The Braves signed Mat Gamel to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training, a low-cost move that could give Atlanta a quality backup at first and third bases with good left-handed power.
Gamel, 28, is a former top Brewers prospect who missed most of the past two seasons after twice tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. In his last healthy season in 2011, he hit .310 with 28 home runs, 96 RBIs and a .372 on-base percentage in 128 games at Triple-A Nashville.
He was Milwaukee’s starting first baseman in 2012 before tearing his ACL on May 1 while chasing a foul pop-up. Gamel tore the same ACL again at 2013 spring training and missed the entire season.
In parts of five major league seasons with the Brewers, Gamel had a .229 average with six home runs and a .305 on-base percentage in 269 plate appearances. He hit .242 with five homers, 20 RBIs and a .338 OBP in 148 plate appearances in 2009, the only time he played more than 21 games.
It’s been a different story at Triple-A, where’s Gamel is a hitting machine with a .301 average, 71 doubles, 53 homers and 214 RBIs in 290 games. He has a .374 OBP in 1,247 plate appearances in Triple-A.
Gamel is out of minor-league options, and the Brewers placed him on waivers after the 2013 season rather than putting him back on the 40-man roster. He was claimed by the Cubs, but was eligible for arbitration and went non-tendered, making him a free agent.
Promising reliever: Braves scouts have been known in recent years for finding big-league contributors from the ranks of six-year minor-league free agents, and they might have another in sidearm reliever Luis Vasquez.
The hard-throwing right-hander has created a buzz in the Dominican Winter League, posting a 1.15 ERA in 20 appearances for Licey, with 19 strikeouts and three walks in 15-2/3 innings. He allowed only four hits and his fastball was clocked as high as 97 mph.
Braves general manager Frank Wren said he was “inundated” at the Winter Meetings with comments from scouts from other teams who saw Vasquez pitch in the Dominican and asked about him after he had already signed with Atlanta.
“We kind of beat them to the punch,” Wren said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him in the spring.”
Vasquez’s minuscule 0.47 WHIP (walks-plus-hits per inning pitched) was the lowest among 35 pitchers who worked at least one inning for Licey, including many current or former major leaguers.
The 6-foot-4 Dominican will be 28 in April. He didn’t start his pro career with the Dodgers until he was 21 and was still in Class-A at 25. But after posting a 7.27 ERA in 43 appearances (one start) at Double-A and Triple-A in 2012, he dropped his arm slot and saw his performance improve dramatically, though he still issued too many walks.
Vasquez had a 2.52 ERA in 25 appearances in Double-A and Triple-A in 2013, with 46 strikeouts in 35-2/3 innings. He allowed more walks (28) than hits (27), but he’s sharply reduced the walks this winter.
Wren was asked how Vasquez compared to former Braves sidearmer Peter Moylan.
“He’s Moylan plus five miles an hour,” he said. “Moylan at his best was probably 92, and this is 94, 97 routinely. It’s definitely a different look.”
Minor changes: Braves minor-league coaching staffs are mostly unchanged for 2014. Notable moves include Brian Snitker from Braves third-base coach to Triple-A Gwinnett manager; Jonathan Schuerholz from rookie-league Danville manager to Class-A Rome manager; and hitting coach Jamie Dismuke from Triple-A to Double-A Mississippi. The Snitker move was announced in October; former minor league roving instructor Doug Dascenzo will coach third base for Atlanta.
