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Atlanta Braves filling gaps on the final day of 2019 mock Winter meetings

By Fred Owens

On the final day of the 2019 mock winter meetings the Atlanta Braves simulated the acquisition of RHP Jharel Cotton from the Oakland Athletics. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
On the final day of the 2019 mock winter meetings the Atlanta Braves simulated the acquisition of RHP Jharel Cotton from the Oakland Athletics. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 13: Teoscar Hernandez #37 of the Toronto Blue Jays takes second base on a throwing error after hitting a single in the fourth inning of their MLB game against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre on September 13, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 13: Teoscar Hernandez #37 of the Toronto Blue Jays takes second base on a throwing error after hitting a single in the fourth inning of their MLB game against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre on September 13, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Braves simulate adding a RH power bat

As Saturday vanished into history, I agreed to a simulated trade of Ender Inciarte and Corbin Clouse to the Blue Jays in exchange for outfielder Teoscar Hernandez and Kendall Williams.

According to his Baseball America scouting report ($$),  The Astros plucked Hernandez from the Dominican  Republic in 2011, and he shot through their farm system, only to regress badly in 2015  because he couldn’t hit a breaking pitch. Everyone passed on him as a Rule 5 selection in 2015, and he spent the Winter learning to pick up spin.

". . . in 2016, when he slashed his strikeout rate from 25 percent to 17 percent. Hernandez went from being an easy out to an above-average hitter because (of his) two-strike approach . . takes or spoils tough, two-strike pitches he chased in the past . . . (it cost him some power) but he still has above-average power to go with his much-improved hit tool . . . an above-average defender in center field and plus in the corners with an above-average arm. . ."

In 2017 the Astros traded him to the Blue Jays for Francisco Liriano.

Since arriving in Toronto, Hernandez’s batted .238/.304/.482/.786 and hit 20+ homers when given ~ 450 PA. He strikes out more than I like, but I feel Kevin Seitzer can help him improve. He’s better in a corner outfield spot than in center, but Eric Young and others will work on his defense.

Hernandez is still pre-arb and under team control through 2023. His RH power bat adds a facet previously lacking to the Atlanta Braves’ simulated bench and means the lineup remains strong when one of the corner outfielders needs a day off.

That’s a wrap

The end of the mock Winter Meetings meant no more official moves were possible. We were unable to do things I’d have liked to do to improve the roster and depth. Chris Devenski seems a good candidate for a minor league deal with an invite to spring training to provide depth for the bullpen.

Chris Owings or Phil Gosselin could do the same for shortstop, and with Inciarte gone having Juan Lagares at Gwinnett would make things more comfortable until Cristian Pache is ready.

Next. New math confuses me. dark

I know I promised a post on how I ground the Atlanta Braves’ sausage over the last ten days. There’s too much information there for this post, so I’ll try to get that ready for tomorrow.

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