The Braves sent away big-league baseball players in exchange for prospects, and that has inspired some ambiguous feelings among fans who are not accustomed to seeing the home team rebuild. It certainly helps when the experts who pay attention to prospects say the Braves got a good haul, but who knows how it will work out when real big-league players go out and promising young ones come back?
It’s not like that with football and basketball. Most NFL trades for prospects occur on the day of the draft so the player in return is known right away (and will play right away). In basketball, almost every trade that gets draft picks in return also includes bona fide NBA players because salary rules require it, and draft picks usually will take the court the next fall.
In an effort to get some insight from one of the prospects the Braves acquired, I caught up with right-hander Tyrell Jenkins at Norcross Elementary during one of the team’s caravan stops this week. The Braves acquired Jenkins and pitcher Shelby Miller from the Cardinals in exchange for outfielder Jason Heyward and pitcher Jordan Walden.
The first thing that stands out about Jenkins is he's long (6-4) and solidly built. No surprise, them, that Jenkins, from Henderson, Tex., had a chance to play football at Baylor. Instead, he opted to sign a contract with the Cardinals that included a $1.3 million bonus after they selected him with a supplemental pick in the 2010 draft.
Here's Jenkins on the trade, his football background and his baseball journey (edited for clarity and flow).
Q. What was your reaction to the trade when it happened?
A. At first I was kind of upset. The Cardinals drafted me. That was kind of my hometown team and the team I kind of grew up watching. Then I realized who I got traded for and that kind of put it in perspective. This is a two-time Gold Glover and a guy who started at 20-years old. Not everybody gets the opportunity to get traded for a guy like him. I knew it was a business. I knew I was going to play for the Cardinals or get traded. It turned out to be a good situation for both of us. The Cardinals have a lot of deep pitching. I knew I was kind of a middle piece, been hurt, came back so I was kind of a trade piece. When it all happened it kind of hit me by surprise but you move on from it.
Q. You tore your right lat muscle. How is that progressing?
A. I tore it twice, actually. The first time I tore it, I didn't have surgery. Then I tore it the year before last and had surgery. Came back the second half of last year and went to the fall league and I guess I kind of caught the eye of the Braves. I feel great. This is my first healthy offseason since my first year. I got to lift as a much I wanted to, do as much as I wanted to. I feel pretty good right now, as good as I can.
Q. You changed your delivery last year. What was the thinking behind that?
A. It's the same now as my leg kick in high school. I got to pro ball and saw how other guys were pitching and I kind of started doing things differently. I thought I had to fit in, so I started changing my mechanics and my arm slot got a little higher and things were a little out of sync. Adam Wainwright told me, 'Hey, you are going to be who you are so just pitch the way you want.' I went back to the way I pitched in high school and things started coming easier and more naturally. I went on to the fall league and had a good fall league and things have been better since then.
Q. You are coming to an organization with a history of giving young pitchers a shot in the big leagues. Were you aware of that when the trade happened?
A. I am now. (Laughs). I haven’t looked much into anything. I’m just working out and when I get to spring training, give them an opportunity to see me and what I can do. If I get the opportunity, I guarantee I won’t let it slip from my grasp. I’m excited to get started.
Q. You were offered a football scholarship to Baylor to play quarterback. Do you watch success of the team and Bryce Petty and think that could have been me?
A. I didn’t miss a Baylor football game this year. I was at every one of their games, home and away. I talk to coach (Art) Briles still a lot. Good friends with Bryce and RG III. Most of those guys I kind of grew up playing football with, so we are all good friends.
Q. How did an exceptional athlete like you end up as a pitcher?
A. We didn’t have any pitching my sophomore year. The coach said, 'Well, you are an athlete, you are the quarterback' and he put me on the mound. I got on the mound and threw strikes. I played select ball and travel ball. Things just started piecing together. By my senior year, my first game, there were like 17 scouts there. I wasn’t expecting any scouts to be there. As the year progressed, there were scouts and draft talk and before you know it I was drafted. I wasn’t the typical guy expecting to get drafted. I was just ready to play football at Baylor. The fact it happened was a big shock but I’m glad it happened, and I’m glad to be here.
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