Atlanta Braves: Who’s on Second?
The Atlanta Braves offseason of change started with the dismissal of general manager Frank Wren. The two headed baseball operations team of John Hart and John Coppolella have now taken over the reigns of the decision making. The big move they had up their sleeves was trading fan favorite Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden for Shelby Miller and prospect Tyrell Jenkins. However, their first move was sending Tommy La Stella to the Chicago Cubs for Arodys Vizcaino.
This left a blank spot in the Atlanta infield for the immediate future. The eventual Braves second basemen is Jose Peraza, but there is no guarantee that he will be ready to step into the lineup on opening day 2015. I, along with most Braves fans, assumed that La Stella, or a La Stella Phil Gosselin platoon would hold down the position until Peraza was ready. With that option out the window it seems as if three options remain.
Option 1: Start Gosselin
The first and most likely option is to give the second base job to Gosselin full-time until Peraza is ready. Gosselin had some nice moments in 2014, but was not exactly spectacular with the bat. He hit .266/.304/.320 in 136 plate appearances, and played solid defense at four different positions. If Peraza is projected to be ready sometime around June then Gosselin would be the perfect stop-gap. He could start at second base until Peraza is ready then shift back to that utility role.
Option 2: Sign a Veteran
Signing a veteran free agent to hold the job for the entire season is also a possibility. The second base options on the market are not overwhelming, but one could be a fit. Some of the options include Rafael Furcal, Rickie Weeks, Asdrubal Cabrera, Stephen Drew, and Mark Ellis. The players that would require multi-year contracts are out of the picture. With Peraza nearly ready the Braves are not going to commit years and dollars to someone else. The only fits I see here are guys like Mark Ellis or Rafael Furcal on cheap one year deals. Both players were injured, and unproductive, last season. If these are the types of players that are available the Braves should just stick with Gosselin.
Option 3: Start the Kid
The Braves could always decide that Jose Peraza is ready to play now. They have not been shy about calling up young players when the organization thinks they are ready. That was the case with Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Andrelton Simmons, Jeff Francoeur, and many others. That very well could be the case with Peraza. If he tears the cover off the ball in Spring Training they could decide having his bat, speed, and defense in the lineup gives them the best chance to win in 2015.
Maybe John Hart’s wheeling and dealing is not over yet, but I just keep thinking option 1 and 3 are the most likely given the lackluster second base market. We will see.