineup for me. He was the true missing piece and the right piece to add. Now everyone just needs to stay healthy so we can put that same lineup out there for 120-plus games.

MLB Trade Rumors: Breaking Down the Javier Vazquez Trade

raygu — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:07:25 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

3 months ago: Atlanta Braves pitcher Javier Vazquez, right, throws a pitch to Houston Astros' Lance Berkman during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009 in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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I am sure you have read that the Yankees response to the Red Sox signing of John Lackey was to deal a 4th outfielder type in Melky Cabrera in a package to the Braves for Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan. Vazquez was coming off perhaps his bext season in the majors by going 15-10-2.87-1.03 with a K/9 of 9.77 and a K/B of 5.48 in 2009. He also had the lowest xFIP-2.82-of all major league starters in 2009.

Vazquez will be the Yankees 3rd or 4th starter in a rotation that includes CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Andy Pettite, but based on his 2009 season stats, he would be their #1, but we know that won't happen. He pitched with the Yankees back in 2004 with poor results. In 2004, he went 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, but only struck out 6.82 batters per 9 innings and had a K/BB ratio of 2.50. Since 2004, his K/9 has not been lower than 8.01. and his K/BB ratio has not been lower than 3.28.

Vazquez had a problem with the longball in 2004 as he gave up 1.50 HR/9 while giving up 33 homers. He gave up 35 homers in 2005 as well, but since then has controlled the longball as he has given up 23, 29, 25 and 20 homers since 2005. That may change pitching in Yankee stadium in 2010.

Like I said the Braves got Melky Cabrera, along with pitching prospects Arodys Vizcaino and Mike Dunn. Cabrera should start in right field for the Braves, with Nate McLouth in center field and Matt Diaz in left field. But, once right field prospect Jason Heyward is ready, Melky could platoon with Diaz in left field. Melky went 13-68-.274-.336-.419 hitting in Yankee Stadium in 2009. Not the definition of the big bat the Braves were talking about getting in return for one of their starting pitchers.

Vizcaino is years away from making the big leagues, but was the Yankees number 2 prospect behind Jesus Montero. Dunn could see time as the Braves set-up guy behind Billy Wagner or could close for them in 2011, so he is one to watch in 2010.

Poll

Did the Braves get enough in return for ace Javier Vazquez?

The Atlanta Braves Weekly Wrap

gondeee — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:11:17 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

This week turned out to be all about Rafael Soriano for the Atlanta Braves.

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Here's a look at the major stories in the world of the Atlanta Braves for the week ending on December 13th:

In the Press...

There were early rumors, then more rumors, and finally Rafael Soriano decided to accept arbitration from the Braves.
Soriano was quickly traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for another bullpen arm, Jesse Chavez.
There were early reports at the Winter Meetings that Kelly Johnson was in high demand on the trade market, but apparently that was not the case as the Braves non-tendered Johnson yesterday.
Ryan Church was initially DFA'ed to make room for Soriano on the roster, and then he was non-tendered later in the week.
The Braves have shown some interest in free agent Xavier Nady.
Matt Diaz was re-signed for the 2010 season by the Braves.

At Talking Chop...

For a complete and detailed recap of the Braves happenings at the Winter Meetings, click here.
I penned a post hoping that the Braves stay away from Mike Cameron.
CB previewed the Rule 5 draft, and correctly called that Edgar Osuna would be the guy off the Braves roster who was selected. He was selected by, surprise, the Royals. Those Royals also signed two other ex-Braves players.
Talking Chop got the exclusive scoop on all the Braves minor league and international free agent signings.

Notable FanPosts and FanShots...

jdunk asks the if trading Derek Lowe will make the Braves better.
Meanwhile, JKowalek thinks the Braves and Cubs should make a swap involving Lowe.
And AndrewWK wants the Braves to swap Lowe for a speedster.

Coming up tomorrow on Talking Chop, the combined community top-25 Braves prospects.

Braves Sign Matt Diaz, Others

gondeee — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:21:56 -0000

Kudos to the Atlanta Braves for getting one of their arbitration eligible players signed already for next year -- something that can usually drag on into spring training. Matt Diaz agreed to a one-year $2.55 million deal in the last 24 hours, that's a raise of over $1 million from last year's salary of $1.237 million.

