Atlanta Braves News and Notes: Morning Chop
Lucas Sims at Hank Aaron Stadium, Mobile. August 2015. Photo credit: Alan Carpenter, TomahawkTake.com
Several things this morning from around baseball that could be of interest to Atlanta Braves fans, including a bunch of pitching news:
- It’s Dusty Baker – not Bud Black – who will manage the Washington Nationals for the next 2 seasons. Apparently, the Nationals opted to low-ball both of their top candidates for the job, and Black balked at that.
- The Orioles are said to be ready to extend a Qualifying Offer to catcher Matt Wieters.
- Nationals declined their option on reliever Casey Janssen
- The Reds have declined their option on reliever Burke Badenhop
- The Cardinals have declined their $9 million club option for relief pitcher Jonathan Broxton ($2 million buyout).
- BaseballAmerica has a report out on Lucas Sims (subscription required). Headline indicates that he has ‘sharpened’ his breaking pitch this year.
- In Arizona Fall League action yesterday, Sims had an excellent 3 inning outing: 4 K, 0 walks, 0 hits, and pitched around one error behind him. His ERA drops to 2.45 in 11 innings, and he has pitched very well since his first foray for Peoria.
- That Peoria team isn’t hitting very well (only 2 players above .270) with the 3 Braves’ hitters feeling that too: OF Connor Lien (.171), SS Johan Camargo (.241), and C Joseph Odom (.105). This isn’t terribly surprising; many players see game action only about every other day, so getting into a rhythm can be difficult for the hitters.
- Lucas Sims’ stats are the best of the Braves’ AFL pitchers, too, with Andrew Thurman really getting hit hard (16.50). He yielded a triple and 2 homers yesterday.
- Overall, Peoria is 7-8, but that’s still just 1 game out of first place. The AFL Fall Stars game is this Saturday, and Sims would be ideally lined up to pitch there… and now that I look: yes… Lucas Sims is on the All-Star roster.
- MLB Trade Rumors is echoing a Miami Herald report that Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez declined the overture of a long-term contract extension. Welcome to working with Scott Boras. Fernandez is still under team control through the 2018 season and is first-year arbitration eligible now.
MLB Calendar Items
More from Tomahawk Take
- Atlanta Braves 2012 Prospect Review: Joey Terdoslavich
- Braves News: Braves sign Fuentes, Andruw’s HOF candidacy, more
- The Weakest Braves Homers Since 2015
- Atlanta Braves Sign Joshua Fuentes to Minor League Deal
- Braves News: New Year’s Eve comes with several questions about the 2023 Braves
THIS MONTH
- Now through Friday: teams with exiting free agents have exclusive right to negotiate with them. But don’t hold your breath… that almost never yields a contract for anybody.
- Friday: Free Agency begins; deadline for teams to issue qualifying offers
- November 9-12: General Manager meetings, Boca Raton, FL
- November 18-19: Baseball owners’ meetings, Dallas, TX
MLB AWARDS SCHEDULE
- November 9th: Players Choice awards
- November 10th: The Rawlings Gold Glove awards, plus finalists announced for the major awards
- November 11th: Wilson Defensive Player of the Year awards… still waiting on Mizuno to create their own defensive award
- November 12th: Louisville Slugger awards. Okay, whatever.
- Monday, Nov. 16: Rookies of the Year
- Tuesday, Nov. 17: Managers of the Year
- Wednesday, Nov. 18: Cy Young Awards
- Thursday, Nov. 19: MVP Awards
- Friday, Nov. 20: Another sponsored award that nobody cares about
DECEMBER
- 2: Non-tender deadline
- 7: Announcement of Hall of Fame vote from pre-integration era committee (until 1946)
- 7-10: Winter Meetings, Nashville.
- 10: Rule 5 Draft
JANUARY
- 7: Hall of Fame Class of 2016 announcements
- 12: Deadline for aribitration-eligible players to file
- 15: Deadline for exchange of arbitration figures; end of arbitration negotiations for “file-and-trial” teams (the Braves are one of those)
- (arbitration hearings would be between February 1-21)
REPORTING DATES, DEADLINES
- These will vary by team; no formal announcements yet. General dates follow.
- Pitchers and Catchers voluntary reporting: February 18
- All others: Voluntary reporting from Feb. 23 until March 1
- March 16 – Last day to unconditionally release a player on a non-guaranteed contract, paying 30-days termination pay.
- March 30 – Last day to unconditionally release a player on a non-guaranteed contract, paying 45-days termination pay (full salary after this date).
- April 3 – 25-man Roster deadline
OPENING DAYS
- April 3: Opening Night
- April 4: Everybody else
Next: Looking for those Out Standing in their Field
BEYOND
- Jun 9: MLB Draft
- July 12: All Star game… San Diego’s Petco Park
- July 2: 2016-17 International signing period opens
- July 15: Draft signing deadline