Predicting the Braves’ Opening Day Roster
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: The Atlanta Braves front office and management team still have many roster decisions to make within the final two weeks of the 2016 Spring Training, but it’s always fun to speculate what they will do. Sports Talk Atlanta goes through their predictions today and they have many of the same names that I have. One name that might be eye-popping at first is no Bud Norris in the starting rotation. With unsuccessful outings this year, he could be cut or traded. Once a given in the 2016 rotation, he’s on the bubble.
"Julio TeheranJhoulys ChacinMatt WislerManny BanuelosMike FoltynewiczThe Lowdown: Julio Teheran anchors a very inexperienced rotation after he looks to return to form after a topsy-turvy 2015 campaign. Honestly, in all likelihood, Bud Norris somehow ends up in the rotation due to his major league deal but I am omitting him due to the fact that I think Jhoulys Chacin has been too good to not earn a starting spot, and the young guys need innings to figure things out. Matt Wisler, Manny Banuelos and Mike Folynewicz form the young trio of arms with high upside, hopefully they can remain healthy this season."
Chipper instructing, scouting, evaluating … and fielding?
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: Wasn’t it great to see Chipper Jones back on the field at third base yesterday? Just taking ground balls with the team, it was great to see, but folks on twitter were asking if he’s a distraction. I don’t believe so with this team…with others maybe, but not the 2016 Braves.
"Chipper Jones, in camp as a Braves special assistant to baseball operations, took a few grounders during Braves batting practice. The 43-year-old retired third baseman retired after the 2012 season, and will almost certainly be a first-ballot selection to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.And no, there’s no chance he’ll push back that five-year HOF waiting period by playing again.“He wouldn’t sign for league minimum,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who joked with Jones after watching him take grounders. “I was getting ready to give him a contract for league minimum and he says, ‘No.’”"
Braves still weighing options in Swanson-Albies position debate
Tomahawk Take Editor’s Note: If you don’t know the names Swanson and Albies yet, you must have been hibernating for the past few months. Two of the Braves top prospects impressed many during the 2016 Spring Training, but the dilemma still remains which positions with these guys play. Now the big question comes for the Braves front office – which affiliate will these guys play with and which positions. Huge, tough decisions from the Braves camp coming soon.
"The Braves’ top two position prospects, Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies, not only shared a locker early in camp, they inhabit similar future roles: Promising middle-infield talent for a franchise desperate for star power. Team executives have hinted at 2016 MLB possibilities for both players, but it’s a safe assumption that the franchise still has a year to sort out its future defensive alignment.The team rotated Swanson and Albies between the two positions before they were sent to minor-league camp last week, and it’s an option that Braves president of baseball operations John Hart is not ruling out as the season nears.“I think we’ve looked at it two different ways,” Hart said on Thursday. “One: Do we start them both at the same level and we play one guy at shortstop for a week and the other guy at second base and let them get a feel for both? Let them kinda come up together? Or do we say, ‘We have a great gift here and we’ve got two outstanding shortstops,’ separate them, let them both play, look up sometime at midseason, sometime in mid-July and try to make a decision then?“That’s yet to be determined.”"