That leaves three players who remain unsigned by the Braves; second baseman Kelly Johnson, and relievers Peter Moylan and Boone Logan. Midnight tonight is the deadline for the Braves to offer them a contract. That doesn't mean they have to come to terms, they simply have to be tendered a contract for 2010. The Braves are expected to face a tough decision on Kelly Johnson, who is likely to make around $4 million and may not have a starting role.

I got an email from a reader alerting me to several minor league signings as well as international signings by the Braves. I'm trying to get them to source this information, so until then consider it as unsourced:

Minor League signings not posted on site yet: Mariano Gomez LHP, Gerardo Avila 1B, Luis Bolivar 3B, Eric Duncan 3B, Mauro Gomez 1B, Brent Clevlen OF, Mitch Jones OF, Juan Gonzalez OF

International Signings to date:
Mexico - Daniel Castro (ss), Javier Morales (rhp)
Panama - Abraham Espinosa (rhp), Luis Madrid (ss)
Venezuela - Erick Maldonado (of), Jesus Saldeno (rhp), Elias Valdez (lhp)
Nicaragua - Enrique Medina (lhp), Elieser Salmeron (of)
Dominican - Emmanuel Daniel (of)
Spain - Alejandro Martinez (ss)

Current players expected to receive visas from DSL: Juan Flores OF Victor Cadette RHP Luis de Luna RHP Amilcar Gaxiola LHP Andy Otero LHP Jorge Paulino RHP Williams Perez RHP Alexis Pinto LHP Ernesto Silva RHP Erick Epifano IF Omar Llapur 1B Edison Sanchez 3B

No, that is not the Juan Gonzalez, I believe he's an outfielder of the same name who played last with the St. Louis organization.

The reader also passed along this article on our baseball academy in Tenerife.

MLB Trade Rumors: Atlanta Hot After Mike Cameron or Marlon Byrd??

raygu — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:00:17 -0000

by Luis Alvarez - AP

4 months ago: Milwaukee Brewers' Mike Cameron hits a two-run home run against the Washington Nationals during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009, in Washington. The Brewers won 11-9. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

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I was flipping back and forth between the XM Radio Grateful Dead station and XM 175 tonight on my drive home and caught some of the interview with Mark Bowman, the Atlanta Braves beat writer for MLB.com. Bowman was interview by Joe Castellano and Jim Bowden.

As I switched over, Bowman was talking about the Braves interest in Mike Cameron and Marlon Byrd. I haven't heard this rumor before, but I was curious where Nate McLouth would play should the Braves sign Cameron or Byrd as they are both centerfielders. I assume McLouth will play right field till Jason Heyward is ready, but I thought the Braves were going to allow Heyward a chance to win the right field job in spring training.

More after the jump:

Bowden and Castellano then asked about Heyward, and Bowman felt that the Braves will have him play a few more months in AAA before bringing him up in June, similar to how they handled Tommy Hanson this year.

Should Heyward get the call in June, and everyone expects that to happen, I assume Matt Diaz would either be trade bait or platoon with McLouth and Heyward, as he crushed left-handed pitching to the tune of .412-.464-.640-1.103 in 136 at bats in 2009.

So who should the Braves sign? Cameron went 24-70-7-.250-..342-.452-.795 with the Brewers in 2009, while Byrd went 20-89-8-.283-.329-.479-.808 with Texas in 2009.

Poll

Who should the Braves sign this offseason: Marlon Byrd or Mike Cameron?

Byrd-he's younger and will be cheaper.

118 votes

Cameron-he's a solid defensive CFer and is a good guy in the clubhouse

136 votes

Neither-Heyward is ready.

112 votes

366 votes | Poll has closed

The Atlanta Braves Weekly Wrap

gondeee — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:39:17 -0000

Here's a look at the major stories in the world of the Atlanta Braves for the week ending on November 1st:

In the Press...

John Sickels released his top-20 Braves prospects for 2010.
The Braves hired former major league pitching coach Dave Wallace as their minor league pitching coordinator.
Chipper Jones was interviewed by Forbes.com.
It was reported by several different sources that Tim Hudson was close to a contract extension with Atlanta.
David O'Brien gave us an update on how our prospects are faring in the Arizona Fall League.

At Talking Chop...

Talking Chop was the first to report that Jason Heyward would return to Atlanta to have his injured hamstring examined. It was later learned that he would not be returning to the AFL, and will instead use the winter to recover.
We reviewed the 2009 season of center fielders Nate McLouth and Jordan Schafer and outfielder Matt Diaz.
CB reviewed the top-5 minor league center fielders and the top-5 minor league right fielders in the Braves organization.
The bloggers of Talking Chop conducted two round tables about the state of the left fielders, center fielders, and right fielders in the Braves system.

