Braves NRI In-Depth: Joe Terdoslavich
by cbwilk on Feb 13, 2012 11:01 AM EST
in Braves Prospect Reviews
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After the Braves selected him in the 6th round of the 2010 draft out of Long Beach State University, Joe Terdoslavich had a nice debut, hitting .302 with a .766 OPS, 19 doubles, and 34 RBI in 70 games between Rookie level Danville and Low Rome, splitting time between first and third base. He shifted over to first base full time in 2011, and had a great season for High A Lynchburg, hitting .286 with a .867 OPS, 20 homers, 82 RBI, and he broke a 65 year old Carolina League record by clubbing out 52 doubles.
As excited as the Braves are about Terdoslavich's future, there are some real question marks surrounding him, mostly on the defensive side of things. He was a third baseman in college, but struggled there with Danville and Rome, committing 10 errors in just 36 games. He struggled at first for those squads as well, committing 11 errors in 33 games, though it was his first time playing the position. He was more steady with Lynchburg in 2011, committing 10 errors in 106 games, though that's still a high total for a first baseman. Terdoslavich has hard hands and has trouble with fluidity and flexibility when it comes to fielding. Despite his troubles, the Braves are going to move him back to third base in 2012, mainly because they feel his bat will allow him to move quickly through the organization and Freddie Freeman has already established himself as Atlanta's first baseman.
While he doesn't have any chance of leaving Spring Training with a Major League roster spot, it should still be a fruitful experience for Terdoslavich, who will work closely with infield coach Terry Pendleton, who played 1785 games at the hot corner in the Majors after moving there from second base. He'll also benefit from playing alongside Chipper Jones, who has played 1889 game at third base after converting from shortstop. Even veteran Jack Wilson, who only has 4 games of third base to his credit, should be able to help with his vast knowledge of the best ways to field a baseball.
How important a part of Atlanta's 2013 Terdoslavich is will be determined by how well he can handle third base with Mississippi in 2012, because while there are some things he can work on with his offensive game, striking out less and taking more walks, there's a good chance his powerful bat will translate well at the higher levels.
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Have they thought about moving him to Left Field?
Much like they did to Ryan Klesko years ago? Klesko was never known for his defense at first base either
"Performance comes from work and dedication, belief and strength. Words and excuses get you nowhere." -Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves Rightfielder
That seems the logical thing to do. Terds in LF, then extend Prado for 3B when Chipper retires.
"An insult is an insult either way you fucked up freaked out wierd people want to spin it"
PhillyBrave Jan 18, 2012
I think the plan is to give him one last shot at 3B
if he can do it, that’s a much more valuable spot for his bat than LF. If he can’t, then with Freeman locking down 1B, I’d assume Terdo slides to LF. But let him fail in the IF first.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
That makes sense
I hope he does well at 3B this year, but the “hard hands” comment makes me wonder if he really has a chance. Considering the financial restrictions from the TV deal that was cut, it seems to me that we need to maximize what prospects we can. Our potential OF contributors….Cunningham, Myke Jones, Harrilchak, Milligan, Parraz, Gartrell, Durango, Constanza, Lipka, it seems to me Terds would be near the top of that list and we certainly have a need for an affordable LF with offensive capabilities.
With Prado at roughly half of Chipper’s cost, he seems extendable at $6-7M per, we’d have time for Salcedo, Drury or Leonard(I think he’s a 3B) to progress at the position.
"An insult is an insult either way you fucked up freaked out wierd people want to spin it"
PhillyBrave Jan 18, 2012
I wonder if that mindset has impacted how they draft
forgoing the high upside but possible bust type picks for safer picks that have less upside, but should at least become bench pieces.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
sounds like the braves typical logic in all things they do
"Performance comes from work and dedication, belief and strength. Words and excuses get you nowhere." -Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves Rightfielder
If you mean trying to be smart and successful with limited resources, I'd agree
if we can’t spend on free agents, making sure we can fill roles internally is a good idea.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
Yeah but
There’s gonna come a time when those type drafts are gonna come back and bite us in the behind. The last 3 drafts have been filled with “bench/relief/back-end types” and if your trying to build and keep a winning organization that’s not the way.
