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Monday, January 14, 2008
Reshaped Braves aim toward spring training
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few thoughts while waiting for the expected announcement from the Braves that Mark Kotsay has passed his physical and the center field gap has been stopped.
Assuming the veteran outfielder’s surgically repaired back passed muster with Braves doctors today, the Kotsay-for-Joey Devine trade will be finalized and Kotsay will figuratively take the baton from Andruw Jones and, the Braves hope, carry it well for a year before handing it off to young Jordan Schafer.
We’ve pretty well exhausted this Kotsay topic since I first posted a blog last Wednesday speculating the Braves’ interest in the 32-year-old Oakland outfielder, especially after Kotsay told me Friday that A’s GM Billy Beane called him that morning and said a possible trade was in the works with Atlanta.
So we’ll not devote this blog to more debate over whether it was a good trade, though you are certainly free to continue that topic if you’d like.
My last word (for now) on the subject: I think it was a very good trade provided Kotsay is healthy, because the Braves only pay $2 mill (A’s paying other $5 mill of his $7 mill salary, plus the $350,000 bonus he gets for moving, which was part of his contract). And they give up a hard-throwing reliever who hasn’t panned out yet and probably wasn’t going to be more than a middle man if he made this year’s bullpen.
Trading Devine is not akin to trading Adam Wainwright, who had potential to be an ace starter (still does have that potential) and ended up being a closer on St. Louis’ World Series championship team.
(And personally, I don’t think that Drew-for-Wainwright deal was bad, either, because Drew was the Braves’ MVP that season and very nearly helped them win a pennant. You don’t get difference-makers without giving up talent, folks. Kotsay probably isn’t the difference-maker that Drew was, but a healthy Kotsay is an outstanding defensive outfielder and class act who can hit .290-.300 with 12-15 homers, provide more veteran leadership, and be a terrific influence on Schafer and other young players.)
By the way, Kotsay’s had success in Atlanta, both in the majors (.292 average with nine extra-base hits and 12 RBIs in 106 at-bats) and the Olympics. The two-time college player of the year hit .303 (10-for-33) with four doubles, three homers, six RBIs and 10 runs for the U.S. at the ’96 Atlanta Olympics.
Batting order: So what will the Braves’ batting order look like, assuming Kotsay is in it? I’m going to take a stab, though this could obviously change and I don’t feel too certain about much more than the 3-4 slots:
- SS Yunel Escobar, 2. Kotsay, 3. 3B Chipper Jones, 4. 1B Mark Teixeira, 5. RF Jeff Francoeur/C Brian McCann, 6. Francoeur/McCann, 7. 2B Kelly Johnson, 8. LF Matt Diaz/Brandon Jones.
I believe Kelly could also bat leadoff (he and Yunel both thrived in the role last year), and I’m guessing with the Francoeur/McCann thing because that’s what Bobby did last season, depending upon the pitcher.
My concern with hitting Yunel second would be having him worry too much about being a prototpye No. 2 hitter, feeling the need hit behind the runner, move guys over, etc. With that swing, you want the kid to just lash line drives all over the place, like he did last year.
As one or our astute regulars, Mr. Baseball, points out in a comment Monday night (after this original post), batting Kotsay second would invite teams to bring in lefty relievers to face Kotsay and the switch-hitters behind him. I can see where Cox might view it similarly, so here’s my other option:
Escobar, 2. Johnson 3. Chipper, 4. Teixeira, 5. Francoeur/McCann, 6. Francoeur/McCann, 7. Kotsay, 8. Diaz/B. Jones.
Yes, my OTHER lineup also has a lefty batting second. Just the way I see it, one of these lineups seems right to me, at least the top four in one of these (bottom half, order can be tweaked a bit here or there).
Because despite the lefty thing, it’s worth noting that Kotsay’s career average/OBP/slugging are almost identical vs. lefties and righties, and Teixeira has hit lefties a little better than righties throughout his career. He has a .311 average, .387 OBP and .555 slugging pecentage against lefties, and .276/.364/.532 vs. righties. (This just in: Teixeira is really good.)
How would you folks make out your lineup?
Bennett’s crash diet: Even if you happened to see pitcher Jeff Bennett at FanFest, you might not have known it. Dude looks entirely different after shedding a whole lot of weight and letting his hair grow.
When I say a lot of weight, I mean a lot of weight.
Bennett claims he’s lost 60 pounds since last season, though not sure if he meant since middle of last season or the end. Anyway, the intense righty is tipping ‘em at about 200 pounds now, after pitching great in August-September (4-1, 1.74 ERA as starter for Richmond, 2-1 with 3.46 ERA in three games for Atlanta including two starts) despite being heavier than he’d ever been.
Bennett said he ate mostly chicken-and-rice during winter ball in Venezuela, where he continued his impressive performance. He told Braves officials this weekend that he’s very serious about being in the best shape he could be in for spring training, because he knows he has an opportunity to compete for a job.
Wouldn’t be surprised if he made the team as a long reliever/spot starter.
“He’s done an absolutely terrific job with his body,” Braves player development Kurt Kemp told me. “He looks great. Obviously he’s very committed to coming in and being the pitcher he can be.”
No home improvement: Rather than rehabbing homes, lefty Chuck James spent the winter rehabbing his pitching shoulder. In previous offseasons he’s worked on a Lowe’s crew that installed windows and doors.