Notable FanPosts and FanShots...

royhobbs gave us a pictorial recap of the 2009 season.
Sid Bream's Moustache shared a link about the source of baseball's magic mud.
TradeAndruw linked to MLBTR's off-season outlook for the Braves.
traphicg thinks that the hiring of Mark McGwire as the Cardinals hitting coach paves the way for Chipper Jones to one day be the Braves hitting coach.
schaef888 was nice enough to recap a fan chat by prospect guru Jim Callis.

Talking Chop Round Table: Braves Right Fielders

gondeee — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:36:15 -0000

As part of season reviews for major league players and top prospect ranking for minor league players, we here at Talking Chop thought it would be a fun idea to get all of our bloggers together with the help of Google Docs and debate the various aspects of each position in the Braves organization.

The participants are, yours truly (gondeee, indicated by MG), yondaime4 (indicated by MF), royhobbs (indicated by DH), and cbwilk (indicated by CBW).

The round table for center fielders in the Braves organization is after the jump.

MG: Should the Braves give the right field job to Jason Heyward before spring training, or should they take a wait and see approach and see how his spring training goes before giving him the job?
MG: I'm of two opinions on this. One, I really want to see Heyward make the jump to the bigs and become all he can be. I wanted to see it last year, and I sure as hell want to see it as soon as possible next year. On the other hand, with the lost time in the AFL he just might not be ready, and the last thing we need is to bring up our brightest young star since Chipper Jones before he's ready. I have this idea that assuming the Braves get a "good" left fielder, they should plan on starting Matt Diaz in right (despite the defensive drop), and let him play right until Heyward is ready. Diaz can then spell both corner outfield spots and pinch hit.
CBW: I don't think they should give him the job before Spring Training, or even after Spring Training. I think they should do exactly what they did with Tommy Hanson, let him play in AAA for two months, until he proves without a doubt that he's ready, and also happens to bypass the possibility of becoming a Super 2 in arbitration, before they call him up June 1st. This scenario certainly will make some folks upset, as it likely means you have to go with a lesser player in RF for a few months (though if that guy is Matty Diaz, that's not too bad) and of course you'll run into the problem that if he does finally come up and dominate there will be people coming out of the woodwork, maybe even teammates, saying that he should have been there from the outset. But, this isn't about what makes people happy, or even really about what makes the team better for the first few months of the year, this is about what's going to be best for Heyward and the Braves long-term. My argument with Tommy Hanson has been that without those two months of AAA at the start of the year, he wouldn't have been ready and able to play well from the outset of his Major League career, and I'm taking that same argument with Heyward. The kid is 20 years old and he can learn a ton from a couple of months in AAA, enough to make him an instant force when he does reach the bigs. And, because he'd be skipping out on being a Super 2, the team would have more money a few years down the line to put pieces around him. To me, this scenario is the one that makes the most sense, and I'm betting it's the one that actually happens.
DH: Jordan Schafer and Tommy Hanson—good example of both scenarios. People will complain about the necessity to breathe air if they could, so complaining about some baseball decisions should be a given, no matter the path taken with Jason Heyward. People were unhappy when the league and an injury caught up to Schafer. People were unhappy when Hanson came out of the gate strong and that he should have been called up sooner—seriously I'd never expected to see so many people upset at seeing a young stud being 5-0? I am 100% in the camp that Heyward starts in AAA, or I'm not even going to rule out AA, regardless of how absurd his numbers in Spring Training might be. I've often felt that ST is nowhere close to gouging talent as much as it is a bunch of guys getting their bodies in shape for the rigors of the season. Pitchers are still trying to regain full arm strength, and a lot of people are coping with the cold in the early parts of the regular season; Schafer, who is a notoriously hard-worker might've (obviously) been in much better conditioning shape in ST, and blew away Blanco and Anderson, and forced the org's hand, before his stumble. Gauge the talent in games that have meaning—start Heyward in the minors, let him prove himself, save the money, and call him up at a good point where the team could use the adrenaline shot. As CB mentions, if "being stuck" with Matt Diaz, is the result in RF, we could do, loads worse.
MF: A couple of weeks ago I might have said yes, just let him do it because it is the simplest solution to our OF problems and I don't think, even if he were to struggle that he would produce less than Frenchy did last year. That said, with his recent injuries, I'd like him to get some time in AAA just to get his bearings. The X-Factor in all of this is Bobby Cox, because Bobby loved the guy last ST, and if Heyward comes in and pounds the ball this year he may say he wants him in Atlanta.

