Morning Chop: Atlanta Braves’ News 11/24
May 20, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Tim Hudson (15) sits in the dugout between innings against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Morning Chop: A Summary of Braves’ News
Early Reactions To The McCann Deal
Let’s take a look at some of the early reactions to the Yankees‘ reported five-year, $85MM deal for Brian McCann:
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets that the Rockies were “very aggressive” in angling for McCann but weren’t prepared to offer $100MM to a player that will probably be DHing by the contract’s end.
- While the Rangers lost out on McCann, there are still players available that would boost the team’s offense, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News writes. Texas continues to seriously consider Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Beltran for their left field job, while Jacoby Ellsbury and re-signing Nelson Cruz are also possibilities.
- With McCann off the board, the Rangers could also target a catcher who bats from the left side on a short-term deal, then platoon him with Geovany Soto, Grant writes. As a switch hitter, Dioner Navarro would appear to fit that bill.
- The Red Sox were interested in McCann, but their offer wasn’t close to what he ended up getting, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe tweets.
- In a post for ESPN Insiders (sub. req’d.), Keith Law writes that the signing addresses the Yankees‘ most pressing need and projects that the deal will ultimately be “one of the most sensible” agreements of the offseason. While Law admits that five years is a lot to commit to a catcher, McCann should be able to take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s short right porch to boost his power numbers. His article also suggests that McCann’s strong framing skills add value in a way that isn’t reflected in current defensive metrics.
Atlanta Braves preliminary prospect list for 2014 (revised)
Tomorrow I will start working on the 2014 Baseball Prospect Book once again.
Back on October 16th, I published an early version of this list for discussion. However, as you know I was out of action for over a month with a concussion. I have been able to work more effectively the last couple of days, so it is time to return to the book and the construction of the prospect lists.
I am told to continue to take it easy on my brain for awhile longer, but I feel well enough to get started. However, given the circumstances and the need to finish the book in a reasonably timely manner, I have to cut back the number of players I write up for each team.
The Braves list below currently stands at 44 players. I need to cut that down to 36-38. Your ideas on the marginal Grade C types are welcome. Note that a player on the 40-man roster likely deserves preference over a Grade C guy down in rookie ball.
Atlanta Braves 44 players…
Tim Hudson writes letter to say thanks to the Braves and Atlanta
Here’s a really nice gesture from veteran right-hander Tim Hudson, who left the Braves earlier this week when he agreed to a two-year, $23 million contract with the Giants.
Hudson decided to submit a letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in order to say thanks to the Braves and the fans for making him and his family feel welcome during his nine seasons in Atlanta. The entire letter is not free [Editorial Note: I think it is free HERE unless there’s portions of the letter missing. Doesn’t appear so, but it does appear the letter was given to AJC exclusively.] — you’ll find it behind a paywall — but feel free to read a couple of paragraphs below.
"When I was traded from the Oakland A’s to the Atlanta Braves before the 2005 season, a childhood dream was realized. I grew up a Braves fan just a few hours south of Atlanta, and it was hard for me to believe that I was going to actually play for the Atlanta Braves and legendary manager Bobby Cox. My family was young. We had a toddler (Kennedie), a baby (Tess), and a baby on the way (Kade). We were welcomed into the Braves organization with open arms. Our son was born two weeks into my first season, and our journey began. The Atlanta Braves are really all that our children know about this crazy baseball life, and we are so thankful for this upbringing for them.And to the city of Atlanta and the amazing fans in all of Braves country…my deepest thanks. Braves fans are one-of-a-kind. Your passion to win comes close to equaling that of the players that go out on the field each and every game. But when the team goes through rough patches, you’re there to encourage and cheer and believe that things will turn around. In my 9 seasons, we definitely had some very high moments and some extremely disappointing moments. But one thing that I learned is this – once a Braves fan, always a Braves fan. No matter what. And as a player, that means more than you could understand."