Atlanta Braves Making The Team Meter 2011: Week 5

by gondeee on Mar 25, 2011 8:21 AM EDT

The fifth (and likely final) week of the Atlanta Braves Making the Team Meter (MTM), and we are down to just a couple of roster battles. Diory Hernandez was a surprise cut by the Braves, so that may have resolved one bench spot.

As always we'll assume that there is a group that has already made the team, a pretty safe assumption with these guys. I'm finally adding Craig Kimbrel to this list, and we might as well put Brandon Beachy on here as the fifth starter. I'm leaving the three bench spots open since the Braves could go several different directions at this point.

Starters: Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, and Brandon Beachy
Relievers: Peter Moylan, Jonny Venters, George Sherrill, Eric O'Flaherty, Scott Linebrink, and Craig Kimbrel (1 spot available)
Lineup: Brian McCann, Dan Uggla, Alex Gonzalez, Chipper Jones, Martin Prado, Nate McLouth, Jason Heyward, and Freddie Freeman.
Reserves: Eric Hinske and David Ross (3 spots available)

Player, Position	This Week's Trend	Last Week	Notes and Comments
Juan Abreu, RHP			Optioned to the minors, but he had a great spring. If he continues his dominance at Gwinnett, and solves the wildness that has plagued him in the past, he'll be up at some point this season.
Jairo Asencio, RHP			Option to the minors, but he had a great spring (echo). After missing last season he showed the Braves that he hasn't missed a beat on the mound. Could be one of the first relievers called up during the year.
Cristhian Martinez, RHP			The longer Scott Proctor stays around, the worst the Lisp's chances of making the team get. He's been giving up some runs lately, though not in quite the same amounts that Proctor has. His chances drop just a tad.
Mike Minor, LHP			His fortune certainly changed in one week, as it looked like he might be the favorite, but Mark Bowman called it right when he said Beachy would get the fifth spot. The only way Minor makes the team now is if there is an injury in the rotation (lets cross our fingers that Jurrjens is okay).
Scott Proctor, RHP			I'm putting him right there on an equal footing with Martinez. No one really seems to know the Braves thinking on these two. Proctor was suffering from bronchitis when he had a couple of his bad outings.
Kenshin Kawakami, RHP			Still doesn't seem to be favored, though he's still on the team. With a possible injury to Jurrjens, the Braves may keep him around longer than we thought.
Rodrigo Lopez, RHP			There were rumors that he was on the trading block, but with a possible injury to Jurrjens they might keep him around a bit longer. There's a chance he could fill in for Jurrjens in the rotation if the team would rather let Minor develop in the minors.

Player, Position	Last Week	Notes and Comments
Brooks Conrad, IF		He's hitting a little better. Still, the 15 strikeouts in 45 plate appearances is frightening. Let's hope he can finish strong. While he's likely to make the team, those extra roster spots that were opened up have to make one wonder.
Brandon Hicks	Cut	I had cut him from our MTM last week, but somehow he survived the last round of Braves cuts and Diory Hernandez didn't. The team may be keeping him around simply as a backup, but they may favor him over Hernandez in the competition with Lucas.
Joe Mather, IF/OF		With the Braves clearing two roster spots this week, and their stated intention to seek a right-handed bench bat, one has to believe that Mather could be the guy the Braves are looking to replace. With his poor spring, we can only hope so.
Matt Young, OF		Still around, though likely still behind some folks. He's not hitting that well either.
Ed Lucas, IF		With Diory getting cut we have to think that Lucas is the favorite to make the team. Hicks would be his only competition right now.
Wilkin Ramirez, OF		He also missed the last cut, but that could just be for the team to get a better look at him. I still maintain that the Braves want him to play everyday at Gwinnett so they can see if he's solved his bad habits.

Arrow Key:
= Chance of making the team is good.
= Chance of making the team is bad.
= Chance of making the team is slightly better than 50-50.
= Chance of making the team is slightly worse than 50-50.

Tweet Comment 21 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I wouldn't worry about Conrad's strikeouts.

As long as he hits for some power as a pinch-hitter, he’ll be useful. And if he stinks, we can always send him down and call up Matt Young (or whoever).

Like most people, I think we should cut Proctor, though I have to say I’d probably be less mad about his making the roster than most TCers would be. The last spot in the bullpen just isn’t that important, and again, if he stinks, we can fix that easily. The only other outcome I’m rooting for in the final roster spot battles is that Mather doesn’t make the team; I’m not basing that on his ST numbers, but on his whole career. Hopefully we can replace him with a competent backup OF through waivers or a minor trade.

"Yeah, and I have an enchanted jock strap." -- Karl Karlson

by Jacob Peterson on Mar 25, 2011 9:56 AM EDT reply actions

Dealing Lopez and/or KK for a RH bat who can play CF would be the thing.

by fandave on Mar 25, 2011 10:38 AM EDT reply actions

I still think the meter is not particularly objective.