MG: Does anyone think we'll keep Ryan Church around next year? I have a feeling the Braves will non-tender him. Should we keep him around? Is there any reason to? Doesn't Brandon Jones fill that role if Atlanta needs him to?
DH: The question I have is, are there any other teams who would want him? He can play all outfield positions, adequate with the bat, and has some patience. I'm not necessarily convinced that Brandon Jones could produce at the Major League level as Ryan Church could offensively, and I like Church defensively a lot more than Bjönes. I make no assurance to knowing exactly how the process works, but whether or not any other team really wants Church or not, I don't see any harm in floating him a minor-league deal, and see what happens.
CBW: Personally, I'm a huge fan of Ryan Church, and as inneffective as he seemed to be for the Braves, he was still a ridiculous upgrade over Jeff Francoeur. Seriously, check the stats again, Frenchy was that bad. But, I don't think I love him enough to see him make 3 millon dollars as a backup outfielder. He's a smooth outfielder with the ability to play all three positions and he's got enough double power to see him being useful off the bench, where the fact that he swings from the left side is a huge plus, but that's a lot of money when the Braves need to bring in a real slugger, and I just don't see being able to tie it up. Also, Church seems to be hitting a huge downswing, possibly caused by injuries. Now, I don't neccessarily think Brandon Jones is the answer either, cause I don't think he'd be effective as a bench player, but there are any number of guys that could be signed as a free agent, even a minor league free agent, to come in and be a worthwhile backup outfielder. If they can non-tender Church and re-sign him to a Minor League deal, one that has a much cheaper salary for him should he make the team, I'd love to see him back.
MF: I think if we don't plan on bringing up Heyward as our opening day RF then keeping Church makes a lot of sense. Last year the reason why we didn't have a winning record in the first half of the season is because our entire OF was putting up sub .700 OPS. If we get the same production from the guys we have now whether it be Heyward or Church in RF and Diaz and McLouth (or even Schafer) in the other spots, I don't think we will get any guys putting up sub .700 OPS. If that happens we could be battling with the Phillies for the division lead. The real question is whether we want to pay Church or not, and if we do pay him his Arb raise, will we be able to move him when Heyward is ready.

MG: After Heyward I don't have a lot of faith in any of the Braves right field options. I went with Daniel Falcon as my number-2 RF prospect because at this point he has the most upside.
CBW: But really, after Heyward, what else do you need? When you've got a guy who could be a once in a generation star it's hard to expect the team to have much else at the same position. The fact that we have Cody Johnson and Adam Milligan in left field (as well as Robby Hefflinger, who I think is goig to be right with those two this time next year) and lesser, but still interesting prospects like Cory Harrilchak and Kyle Rose in center field, makes me think Atlanta's minor league outfield situation is pretty great. I don't think much of Falcon, or Anthony Feliz. In doing the writeup, I had a hard time finding much positive to say about them. Even if they both went to Rome in 2010 and had outstanding seasons, they'd still be a little old for me to be too excited about it. Heck, Falcon is the same age as Luis Sumoza, and Felix is older, and even though he had a down year, at least he's dominated short season ball, something neither of them have done. Chris Shehan is a decent player, and he might be able to rebound, but he's older and at best I really see him as a platoon/backup player. All of this makes me wonder why you guys were so willing to discount Jon Mark Owings. He had a bad year, but that was pretty much entirely due to the partially torn rotator cuff he suffered last year in the Carolina League playoffs. Ernesto Mejia didn't have a great year and only played in 36 games, but we had him 3rd on our 1B list. If you look at their 08 seasons in Myrtle Beach, they're pretty close, and while JMO loses some for being a year older than Ernie, he also isn't a complete defensive liability, in fact, he's an excellent outfielder. JMO is probably a better prospect than Shehan, Falcon, or Feliz, and maybe even better than Sumoza.
MF: CB's point is valid, just like what I was saying in the last roundtable. So what if our depth isn't great if we have a RF for the next 6 years? I'm not saying you don't need depth, but its not nearly as important when you don't have many glaring holes in the majors for the next couple of years. Concepcion Rodriguez played this season as a 22 year old in AA which is fine by me if you are looking for a backup OF. Sure he was pretty bad for most of the season, but he wasn't fall off the map bad and he was playing in Mississippi which can kill hitters. I will say I am not a fan of anyone else on the list really. Sumoza still has a chance, but he really needs to start harnessing his tools.