True,...
but a balancing act might be the best idea. Have a safe draft or two, then say in this coming draft, focus on high upside HS kids, a safe draft next year, upside draft in 2014, etc.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
Seems like it has lately. Might be because we had such a dry well of positional talent after Heyward and Freeman graduated. It does seem like we have more depth but less “top prospect” talent.
"An insult is an insult either way you fucked up freaked out wierd people want to spin it"
PhillyBrave Jan 18, 2012
Which if we can start to supplement the star power going forward
either with upside picks in later rounds (like we tried but never paid in Sabol or Alvord a year or two ago) or with international kids, that’s not a bad idea. We need bench pieces as well as stars.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
Absolutely
As young as the team is right now, all we need are supporting contributors and the occasional starter, Bethancourt/Simmons. Maybe in this years draft they go back to high upside High School players for 4 or 5 years down the road.
"An insult is an insult either way you fucked up freaked out wierd people want to spin it"
PhillyBrave Jan 18, 2012
I agree that he would be more valuable at 3b
IF his defense proves worthy.. but from the way they make it sound hes a butcher… The stats show he needs improvement for sure, but so did Chipper at times when he first started didnt he? And if he has good coaching I dont see why he wouldnt be able to improve at least a little bit. Guess we will have to wait and see?
"Performance comes from work and dedication, belief and strength. Words and excuses get you nowhere." -Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves Rightfielder
Chipper started out a SS
so he was coming from a much better start than Terdoslavich. And no, coaching can’t improve natural hands. They can improve footwork and other things, but you can’t teach hands. Either someone has them or they don’t.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
actually
I lot of the trouble with players with bad “hands” is that they are too tense and rigid created slow hands that don’t give, this can be fixed with a ton of work and focus. I had the same problem with my hands when I rum
Mike Scott was what Willis was talking about.
by JHey1212 on Feb 13, 2012 3:31 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Dark or light rum?
I tend to be pretty soft on the clear liquors. It’s the dark stuff that makes things hard.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
That will most likely be the next progression if he can’t stick at third. If the bat continues to play at the higher levels ( no reason to think it won’t) he has to get on the diamond somewhere. Great kid – wish him alot of success !
by bravesfaninchitown on Feb 13, 2012 11:56 AM EST reply actions
“How important a part of Atlanta’s 2013 Terdoslavich is will be determined by how well he can handle third base with Mississippi in 2012…”
That statement makes it sound as though you think this is it for Chipper. After reading his interview a few weeks ago, I think Chipper is back playing in 2013, which would make Terdo move to his 3rd position in 3 years, left field, in order to receive playing time on the big club.
If the 2012 Opening Day starting lineup has a Diaz instead of a Heyward, I will be buying a new TV.
I guess I didn’t really think about it, but honestly, what Chipper says in January doesn’t have much effect on how he feels in September. If he’s still productive and relatively healthy, then of course I want my favorite player around. I didn’t articulate it well in this piece, but the way I’d look at it would be that if Terdo can play third decently, which I have huge doubts about, then he’s ready to step up in the Majors in 2013 whenever Chipper goes down with an injury, though he’d still be spending most of his year in AAA. If he can’t play third at all, then he’s much less likely to be even remotely important to the Major League team in 2013, since he’ll have to spend it all in AAA learning left field.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-C-B-Wilkins/dp/1449578454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257720610&sr=1-1
www.dropoutproductions.com
Would it really take him that long to transition to LF?
