Atlanta Braves: All-former Braves free agent team
By Jeff Schafer
Many available free agents are still looking for contracts as the new year approaches…and a lot of them have ties to the Braves
Okay, I’ll admit it…this offseason has been extremely slow and digging for compelling topic ideas has been difficult. So I thought I’d have a little fun as I put together a roster of the current free agents that have ties to the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves have made few moves since Alex Anthopoulos has taken charge on November 13th. In fact, it feels as though all MLB transactions have been moving like molasses.
Many players are still on the free agency wire and only time will tell when these guys will land. The dominos will fall eventually.
Over the years, we’ve seen many players move on from Atlanta and go do great things elsewhere. Others, that’s not the case.
A lot of the free agents below are on the free agent list because teams aren’t in a need for their services.
Going through the list of current free agents (as of December 31st), here is a list of my All-Former Braves team through the free agency wire.
Catcher – Christian Bethancourt (played with Braves 2013-2015)
First Base – Adrian Gonzalez (played with Braves for 13 minutes)
Second Base – Brandon Phillips (played with Braves in 2017)
Shortstop – Erick Aybar (played with the Braves in 2016)
Third Base – Yunel Escobar (played with Braves 2007-2010)
Left Field – Jace Peterson (played with Braves 2015-2017)
Center Field – Cameron Maybin (played with Braves in 2015)
Right Field – Melky Cabrera (played with Braves in 2010)
Bench Spot – Eric Young (played with Braves in 2015), Philip Gosselin (played with Braves 2013-2015), Chase D’Arnaud (played with the Braves 2016-2017)
My lineup would look like this given these players
1. Cameron Maybin
2. Brandon Phillips
3. Melky Cabrera
4. Adrian Gonzalez
5. Yunel Escobar
6. Erick Aybar
7. Christian Bethancourt
8. Jace Peterson
9. Pitcher
So yeah…not the best, eh? Especially if you’re looking to fill out a roster for the 2018 season. Maybe a solid lineup in like 2015.
Nothing to get too excited about in that lineup and the pitching staff could be even worse.
Pitching Rotation based off free agency
Starting Pitcher – Jeff Locke (drafted in 2006, traded in 2009)
Starting Pitcher – Jaime Garcia (pitched in ATL in 2017)
Starting Pitcher – R.A. Dickey (pitched in ATL in 2017)
Starting Pitcher – Bartolo Colon (kinda pitched for ATL in 2017)
Starting Pitcher – Trevor Cahill (pitched with the Braves in 2015)
Almost laughable there. Not too many free agent starting pitchers that have ties to the Atlanta Braves left on the market. Maybe that’s a good thing?
It’s kinda funny how three out of five were in our rotation in 2017.
Relief Pitcher – Neftali Feliz (signed in 2005, traded in 2007)
Relief Pitcher – Jason Grilli (pitched in ATL from 2015-2016)
Relief Pitcher – Jesse Chavez (pitched with the Braves in 2010)
Relief Pitcher – Jason Motte (pitched in ATL in 2017)
Relief Pitcher – Bud Norris (pitched in ATL in 2016)
Relief Pitcher – Josh Collmenter (pitched in ATL from 201 6-2017)
Relief Pitcher – Ian Krol (pitched in ATL from (2016-2017)
Relief Pitcher – Peter Moylan (pitched in ATL 2006-2012, 2015, 2017)
Honorable mentions – RHP Shae Simmons (pitched for ATL from 2014-2016), LHP Eric O’Flaherty (pitched in ATL from 2009-2013, 2016-2017), RHP J.J. Hoover, RHP Boone Logan, David Hernandez (pitched in ATL for 28 days in 2017), Matt Belisle (drafted by Braves in 2nd round in 1998), Blaine Boyer (pitched in ATL from 2005-2009)
Anyway, that was fun…and also scary. Sometimes we take for granted the players we have. Maybe we shouldn’t.