MG: To me, Luis Sumoza has fallen out of prospect status.
CBW: I guess it all depends on your definition of prospect status. He certainly wasn't considered for the Top 25 anymore, that's for sure, but I don't think he's done as a player or anything. He's only going to be 21 going into next year, so there's plenty of time for him to get better and this is the first time since his first go-round in the US (as a 17 year old) that he's struggled. The fact that he had trouble taking a walk is a huge concern and the massive amount of outfiled errors make me wonder how bad he really is in the field, but there are things to like. Even with the poor season, 28 is a ton of doubles to hit, and he's got a little bit of speed. I don't think he's a big time prospect, but I didn't really think that when we got him, and he's going to have to repeat Rome and prove something, but I'm betting he has a much better 2010.
MF: He still needs to walk more and he needs to tap into his raw power. It is all there, but he is becoming more of a tease than a real prospect in my eyes. I give him one more year.

MG: You guys seem to think pretty highly of Concepcion Rodriguez... why?
CBW: Well, he's a pretty prototypical outfield athlete and he had a great 2008, so there was some good reason to be excited about him coming into the year. And, frankly, he's fun to watch play. He's a natural athlete and he just looks smooth. I'd never see him becoming a star outfielder, but he could become a pretty good one, something like a David DeJesus. Once you look at his splits, you see that the biggest problem he had this year was dealing with Mississippi's park. It victimized a number of guys and made their years' look terrible; he hit .229 with a .534 OPS at home, compared to . 295 and a .753 OPS on the road. That's just a sign that he's not as bad as his totals make him look. (For reference about just how good Jason Heyward is, Mississippi's park didn't affect him at all; on the road for Mississippi he hit .342 with a 1.062 OPS compared to a .360 average and 1.055 OPS at home. Wow.)
MF: Why not? When compared to everyone else on this list he is the most advanced guy we have not named Heyward and he posted an .800+ OPS in 2008 in a league with an average .712. Ok his 2009 was pretty bad, but he was still only about 50 pts below the league average OPS and it was his first run through AA. I'm not saying this guy will ever be an every day RF for anyone, but I think he has the best shot out of the guys we have. He probably needs to walk some more and he needs to find that power that Mississippi took from him this year. And I would also like to point out that his OPS on the road this season was .752 which is about the league AVG in the southern league. We aren't looking at a star here, but he will be just 23 next season which is far from the end of the road for a prospect in the upper minors.

Braves Top-5 Minor League Right Fielders

cbwilk — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:00:21 -0000

Jason Heyward was named the top prospect in baseball by Baseball America and will enter the 2010 season as a 20 year old.

View full size photo »

It wasn't long ago that the Braves felt they were set for years with Jeff Francoeur in right field. But declining and outright poor performances by him over the last few years finally caused the team to cut ties in the middle of the 2009 season, forcing them to play Matt Diaz out of position in right field for the remainder of the year. While this transition has been unsettling, right field looks to be locked up again for the forseeable future very soon, as the top prospect in all of baseball looks poised to claim the starting job at some point in the 2010 season.

1. Jason Heyward B/T: L/L Born: 8/9/1989 Ht: 6'4" Wt: 220

What's not to love about Jason Heyward? Even before he grabs a bat or puts on a glove, you can simply marvel at his sheer size. He's blessed with a massive, strong frame, oozing with athleticism. Defensively, he's able to cover an outstanding amout of ground in right field, enough that he hasn't been overmatched the few times he's played centerfield in his career. Combined with his absolute laser beam of an arm, Heyward is a game winning force on defense alone. But then he steps up to the plate, where he not only has immense power, but and advanced idea of hitting that allows him to hit for average and take walks, making him an OPS machine. Add in a burgeoning knack for stealing bases, and he's showing himself to be a true five tool prospect, or, at worst, a four and a half tool prospect.

Over the years, many prospects overflowing with tools like Heyward have been unable to put up statistics to match their potential. That's not a prblem for him though, as he followed up an outstanding 2008 season that saw him put up a .316 average and .854 OPS, along with 29 doubles, 11 homre runs, 15 stolen bases, and 9 outfield assists, playing mostly for Rome, with a pheomenal 2009, split almost evenly between Myrtle Beach and Mississippi with a handful of games for Gwinnet, where he hit .323 with a .963 OPS to go with 25 doubles, 17 home runs, 10 stolen bases, and 14 outfield assists.

