Atlanta Braves News: The Morning Chop, Bullpen Depth, Keith Law’s Top 20 MLB Prospects
By Jeff Schafer
2017 prospect rankings: 20-1
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: It’s what we’ve all been waiting on…well maybe. Take it for what it’s worth, but baseball writer, blogger, ESPN reporter, Keith Law has released his top 20 MLB prospects for the 2017 season. He’s been releasing these lists, for what seems to be weeks, at 20 prospects each list. This morning, we finally got to see who’s number 1!! Well, it’s not Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson…but he is #2! Coming in at number one is Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi. Below is a list of his top 10. One name that you won’t find in the top 10…Yoan Moncada. The guy the White Sox had to have in order to send Chris Sale to the Red Sox. Moncada came in at #17 on his list. What Law sees is definitely not what the White Sox see. It will be interesting to watch who’s right in 2017.
"This is it, the final score, and what seems to be my annual love letter to shortstops, with four of them in the top five this year — a testament to the value of a player who can stay at the infield’s most challenging position and provide some offense as well.Most of these names will be familiar to you already, either because they’ve been on these lists before, because they’ve appeared in the majors already (six of them, including the top two), or because they’ve been traded recently (four). The one thing they all have in common is that they all look likely to become stars once they reach their major league peaks.Here is Law’s top 10BenintendiSwansonRosarioTorresCrawfordBellingerKopechRoblesMeadowsReyes"
Braves enter ’17 with depth, options in bullpen
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: All of the sudden the Braves have a plethora of bullpen arms! That’s never a bad thing and especially when you have John Coppolella running your franchise. It’s almost a guarantee that all these guys won’t be a part of the Braves organization on April 3rd. Coppy is going to swing a deal, sign another guy, make another trade, flip flop pancakes, do a twirl, etc, etc. Having the arms for the bullpen is nice, also because you never know when an injury will occur, because many other teams are looking for that depth. Is it true that if you don’t use it, you lose it? Well, let’s use that depth and turn it into a profit! Braves have potentially four pitchers that could close games for other teams…Jim Johnson, Arodys Vizcaino, Mauricio Cabrerea and Jose Ramirez. Alan gave a little insight yesterday on the possibility of trading Vizcaino.
"It certainly wouldn’t be out of character for Braves general manager John Coppolella to use this abundance to entice a bullpen-needy team with a trade. But at the same time, the depth could provide immediate value within an aspect of the roster that is annually influenced by unpredictability and uncertainty."
"The Braves didn’t expect to view their relief as a potential area of strength when they exited July with the National League’s 10th-best bullpen ERA (4.15). But as the group ranked fifth in the NL with 3.61 bullpen ERA over the remainder of the season, they gained a sense of how effective this group could be with the additions of Chaz Roe, who was claimed off waivers from the Orioles on Aug. 7, and Jose Ramirez, who displayed improved command as he pitched effectively after returning from Triple-A Gwinnett on July 28.Once the Braves signed closer Jim Johnson to a two-year deal on Oct. 2, they entered the offseason knowing there was not a definitive need to tinker with their bullpen. But they have made a couple moves to at least account for the uncertainty that exists within this group. Some added depth and insurance was gained by taking right-hander Armando Rivero in the Rule 5 Draft and by signing veterans Blaine Boyer, Jordan Walden and Eric O’Flaherty to Minor League deals."
Georgia store refusing to sell Sam Adams until after Super Bowl
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: This made me laugh a little. Good for this gas station! Looks as though many are jumping on the Atlanta Falcons bandwagon, heck I’m one of them. It was anyone but the Patriots for a while, but now since the Falcons are in it, I’ve got to cheer for them! The Falcons have been playing some of the best football I’ve seen. Both offense and their defense is clicking at the right time. This has all the possibilities to be a really good Super Bowl. Since seeing this photo, I’ve got to start thinking about what I’m drinking and eating until after the Super Bowl!
"If you live in northern Georgia and are an avid drinker of Sam Adams beer, you have one less option than usual to purchase it in the next week and a half.Viral Chhadua owns an Exxon station in Gainesville, just north of Atlanta, and he won’t be selling the Boston-based product until after the Atlanta Falcons face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI."