Braves make Moylan, Conrad non-tendered free agents

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Reliever Peter Moylan and infielder Brooks Conrad are free agents after not being offered contracts by the Braves. The move doesn’t preclude a return to the team, particularly for Moylan.

General manager Frank Wren said last week the Braves could non-tender the Aussie pitcher before Monday's deadline and try to re-sign him this winter if Moylan kept progressing in recovery from late-September shoulder surgery.

"I was expecting the move," said Moylan, 33, after hearing the news. He said he's  “hoping we can work out something to stay a Brave."

He is set to begin throwing in January and said his goal was to be ready at the start of the season. The Braves think he could miss the early part of the season.

The Braves offered contracts to all of their other remaining arbitration-eligible players -- center fielder Michael Bourn, left fielder Martin Prado, starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens and reliever Eric O’Flaherty.

Major league teams had a Monday midnight deadline to tender contracts to their unsigned players. Those non-tendered became free agents.

Conrad was told by a team official on Friday what they had decided to do. The Braves explained that Conrad wasn’t a good fit for next year's roster, because they wanted their utility infielder to be a veteran shortstop who can help rookie shortstop Tyler Pastornicky and start plenty of games at the position.

Free agents Nick Punto and Ronny Cedeno are among those being considered.

“It was a little bit of a shock because I had no indication of what they were thinking [before],” Conrad said. “Looking at the roster and hearing what they’re going to do, it makes a little sense in that they want to have that security in the backup veteran shortstop.

“It’s sad to hear because I love Atlanta, love the organization and everybody in the clubhouse…. It’s bad news just because of the way I feel about the city and the fans, all the support I got there. It’s an awesome organization. It was a privilege to be part of. I have a heavy heart, but it’s just part of the business.”

The Braves told Conrad to explore the free-agent market and they'd discuss bringing him back on a minor-league contract later if he's interested.

Conrad hit .223 with a .325 on-base percentage, nine extra-base hits (four homers) and 13 RBIs in 103 at-bats in 2011, down from 20 extra-base hits (eight homers) and 33 RBIs in 156 at-bats in 2010.

As a pinch-hitter, he was 13-for-62 (.210) with 29 strikeouts in 2011.

Moylan had arthroscopic surgery for rotator-cuff and labrum tears. Typical recovery for the surgery is about six months.

The sidearmer made $2 million in 2011 and was limited to 13 appearances, missing most of the season recovering from May back surgery followed by the shoulder that flared up just three weeks after he returned from the disabled list.

He pitched in 80 or more games in three of the previous four seasons, coming back strong in 2009 after missing most of ’08 recovering from elbow surgery.

If he'd been tendered a contract, he might have commanded a similar salary in his third year of arbitration eligibility. His  salary could have been cut a maximum of 20 percent, to $1.6 million.