What's more impressive about those number is that he was able to put them up in 28 fewer games than in 2008, which leads to the only real knock on Heyward so far, that he seems prone to nagging injuries. He was forced to miss stretches of time with Myrtle Beach for minor oblique and leg injuries and was just forced to prematurely end his run in the Arizona Fall League due to an upper leg injury. Whether or not this is a trend or simply a fluke, perhaps created by his still growing body, remains to be seen, but if this is the only chink in his armor, it's a minor one, and it actually makes his production even more impressive when you consider that he might never have been fully healthy this season.

Heyward will enter 2010 as a 20 year old, not turning 21 until August. There are many who want to see him begin the season as Atlanta's starting right fielder, with just 52 games of experience above A ball on his resume. While it's possible, in fact likely, that Heyward could put up an outstanding Spring Training and force the Braves to make this hope a reality, it's more likely, given his age, experience, and the financial realities of baseball, that the Braves start him out at AAA Gwinnett like they did with Tommy Hanson, allowing him to dominate and hone his game, before calling him up June 1st, after he's avoided the possibility of reaching Super Two status down the line.

2. Concepcion Rodriguez B/T: R/R Born: 9/19/1986 Ht: 6'2" Wt: 170

After an impressive 2008 season spent mostly with Myrtle Beach that saw him hit .278 with a .806 OPS to go with 28 doubles, 14 home runs, and 10 stolen bases, Rodriguez looked poised to assert himself as a top prospect as a 22 year old with Mississippi in 2009. But, like Travis Jones and Brandon Hicks, he saw his power evaporate this season, mostly due to his home ballpark, and put up a total line with a .263 average, .651 OPS, 19 doubles, just 3 home runs, and 9 stolen bases. Like Jones and Hicks, he suffered from a slight drop in his number of doubles, but saw his number of home runs plummet. In 209 home plate appearances he was terrible, hitting just .229 with an awful .534 OPS, but looked like himself on the road, where in 225 plate appearances he hit .295 with a .753 OPS.

Rodriguez is a fine defender, blessed with the combination of enough speed and an above average enough arm to make him capable of playing all three outfield positions. He did so in 2008, playing 30 games in center field, 39 in left field, and 40 in right field, but he settled into right field for most of 2009, playing the majority of his games, 72, there.

With his wild splits, it's hard to judge Rodriguez's season. He's obviously not as bad as the total numbers, or the home numbers, would indicate, but they still show that he needs to work on keeping the ball down and hitting it in the gaps. While he does have a strong, athletic body, he's never going to be a big time home run hitter in the Majors, so this is certainly a lesson worth having him learn. The best place for him to do so is probably right in Mississippi's park, which has supplanted Myrtle Beach as the most unforgiving to hitters in the system, so look for Rodriguez to return to AA to start 2010, with a promotion to AAA likely if he's able to master his home park.

3. Luis Sumoza B/T: R/R Born: 7/15/1988 Ht: 6'0" Wt: 170

Sumoza is one of only a few players on the Talking Chop prospect lists who wasn't originally signed by Atlanta, having been acquired from the Red Sox in exchange for Mark Kotsay. It seemed like a great acquisition at the time, as Sumoza was having a fine year for short season Lowell (basically the equivalent of Danville), hitting .301 with a .915 OPS, including 15 doubles, 11 home runs, and 9 stolen bases in 51 games. But, playing this season mostly as a 20 year old, Sumoza wasn't able to repeat his success, putting up a .271 average and .681 OPS for Rome in 494 plate appearances, along with a very poor showing in 40 plate appearances for Myrtle Beach, hitting just .189 with a .466 OPS. He was able to club out 27 doubles for Rome this year, but he also proved weak at taking a walk, complining just a .316 on base percentage for the team. He also found stealing bases more difficult, swiping just 8 while being caught 11 times on the season.

While he's played a little bit of center field in his career, Sumoza has settled better into right field, where his speed fits better and he's able to make use of his above average arm, which allowed him to collect 13 outfield assists this season. But, he's also shown himself to be a bit of a butcher in the field, as evidence by his 11 errors this season. While his arm is certainly well suited for right field, his defensive short comings create huge offensive opportunities for the opponet, so it's likely that he'll shift over to left field as he moves up the ladder.