James, who spent time on the DL last season with what was then termed a “dead arm” said he was diagnosed with a slight tear in his rotator cuff after the season. Nothing that required surgery (you might be surprised how many pitchers have similar tears in their shoulders; it’s common among older pitchers).
He said he worked a couple hours a day, three days a week, at a sports-rehab facility this winter and that the shoulder felt great when he played catch for the first time on Friday.
For those wondering if James was going to work on his third pitch, his slider, this winter, there’s your answer: He didn’t throw until Friday, and wasn’t supposed to. He did throw some mean curveballs with the wiffle ball at FanFest Saturday, when the youngsters seemingly had no chance of hitting him.
When I asked him about competition for his rotation spot, and whether he felt he needed to make some adjustments, he gave what’s become a typical Chuck response:
“I definitely feel like I don’t have a spot [assured],” he said, but didn’t seem too stressed about spring training. “I’m gonna have fun with it. I’m gonna pitch the best I can, keep all the pressure off myself, not worry about what other pitchers are doing.”
And could all that competition among starters help the Braves?
“Without a doubt,” he said, “any time you have that depth it’s gonna help us out a lot.”
If Mike Hampton is healthy to start the season, the Braves would have John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, Tom Glavine and Hampton assured of spots, with James competing with rookies Jair Jurrjens and Jo-Jo Reyes, and also Bennett and Buddy Carlyle. Unless there are injuries or trades between now and opening day.
Javy slimmed down, upbeat: There was another, more familiar face atop a slimmer physique at FanFest, as Javy Lopez began a second tour with the Braves that he hopes will include a backup catcher spot on the major league roster.
The Braves signed the veteran catcher to a minor league deal in December, and Lopez said he’s got a different mindset than he had before being cut by the Rockies during last spring training (he ended up not playing at all in 2007).
He said wasn’t ready mentally to be a backup then, but is now.
Lopez doesn’t have the absolutely shredded, miniscule-body-fat, muscular physique he had in 2003, when he hit .328 with career-highs of 43 homers and 109 RBIs for the Braves and parlayed it into a rich free-agent contract with Baltimore. And he doesn’t have as much bulk as he carried before and after that season.
Instead, he looks to be in good shape, muscular but not Popeye-like.
He hit .316 with 23 homers and 86 RBIs in 150 games in 2004 for the Orioles, then slipped to .278 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs in 103 games in ‘05, and only .251 with eight homers and 35 RBIs in 94 games for Baltimore and Boston in ‘06.
The Braves decided to take a flyer on him this winter after Lopez showed he was serious about his comeback during private workouts since October with Braves bench coach Chino Cadahia.
The Braves think the three-time former All-Star might have enough left to give them a power bat off the bench and to catch once a week or so.
After making more than $60 million in 10 seasons from 1997 to 2006, Lopez will draw a $750,000 salary if he makes the Braves’ roster out of spring training. He’s a non-roster invitee with a non-guaranteed deal.
He’ll compete for the backup job with Corky Miller, Brayan Pena and rookie Clint Sammons. But if he’s fit, I’ve gotta believe Lopez will win the job. Pena could be on the trading block.
Hoss’ take on situation: Chipper Jones looked to be in good shape, and said he feels that way with spring training just around the corner.
Talked to Hoss for a while at FanFest, and he said he feels great and added some muscle, still at about 227-228 pounds but fitter, after an offseason of lifting weights in workouts at his Atlanta home and Texas farm. He began hitting and throwing last week.
When I asked him about the vibe at FanFest, Jones said: “Lot of people are excited about Tommy coming back, and a lot are bummed because Andruw’s not coming back. But overall, everybody can’t wait to get to spring training — that’s what I hear.”
And what did he think of the teams’ moves this winter?
“The good thing about this organization during the offseason is, you feel like they’re always going to give you the opportunity to be competitive,” he said. “We’re going to be competitive. You never know how things are going to work out. But if the starting pitching stays healthy and gets it to the bullpen late in games, and if I stay healthy, we should contend.”
OK, enough for now: More updates to come. And for now, a tune from a master.
”FRAULEIN O.” by James McMurtry
Last time I saw you
it could’ve been Christmas eve
it could’ve been someone’s birthday
it could’ve been make believe for all I know
it could’ve been make believe
Last time I saw you
you had the room upstairs
I never knew for certain
what went on up there
no I never did know
what went on up there
‘course you had that boyfriend
with the Chevrolet
he never met Will Rogers
I’d be willing to say
yeah it’s safe to say
he never met Will Rogers
I guess it must have been a thousand years
since I changed my number
doesn’t it mean a thing
when the phone don’t ring
and I don’t call back
can’t help but wonder sometimes
I never got to know you
like I wanted to
you never seemed to notice
how I looked at you for all I know
you never even noticed
now that crowd’s all scattered
to here and yon
everybody graduated
or they just moved on
for all I know
they just moved on
I guess it must have been a thousand years
since I lost your number
gonna rest my soul
by this fishing hole
gonna watch that pole
‘till that float goes under
last time I saw you
it could’ve been Christmas eve
it could’ve been someone’s birthday
it could’ve been make believe
for all I know
could’ve been make believe
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