Gwinnett Braves Season Preview

Alright everyone, I'm back on board for another season of minor league recaps. Last year I didn't really start the season doing this on the site, so this time around I am going to post previews for each of the teams when their rosters set. (Even the short season leagues when they fire up later in the season.)

So the big news in the Braves minor leagues this year is that our AAA club has moved from it home of 42 years in Richmond to just up the road in Gwinnett. The G-Braves will be sporting a fairly prospect laden team (especially for one of our AAA clubs) with a loaded rotation and a solid veteran OF.

The pitching staff is so stacked I don't know where they are going to get innings to give a lot of these guys. Maybe they will do some tandem starts to early on? That seems counter productive. Guys who were primarily starters last year include James Parr, Francisely Bueno, JoJo Reyes, Kris Medlen, Charlie Morton, Todd Redmond and Thomas Hanson with Jorge Campillo most likely coming back down as soon as Glavine checks out OK (he has a simulated game tonight in Gwinnett). So you are looking at 8 starters - 4 of which have major league experience and two who were in BA's top 10 for us. My best guess is Bueno might make a permanent move to the pen and there might be enough shuffling of the other guys between Gwinnett and Atlanta that we really won't have to worry about innings too much.

The bullpen will be solid as well with last years All Star closer from Mississippi, Luis Valdez, finishing games and Manny Acosta most likely setting him up (they could feasibly flip this since Acosta does have ML experience). 90 yeah old Vladimir Nunez will be back again this season for the Braves after pitching solidly last year. The rest of the bullpen will be filled by lefty Boone Logan, Mariano Gomez and Juan Perez (who will start the season on the 7 Day DL).

The infield is probably the weakest link on this team (at least in my estimation). The catchers at the start of the year will be long time Brave farmhand J. C. Boscan and journeyman Alvin Colina. Clint Sammons will most likely be back as the starter for Gwinnett as soon as David Ross is healthy in Atlanta. Sammons did have a solid sping this year and I still think he has gotten the short stick in Atlanta.

The infield will be made up of 2B Derick Arnold, 1B/DH Barbaro Canizares, 3B Brooks Conrad, 2B/SS Diory Hernandez, 2B J. C. Holt, 3B Van Pope and 3B Wes Timmons. Outside of journeyman Conrad there is very little power on this team. Conrad had 28 HR last year for the A's PCL team but he appears to be your typical AAAA slugger. Canizares hit .300 with 13 HR last season and was the most consistent hitter on the team but I wouldn't really consider him a lineup anchor. Arnold, Hernandez, Timmons and Holt all have very little pop and maybe one good skill. Timmons is a walk machine, Holt is really fast, Arnold is a scrapper but isn't worth much offensively and Hernandez can just keep his head afloat. Pope could be the difference maker if he can rediscover his power from a couple seasons ago he could be an assett in the lineup. His defense is still top notch.

The OF is strong with Brandon Jones, Gregor Blanco, Joe Borchard and Reid Gorecki. Brandon Jones was great in spring training and I think he will have a bounce back year this year that could see him take over in LF in Atlantaaaa if Anderson/Diaz struggle. Blanco walks a lot and hits for a decent average with good speed. Gorecki is a well rounded journeyman OF who has some power, takes a walk, hits for a decent AVG but will strike out. Borchard is, of course, a AAAA hitter.

On paper the pitching staff and OF look great, but the INF could be rough at times. I don't know what the rest of the league looks like but this team has some solid talent if it doesn't get raided by the ML team. You could see them contend for the title this year like they did last year before Reyes, Morton and the gang were called to Atlanta.