Of course, that move is predicated on Sumoza finding himself at the plate again. He'll enter next season as a 21 year old, so if he's forced to repeat with Rome he'll be a little too old to garner a lot of excitement as a prospect, but it also means he's still young enough to hope he turns things around. He has a strong, thick body capable of producing power, so if he can make better contact and take more walks, he could develop into another high risk/high reward outfield prospect.

4. Chris Shehan B/T: R/R Born: 5/5/1987 Ht: 6'0" Wt: 205

After being drafted in the 30th round in 2008, Shehan had a more than solid debut, spent mostly with Danville, where he hit .281 with a .776 OPS along with 12 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs, and 9 stolen bases in 283 plate appearances as a 21 year old. His full season debut was less successful however, as his numbers fell to a .253 average and .660 OPS with 24 doubles, just 3 home runs, and 9 stolen bases in 382 plate appearances. Oddly enough he was actually better at the higher level this season, posting a .261 average and .683 OPS along with 15 of his doubles in 144 plate appearances for Myrtle Beach, compared to a .248 average and .644 OPS in 238 plate appearances for Rome. While his season numbers certainly suffered as he lacked the home run power that he seemed capable of, what really hurt him was an inabilty to work walks, as he posted just a .302 on base percentage for the season.

Shehan has shown himself capable of covering all three outfield positions, and he actually played more games in center field this season, 41, than he did in left field, 26, or right field, 36. But, because he's a little thicker than the average center fielder, and a little slower, he profiles better at one of the corner spots. His arm is slightly above average, and he was able to rack up 8 outfield assists this season, but, like Sumoza, he was also befallen by a propensity to make errors, with a total of 14 this year. So while he is a solid enough outfielder, he isn't a superb one.

He will turn 23 a month into the 2010 season, so Shehan really needs to get things moving quickly if he hopes to keep himself from becoming an afterthought in the Braves system. He'll likely return to Myrtle Beach to start the year, and will need to get his walks up and his power back to assert himself into the Braves plans.

T5. Daniel Falcon B/T: R/R Born: 12/27/1988 Ht: 6'1" Wt: 220

After playing for the Braves team in his native Dominican Republic, where he complied a .275 average and .784 OPS along with 23 doubles, 15 home runs, 14 stolen bases, and 138 strikeouts in 545 plate appearances over three seasons, Feliz made his American debut for the Orlando Braves in the GCL with a .257 average and .680 OPS in 156 plate appearances. Again, the strikeouts plagued him, as he whiffed 42 times, good for nearly one a game.

He split his time pretty evenly between the corner outfield spots, playing 22 games in right field and 20 in left field, racking up 4 outfield assists and 2 errors on the season. But, defense isn't going to be what gets him to the Majors, or keeps him from there, it's his offense. Falcon will enter next season as a 21 year old, so it's time for him to get his career moving. He needs to cut down on his strikeouts and take more walks, his .288 on base percentage this season was just unacceptable, if he wants to move up the ladder.

T5. Anthony Feliz B/T: R/R Born: 10/7/1987 Ht: 6'2" Wt: 195

2009 was Feliz's second year playing for the Orlando Braves inthe GCL and he put up strkingly similar numbers to the previous one. In 148 plate appearances in 2008, he hit .278 with a .679 OPS, including 9 doubles, 2 home runs, and 6 stolen bases, and in 154 plate appearances in 2009, he hit .261 with a .704 OPS including 9 doubles, 2 home runs, and 4 stolen bases. His improvement in OPS stemmed from hitting two triples this season, compared to none last year, and a dramatic increase in walks, from just 1 in 2008 to 8 this year.

Feliz spent the vast majority of his time in right field this season, gaining 6 outfield assists and 4 errors in 41 games. Like Falcon, his defense is neither good enough to make him a Major Leauger, or bad enough to prevent him from becoming one; his offense is what needs work. Feliz will enter next season as a 22 year old and the minimal progression he showed this year compared to last, though his improvment in walks was very impessive, leave little indication that he's likely to rise very high in Atlanta's Minor League stystem.

Braves 2009 Season in Review: Matt Diaz

gondeee — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:19:00 -0000

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I think we can officially call the 2009 season of Atlanta Braves outfielder Matt Diaz a "breakout season." For all NL right-fielders with at least 100 plate appearances, Matt Diaz led the league in batting average and on-base percentage. He was behind six other players in slugging percentage in the NL, but he was behind only Adam LaRoche and David Ross in slugging percentage on the Braves. Diaz had a higher slugging average than sluggers like Hunter Pence, Jay Bruce, and Ryan Ludwick.

