Atlanta Braves Make Second Round Of Spring Cuts

by gondeee on Mar 17, 2011 2:41 PM EDT

The Braves made their second round of spring training cuts today:

Right-handed pitchers Cory Gearrin, Stephen Marek and Anthony Varvaro were optioned to Gwinnett (AAA). The five players who were re-assigned to minor league camp include left-handed pitcher Yohan Flande, catcher Wilkin Castillo, infielder Shawn Bowman and outfielders Brent Clevlen and Jose Constanza.

The biggest surprise here is Marek. He was having a decent spring training, and was a favorite of many to make the Braves bullpen. Gearrin didn't have a good spring, and Varvaro faltered recently after impressing early on. All the other players were expected to be reassigned at some point.

The last Talking Chop Making The Team Meter had all these guys on the outs. The highest rating was for Marek who had a down yellow arrow, indicating his chances of making the team were less than 50-50. I had actually cut Castillo, Bowman, and Flande last week from the MTM before the team decided to cut them today.

Keep in mind that if Scott Proctor isn't on the opening day 25-man roster, then the Braves have to put him on waivers (or they might have to release him, depending on what his contract says). That means there really is no competition for the bullpen, with the seven guys being Jonny Venters, Craig Kimbrel, Peter Moylan, Eric O'Flaherty, Scott Linebrink, George Sherril, and Proctor. At this point I would think the eighth man is Cristhian Martinez, but he's got options.

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Comments

So stupid

I’m irritated.

Twitter: @Ben_Duronio Stop calling Tommy Hanson "Big Red"

by BenDuronio on Mar 17, 2011 2:46 PM EDT reply actions

nice to see that ramirez is still there hope he makes it to the show

ESPN can give the Philthies all the verbal BJs they want, Braves will still clinch the east!

by suicide bunting is a sin on Mar 17, 2011 2:49 PM EDT reply actions

so, my question is: Even if Martinez is very clearly the better choice based on ST performances and what we actually need on the back end of the bullpen (i.e., a long man), do the Braves nevertheless keep Proctor and send Martinez down?

by fandave on Mar 17, 2011 2:59 PM EDT reply actions

yea

Martinez should get the job, but that is unlikely

by Braves24 on Mar 17, 2011 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Isn’t the point of bringing in a guy like Proctor is that it is low-risk/medium reward type situation? I understand that we have salary concerns but Jesus, it’s not like we’re the Mets and $200+ million in debt. Is the hit we would take in not keeping him on the roster really that bad?

by goesbetterwithbeer on Mar 17, 2011 3:14 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Maybe Luis Valdez or Juan Abreu stays? I know Linebrink, Sherril, and Proctor will get some regular season time to struggle, but just pointing out Valdez/Abreu’s hot spring.

If the man wants to be called Luis Valdez, I’m going to call him that. For anyone who doesn’t know who I’m talking about…Jairo Asencio.

Lady: What?!? How did HE get to Heaven?

GOD: Oh, he was in a different area code, so technically it wasn't cheating..

by bwellnjonesco on Mar 17, 2011 4:37 PM EDT reply actions

I think Valdez/Asencio

has been a really pleasant surprise this spring. The only thing that makes me think he will be optioned to the minors is that he didn’t pitch all of last year. They may send him to the minors and call him back up if one of our guys struggle in the spring (Proctor or maybe even Linebrink)

"My parents do a lot of things behind the scenes that go unnoticed"- Cam Newton, Heisman acceptance speech.

by TurnerTheBurner on Mar 17, 2011 9:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Clevlen had played a good bit of late...

him going down makes me think Heyward is healthy.

http://sportsandgrits.blogspot.com/

by Mr. Sanchez on Mar 17, 2011 5:30 PM EDT reply actions

shame to see constanza didnt play well enough...

I really hope wilken stays hot, because I don’t like the young option, I dontsee schafer making it, and is hope for a better defender and base threat than mather

by willlinn on Mar 17, 2011 11:35 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

i am not so sure of proctor

He didn’t pan out in fl w gonzalez already and he has sucked a lot… I say we skip the games he looses for us before we cut him and just keep martinez or someone else

by willlinn on Mar 17, 2011 11:37 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

I don't know, it's kind of nice

to have somebody who can just throw away a game if we really want to lose.

"…the umps in San Francisco somehow missed Brooks Conrad’s tag at second base on a sliding Buster Posey, who could’ve been called out from a houseboat in Sausalito."
-- Tommy Craggs

by duwanis on Mar 18, 2011 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree

completely. We have so many competitive people on the team that will do anything it takes to win. Now that KK is in the minors, we don’t really have anyone on the pitching staff to take over his role except for Proctor.

by CMassey on Mar 18, 2011 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions