MIAMI – As difficult as it was for teammates and Braves officials to say goodbye to closer Craig Kimbrel after he was traded Sunday, Fredi Gonzalez said the roughest part of his day might have been telling Pedro Ciriaco he wasn't on the team.
On Saturday at Braves camp at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Gonzalez called Ciriaco, 29, into his office to notify the well-traveled non-roster spring training invitee that he would be on the opening-day roster, barring “anything crazy” — such as an injury or trade between then and opening day.
Something crazy happened. Kimbrel was traded to the Padres in a six-player deal, and the Braves had to use the roster spot earmarked for Ciriaco to make room for outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Padres.
“You’re talking about a business that just kind of sucks,” Gonzalez said, meaning the part of the job that entails breaking a player’s heart with news like he delivered to Ciriaco shortly after the Braves arrived at the team hotel in Miami following a charter flight from Orlando. Ciriaco was reassigned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
“You guys see it at the top level with Kimbrel, but you didn’t see it with Ciriaco. That was tough,” Gonzalez said. “Here’s a guy on Saturday, you bring him into the office and he’s scared to death, because he doesn’t know what’s going to happen. And I say, congratulations, you made the team, barring anything crazy. And he starts crying. He had expected to be sent down. I tell him he had a hell of a spring and all the reasons we’re going to go with him, and he starts crying and he goes, ‘It’s the first time I’ve made an opening day roster.’
“Well, (expletive), 12 hours later he’s not on the opening day roster, and you’ve got to have that conversation. I mean, it’s tough sometimes.”