While he only hit 13 homeruns, he did that in just 125 games at a rate of 3.1 percent. That rate is second on the Braves to only Brian McCann, and is the same rate that Diaz posted in 2007 when he put up very similar numbers to last year (which begs the question, wasn't that the "breakout season?"). His 2008 season and the dips in every category can be attributed to the knee injury he suffered and some bad luck as viewed by the big dip in his BAbip -- 60 points lower than his career average. Take away that injury-plagued year and add in a full slate of games and Diaz could be a batter who puts up a 20 homeruns and has an OPS in the neighborhood of .875.

I often think that Diaz would be a valuable pinch hitter, but he doesn't seem to be as good at a pinch hitter as he is as a starter. His career batting average as a pinch hitter is 35 points below his career batting average. That number could be attributed to some bad seasons his first few years in the league, as he did post better-than-respectable numbers for a pinch hitter from 2006 to 2008.

But Matt Diaz needs to be playing full time somewhere. After all, he is the "hittin' fool;" given that name by the way in which he swings at just about any pitch and seems to make contact. There's no way that the Braves should be thinking about taking a .300 hitter with good power out of their lineup. The problem is that he is sort of a guy without a position, and while he has good power, he doesn't have elite corner outfield power, and that seems to hurt his chances when stacked up against other players. His defense, too, is less than desirable, though not terrible.

I'd like to see the Braves give Diaz a few more at-bats next year. The Braves still need to go out and get a bigger power bat, but maybe Diaz can be that ninth-man type player who spells the left fielder, the right fielder, and the first baseman, and gets some at-bats when the matchup is favorable. Diaz could spell Jason Heyward and LaRoche (if he re-signs) against left-handers, since Diaz hits 70 points higher for his career -- and last year hit 157 points higher -- when a southpaw was on the mound. If Heyward is not deemed ready out of spring training, Diaz could keep the position warm until Heyward is ready to be called up.

It was one of the great failures of 2009 that a guy like Garret Anderson got 100 more plate appearances than Diaz, while putting up an OPS 173 points south of what Diaz put up. If only the Braves had seen that there was no need to go out and get Garret Anderson... they already had a better player on the team in Matt Diaz. Let's hope they don't repeat that mistake again this off-season. If the Braves go out and get an outfielder, they need to make him a real impact player, not the consolation prize that's signed a week into spring training.

The Atlanta Braves Weekly Wrap

gondeee — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:45:03 -0000

Here's a look at the major stories in the world of the Atlanta Braves for the week ending on October 25th:

In the Press...

There were some suggestions by beat writers David O'Brien and Mark Bowman about the off-season direction the Braves will take.
Talking Chop first reported that Jason Heyward was sidelined with a leg injury, which was later reported by the Braves.com site.
The Braves "got the ball rolling" on contract extension talks with Tim Hudson.
The Braves hired another former member of the Orioles front office.
The AJC reported that Martin Prado is likely going to be the Braves 2010 opening day second baseman.

At Talking Chop...

The Atlanta Braves Fan Confidence Poll showed that Braves fans are already feeling better about the off-season.
We reviewed the 2009 season of third baseman Chipper Jones.
The 2009 seasons of Omar Infante, Kelly Johnson, and Garret Anderson were also reviewed.
Matt reviewed the top-5 Braves third base prospects and the top-5 left field prospects.
Matt Diaz chatted with fans on ESPN, we wrapped up the most interesting Qs & As.
The bloggers of Talking Chop conducted a round table on the third basemen in the Braves organization.
We continue to recap the Braves prospects' performances in the games of the baseball fall and winter leagues, here and here.

Notable FanPosts and FanShots...

GoBravesNY told us about prospect Jeff Lyman's Arizona Fall League blog, and cbwilk told us about L.V. Ware's blog.
justincredubil02 informed everyone how to get free Braves merchandise.
Dale Murphy for HOF gave us his top-5 best and top-5 worst Braves trades.
GoBravesNY asked everyone what their screen names meant, mine (gondeee) is a play on my last name, Gandy.
PWHjort expanded upon a link from the USS Mariner about roster construction theory.

Upcoming Events...

The first ever Brian McCann Celebrity Softball Game is set for November 13th... details here. We're making this a bit of a Talking Chop outing, so everyone get your tickets!
The Gwinnett Braves have a whole slate of off-season events planned at their ballpark, the list is here.