As the calendar has flipped to 2020, the activity has suddenly ramped up as the Atlanta Braves and others are trying to fill out their rosters.
We’ll take a brief hiatus from Josh Donaldson talk – though the hope is that this saga ends early next week – and take a quick gander at some of the other player personnel news and rumors that effect the Atlanta Braves.
First off, here’s an actual player acquisition note that has some history to it: the Atlanta Braves have signed infielder/shortstop Pete Kozma to a minor league contract.
Yeah – that Pete Kozma. The shortstop who had the best view of anyone during the Infield Fly incident from the 2012 Wild Card game against the Cardinals.
To be sure, it really wasn’t his fault – other than perhaps thinking Matt Holliday had called him off of Andrelton Simmons‘ pop fly to left field. It was really the fault of left field line umpire Sam Holbrook – the umpire making the absurd call.
Nonetheless Kozma is forever married to the incident in the minds of Braves fans everywhere.
The light-hitting Kozma has been a “AAAA” player for his career since getting his first cup of coffee in the majors in 2011. He’s spent time in the majors with the Cardinals (his original team) from 2011-15, and then in bit roles with the Rangers and Tigers in 2017-18.
He spent the 2019 season with Detroit’s AAA squad in Toledo, hitting .263 in 88 games.
The 31-year-old Kozma (he will turn 32 in April) fulfills the general Braves’ need for infield depth, though barring injury, it’s not a need they will have at the major league level.
There has been (in reports so far) no mention of a Spring Training invitation with this contract, though that can always be added at any point.
More Depth?
Name heard tied to #Braves & multiple teams is Steven Souza Jr. In between minor deal & MLB contract. A rebound candidate but he’s got a bevy of suitors. Also heard Braves tied to Adam Frazier... very active but focused on Josh Donaldson..
— MLBExecutiveBurner (@HotStoveintel) January 4, 2020
This is comes with no confirmation, though it’s unlikely that many – or any – of the main industry reporters would be clamoring to get such news about either Souza or Frazier.
Souza would be an interesting pickup for the Braves – or anybody else. Turning 31 in April, he’s an outfielder who posted a 3.8 fWAR value in 2017 as a member of the Rays thanks to a 30 homer outburst, though he’s been a bit of an all-or-nothing hitter overall.
Souza will walk enough to keep an OBP above .300, but his hitting has been a bit sketchy at the major league level – averaging .233 overall.
Just before the regular season started in 2019, Souza suffered a disastrous injury to his left knee as his spikes seemed to skid on home plate and then catch in the dirt, leading to complete tears of 2 knee ligaments, a partial tear to a 3rd, and a posterior lateral capsule tear.
As a result, the righty-hitting Souza missed the entire regular season and is now a free agent seeking to latch on with some club to see if his prior power is still there.
Despite the ‘bevy’ of teams supposedly interested, getting a major league deal is probably unlikely until Souza can prove himself healthy during the Spring.
That said, the Braves are currently carrying 38 names on their 40-man roster. One slot is hopefully to be used for Josh Donaldson – oops, I mentioned him after all – but there’s at least a shot at Souza or someone else getting #40.
ON ADAM FRAZIER
Frazier is a 28-year-old utility man who is still under the control of the Pittsburgh Pirates, as has been the case since this club made him a collegiate draftee (Round 6) in 2013.
He reached the majors in 2016 and gained considerable playing time by last season, seeing 152 games and 508 plate appearances.
Frazier was thus tendered a contract for the 2020 campaign that will be estimated in the $3.2 million range, but as opposed to Souza Jr, Frazier would have to be acquired via trade.
Frazier spent most of his time at second base in 2019, though he could handle virtually any other position on the field in a pinch.
He hits for average (.279 over his career; .277 in 2019) and has occasional pop from the left side (10 homers in both 2018 and 2019). His production was worth around 2 fWAR over each of those last two seasons.
An acquisition of Souza Jr. could plausibly be done in the minor leagues; Frazier … not so much. It really wouldn’t be a move you’d expect unless the Braves actually wanted to play most every day.
Frazier has a fairly pronounced L/R split – in 2019 he hit right-handed pitching at a .285 clip with 9 of his 10 dingers. Against left-handers, it was a .259 effort with 100 fewer OPS points.
A Souza acquisition makes more sense overall unless there was something more going on with Pittsburgh than just Frazier. Atlanta already has Adam Duvall and Nick Markakis as 3rd/4th outfielders, a wild card 3B/OF’er in Austin Riley, plus Charlie Culberson and Johan Camargo on hot standby.
But that’s what we get at this time of year – a lot of chatter… a lot less certainly.
Late Update
#Braves signing LHP Chris Nunn to minor-league deal, source said. It includes an invite to spring training.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 4, 2020
Nunn is a 29-year-old former Dodger farmhand who hasn’t cracked the majors yet. Lots of strikeouts, but lots of walks and he’s been rather hittable. More minor league depth.
The Atlanta Braves are evidently continuing to look at depth issues for 2020, and that should certainly help keep things going when injuries crop up.