With the opened roster spots (and none of them being Mather) one has to assume that Mather is much more likely to make the team than Conrad, who has options remaining. At this point, I think the objective look would say that the three bench spots are Lucas, Mather and someone we pick up (Brandon Wood if we think Mather can play center?) or Lucas and two guys we pick up.

by cavebird on Mar 25, 2011 10:40 AM EDT reply actions

But do you feel that Mather would not be able to clear waivers? And even if he doesn’t clear waivers…are we losing out on that much?

by dunnytwogloves on Mar 25, 2011 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Like most everyone, I’m hoping they let Proctor go, i like Martinez for the final pen spot. For backup SS, i’m leaning towards Lucas over Hicks, simply because he can play more positions and with Prado coming to 3B from LF, we need the versatility. The 4th OF spot needs to be able to play CF, I’d rather see Matt Young out there than Mather. Both seem to be able to play a bunch of different positions, but Young has speed as well. To me, the final spot comes down to Mather or Conrad. Conrad has options and Prado, Lucas and Young can play the defensive positions that Conrad tries to. Mathers splits vs LHP are worth a shot on the team.

So, Martinez, Lucas, Young and Mather are my picks for the final 4 spots available.

"It's like winning a war...you need arms and money." Fredi G

by bighop on Mar 25, 2011 11:02 AM EDT reply actions

Heavy Right Handed starters ehh??

Can anyone remember a team or name a team that was successful with ALL right handed starting pitchers?

by WheresOddibie on Mar 25, 2011 11:14 AM EDT reply actions

Last year’s Braves team…

by gondeee on Mar 25, 2011 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

by dunnytwogloves on Mar 25, 2011 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions

+1

by jgg420 on Mar 25, 2011 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Beat me to it

This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT

by justincredubil02 on Mar 25, 2011 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions

So I guess this means they're not happy with Mather being on the roster...

I bet they either get another righty bench bat off of waivers or trade Rodrigo Lopez to a team in need of some spot starts (i.e. the Brewers)

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

by TurnerTheBurner on Mar 25, 2011 11:56 AM EDT reply actions

Too late – Brewers just got Mitre for a nifty 4th OF in Dickerson (although a LH one)

by Atlantaspike on Mar 25, 2011 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Brooks Conrad

Nothing against Brooksy but its hard to see a path for him to make the team. I mean Wren and Fredi have both talked about the need for a RH pinch-hitter (Matt Diaz, anyone?) and so you do the numbers and looks like Conrad gets squeezed out. Ross, Hinske, Mather (or some other backup OF), backup SS, and RH pinch-hitter. Thats 5 spots. They could go with Lucas as the RH pinch-hitter and keep Hicks as the backup SS. One thing I’m sure they dont want to do is tie Fredi’s hands defensively by using their backup SS as the primary RH pinch-hitter.

by jrhode on Mar 25, 2011 12:47 PM EDT reply actions

If he weren't a switch-hitter...

he probably would have been cut by now.

by TBuzz on Mar 25, 2011 12:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Yeah

I agree. The only way he makes the team is if they are comfortable with him as their RH pinch-hitter. They don’t seem to be leaning in that direction.

by jrhode on Mar 25, 2011 1:06 PM EDT reply actions

RH pinch hitter

I’m talking about Conrad of course.

by jrhode on Mar 25, 2011 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions

ED-WARD LU-CAS! (thump, thump, thump thump thump)

Rinse, repeat.

"Life is a lot like a baseball game- you want your team to win, you want it to be a thriller, you don't want it to be called short on account of nature, and you wouldn't mind if it went into extra innings." -Dante Shepherd, survivingtheworld.net

by J-Freak on Mar 25, 2011 1:23 PM EDT reply actions

So did Wagner ever file those papers?

"It looks like The Hound of the Baskervilles out there." - Steve Stone
"...I'm reminded of Wuthering Heights." - Harry Caray
~
Swing and a drive...Belted right! Welcome to the Show!!!

by Chief Noc-A-Homa on Mar 25, 2011 5:13 PM EDT reply actions

Nope. Still hangin out on the roster too…

This guy wants to suck all the cubs dick can he not have an unbias some what partition reguards
by RWH2 on Apr 5, 2010 10:20 AM CDT

by justincredubil02 on Mar 25, 2011 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I’d rather have Martinez, Abreu and Asencio in the pen than Proctor, Linebrink and Sherrill, no matter how young it makes our pen. Hope it doesn’t take too long or too many blown games to get there.

"It's like winning a war...you need arms and money." Fredi G

by bighop on Mar 25, 2011 9:02 PM EDT reply actions

Lucas, Martinez, Conrad, PickUp

If Proctor makes the team, it’s because we are going to call someone else up as quickly as we called up Venters last year

Lucas is the man for the job at SS

Conrad is in, he hit 8 homers off the bench, he hit over 300 as a pinch hitter, he won several games himself, and he hit over 300 in late and close situations, and he is a switch hitter, and we dont have power on the bench besides hinske.. He is going to make the team

The right handed bat off the bench was supposed to be mather, they arent talking about replacing someone else with that rhboffthebench, they are talking about replacing mather..

As favorite as Mather and Proctor were based on their contracts, they have all but played themselves out of contention.. Conrad hit a homer over the CF wall from the right side

by willlinn on Mar 25, 2011 9:53 PM EDT reply actions