Braves left fielder Hector Olivera’s winter ball season ended sooner than expected when he was released Sunday by his Caguas team in Puerto Rico.
One person familiar with the situation said Olivera was released after returning a day late from a visit to Miami to see his ailing sister, who is in need of a kidney transplant.
However, according to another person who discussed the situation with Caguas manager Alex Cora, the decision was a mutual one between Cora and Olivera, who has struggled lately and shown signs of mental fatigue over his sister. Both agreed it was best for him to go home and be with family.
Neither source wished to be quoted, given the sensitivity of the episode.
Caguas officials didn’t provide a reason at the time of Olivera’s release and Cora replied “no” without elaborating when asked during a Facebook discussion if Olivera had been called back by the Braves.
The Braves’ plan was for Olivera, a 30-year-old Cuban defector who made his big-league debut in September, to play about six weeks until mid-December in Puerto Rico.
He was there for less than five weeks and played in 18 games, batting .275 (19-for-69) with no homers and two doubles in 18 games. Olivera was 5-for-16 against left-handers and 14-for-53 (.264) against right-handers with one double, a .328 OBP and .283 slugging percentage.
“We’re pleased with Hector’s progress in Puerto Rico and excited to see him in spring training,” Braves general manager John Coppolella said Monday, declining to discuss Olivera’s release other than to say it wasn’t due to performance.
After playing third base for the Braves in September, Olivera was switched to left field in winter ball. The Braves decided in staff meetings after the season that the former second baseman, now 6 feet 3 and filled out to a muscular 230 pounds, was better suited to playing the outfield and that the position would be easier to learn at the big-league level than third base.
President of baseball operations John Hart said he still could play some third base.
Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer traveled to Puerto Rico, worked for three weeks with Olivera and came away encouraged by his progress. Braves third-base coach and outfield instructor Bo Porter also worked with him on outfield defense. and strength and conditioning instructor Phil Falco also went to the island to work with Olivera.
“There aren’t many guys who sign for $60-million-plus who are willing to spend a month (playing winter ball) in Puerto Rico the year they sign,” Coppolella said, praising Olivera for his willingness to follow the Braves’ plan.
Olivera was 8-for-37 (.216) with no extra-base hits in his last 10 games before he was released, including a four-hit game.
It’s been a dizzying year for the former Cuban National Team star, who in 2016 played in 77 games for eight different teams in eight leagues during a seven-month span, including six minor league teams with the Dodgers and Braves. His 24 games for Atlanta were the most that he played in any uniform during his whirlwind tour since being declared a free agent last winter and signing with the Dodgers in March.
Olivera signed six-year, $62 million contract with the Dodgers following a multi-team bidding war that included the Braves. Because he signed late, he missed all of spring training, and then missed more than a month of the minor league season with a hamstring injury.
The Braves couldn’t afford the asking price last winter, but acquired Olivera in a blockbuster July trade that sent three Braves pitchers – including young left-handed starter Alex Wood – and top infield prospect Jose Peraza to the Dodgers. The Braves owe Olivera about $32 million for the final five years of the contract, with the Dodgers responsible for the rest including a $28 million signing bonus.
