Day six and we hit the National League East, the last division to be included with a team. For them, we head below the Mason-Dixon Line to Atlanta, Georgia, where the Braves enter an unknown season for the second straight year. The 2015 Atlanta Braves are primed to have a battle for placement in the much stronger National League East, in a year where they are no longer the alpha dog. The upgrades by the Nationals, Marlins and Mets provide stiff competition for Atlanta this season.
Team Overview: 2015 Atlanta Braves
The Braves were plenty busy in the 2014-2015 off-season, losing two starting outfielders in Jason Heyward and Justin Upton, five starting pitchers, including Kris Medlen and Ervin Santana, a starting catcher in Evan Gattis, a starting second baseman in Tommy LaStella, and two solid relievers in Jonny Venters and Jordan Walden. To recover the lost spots, the Braves brought in many players and veterans on minor league contracts with an invite to Spring Training for the chance to make the team for 2015. After a 79-83 2014 season in which they finished tied for second with the Mets- 17 games behind the first place Nationals- the Braves decided a minor roster overhaul was going to be part of the off-season. The trade of outfielder Jason Heyward- primed to hit free agency after 2015- surprised some Braves fans because of the attachment that they had developed with him as a player. He and Walden were shipped to the Cardinals (to replace Pat Neshek, who was most likely to leave, and the late Oscar Taveras, who passed away in a car accident) for pitchers Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. Miller will immediately be placed in the Braves rotation, probably in the three slot, and Jenkins will compete for the five spot along with other non-roster invitees, like Chien-Ming Wang, Wandy Rodriguez and Eric Stults.
Roster Moves
He’s Here: OF Zolio Almonte, P Manny Banuelos, 2B Alberto Callaspo, P Mike Foltynewicz, OF Jonny Gomes, P Jason Grilli, P Tyrell Jenkins, P Jim Johnson, OF Nick Markakis, P Shelby Miller, P Josh Outman, OF Eury Perez, 2B Jace Peterson, C A.J. Pierzynski, OF-1B Dian Toscano, P Arodys Vizcaino Non-Roster Invitees with chance to make roster: C John Buck, SS Pedro Ciriaco, P Todd Coffey, 2B-OF Kelly Johnson, P Wandy Rodriguez, P Eric Stults, OF Eric Young Jr., P Chien-Ming Wang He’s Gone: P Brandon Beachy, INF-OF Emilio Bonifacio, P David Carpenter, P Gavin Floyd, C Evan Gattis, P David Hale, P Aaron Harang, OF Jason Heyward, C Gerald Laird, 2B Tommy LaStella, P Kris Medlen, 2B/SS Ramiro Pena, P Ervin Santana, P Gus Schlosser, P Chasen Shreve, OF Justin Upton, P Anthony Varvaro, P Jonny Venters, P Jordan Walden
Rise of the Newbies
Their is potential for a large roster turnover for the Braves entering this season, especially with the list of non-roster invitees that come into Spring Training. The Braves also brought in an unbeknownst 25-year old Cuban outfielder named Dian Toscano, who signed a $6 million, four-year contract, which is a smaller amount than what most Cuban imports were getting, but Atlanta sees potential in Toscano and are hoping to use him as the starting left fielder for 2015.
Center field was to be patrolled by the newly minted Melvin Upton Jr., deciding to go by his birth name instead of his nickname, B.J., for this season. Upton is now figured to be out for 6-8 weeks due to inflammation in his left foot. Center field will now become a competition between waiver claims and non-roster invitees. Eric Young Jr. has already made a compelling case, having a strong first Spring Training game and stealing two bases, but spring statistics aren’t looked at too highly at the beginning, and Young has limited experience in center field.
Recent acquisitions Zolio Almonte, Jonny Gomes and Eury Perez, all on the 40-man roster, will also look to compete for playing time in the outfield, as well as non-roster invitee Kelly Johnson, who, if he doesn’t make a good impression in the outfield, has multiple abilities in the infield.
The strongest point of the Braves in recent years has been their bullpen. The brightest spot has been closer Craig Kimbrel, who has been extremely dominant in the National League and a four time All-Star, as well as 2011 Rookie of the Year and reigning NL saves leader from 2011-2014. Kimbrel’s top partner in crime, Jonny Venters, a dependable lefty, was released on November 21, 2014, due to his having a third Tommy John surgery to revive his career. He missed all of 2013 and 2014 and is expected to miss all of 2015 due to recovery time. The Braves have attempted to revamp their bullpen, especially with the addition of a cost efficient Jim Johnson, who has shown positive results after a disastrous 2014 season split between the Athletics and Tigers in which he had a 7.09 earned run average. Jason Grilli was also an off-season acquisition of the Braves, and Grilli looks to be the 7th inning man before set-up man James Russell and Kimbrel.
Team Outline
(red indicates a new acquisition)
C: Christian Bethancourt
1B: Freddie Freeman
2B: Phil Gosselin
3B: Chris Johnson
SS: Andrelton Simmons
LF: Dian Toscano
CF: Melvin Upton Jr.
RF: Nick Markakis
The contour of the Braves defense is changed with the loss of Hewyard, J. Upton, Gattis, and LaStella. Nick Markakis takes over in right field after spending his whole career in Baltimore, signing a four-year contract with Atlanta. The Braves hope he can stay healthy and be a helpful presence at the top of order. Atlanta retains two of their top 2014 performers in Simmons at short and Freeman at first, their overall offensive firepower.
1. Julio Teheran
2. Mike Minor
3. Shelby Miller
4. Alex Wood
5. Eric Stults/Mike Foltynewicz/Wandy Rodriguez/Manny Banuelos/Chien-Ming Wang
The five spot in the rotation is clearly up for grabs by multiple pitchers, whether they be a non-roster invitee or recent acquisition, but my favorite in this situation is Foltynewicz, who would provide youth and opportunity to a rebuilding Braves team. Stults could also give a good run for the spot, while Rodriguez will have a long road to becoming a reliable Major League starter again, Banuelos is more of a reliever arm and Wang has struggled to come back to the majors.
Bottom Line
The Braves have been a top contender in the National League for the last two decades, but last season was an indicator of the direction the team is heading: behind. Despite the young talent they possess, injuries will wreak havoc on them, starting with Upton and Mike Minor, who may be sidelined for Opening Day with shoulder tightness in his throwing shoulder. The Braves will have to take a few years to regain the firepower they previously utilized, and will have a tough time of it in the East. A fourth place finish with around 72-76 wins seems likely for them.
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