and I’m with you on what Chipper’s saying now means little come the end of the year. Have him go down with another knee issue, spend two seperate stints on the DL, and his thoughts can change quick.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
I don’t know if it would or not. Some guys pick it up easy, some guys it takes a while. It all depends on how athletic you are really, and Terdo just isn’t much for moving around. He’s an athlete to be sure, but I swear I think he’s 98% muscle and that just weighs him down. I doubt he’d ever be a great left fielder, but I think he’d be fine out there, but I also don’t know how long that would take to make happen.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-C-B-Wilkins/dp/1449578454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257720610&sr=1-1
www.dropoutproductions.com
I'm sure you get tired of the examples
but he can’t be any worse out there than guys we’ve trotted out the last few years like Anderson, or Hinske. I guess with so many people just getting dumped out there, the Logan Morrisons, Adam Dunns, Kleskos, Carlos Lees, etc. If he isn’t a complete stiff, he’s got to be able to cover at least as much ground as those guys. You’d want a huge ranged CF to help cover for him some, but I’ve got to think if his bat plays, then his glove can’t be the worst in the league out there considering what others stick in left.
http://sportsandgrits.com/
I’ve always taken the stance that just because mistakes have been made before doesn’t mean they should be made again.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-C-B-Wilkins/dp/1449578454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257720610&sr=1-1
www.dropoutproductions.com
True, and it's not ideal...
but it all depends on his bat. If it’s good enough, they find a place for him somewhere, and more often than not in MLB, that place is LF (add Manny to so many others that could go on the list). We can’t DH him, Freeman has 1B, and 3B is too frequently involved if he proves he’s not capable there. So you stick him in LF if his bat must play.
Could you compare him to Logan Morrison or Ryan Klesko in terms of ability to move? Better, worse?
http://sportsandgrits.com/
He’s not quite at tall or as thick as those guys, so that’s a good sign for him. Really, let’s just relax and see how this season plays out. I’m hoping he shocks me and looks great at third base.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-C-B-Wilkins/dp/1449578454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257720610&sr=1-1
www.dropoutproductions.com
Gant was a much better athlete from day one. He was light, quick second baseman who just didn’t have the hands and actions to play the infield.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-C-B-Wilkins/dp/1449578454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257720610&sr=1-1
www.dropoutproductions.com
Well, I always felt his problem was mental. I think he just got bored on defense. He was obviously athletic enough to play wherever you put him, but something seemed to keep him from being good anywhere.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-C-B-Wilkins/dp/1449578454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257720610&sr=1-1
www.dropoutproductions.com
It is way too early to be speculating about Chipper being back in 2013. He was smart to say what he said … it was non-committal, did not close any doors, and defers all questions until later. He clearly doesn’t want to start talk about it being his farewell season and distract away from the team’s goals.
My biggest worry with Terd is the OBP and age at the level he was at last year. He won’t be good defensively at any spot, but I think they would be willing to play him third or left if his bat were good enough to play there.
That being said, a .341 OBP at age 22 in high-A is why I am relatively bearish on him. His AFL gave me hope and I do like his swing, but the rest of the stuff worries me.
Seems like at worst he’s our Hinske replacement after this season.
If we can land [Stephen Drew], I will give FW a bj.
~justincredubil02
I’m not sure when he would fit in this role, it could be next year but I imagine if he hits well enough to be on the MLB roster next year that they want to give him a shot starting. If he doesn’t hit well enough, then it probably will be in a year or two. This is the type of role I could really see him fitting in though and helping the team. As a switch-hitter and at 1B/3B/LF, he could provide a lot of flexibility and depth. That’s what I expect out of him, which might be less than what some do but it still has some solid value.
Well, Hinske did win AL ROY as a 3B when he first started. Obviously, it would be great if Terdo’s ceiling is a bit higher than what Hinske ended up being.
by LEastCoastBears on Feb 13, 2012 4:55 PM EST up reply actions
To be fair, at that point in baseball nobody factored defense into anything.
If we can land [Stephen Drew], I will give FW a bj.
~justincredubil02
by king of games on Feb 14, 2012 10:17 AM EST up reply actions
He's got the purest swing of any of our prospects
For that reason, I think he’ll be the first of our current list of prospects to make a big impact on the major league club. Maybe spring training will help him find soft hands, and he’ll be up with the big league club in September
Question for Cbwilk
Do you think the Braves actually see Terdo as Chipper’s eventual replacement? What about this Drury kid?
Not CB but ....
Drury is just going to be in low-A this year – he has a long way to go – earliest you probably see him make an impact on a MLB roster is 2015. Salcedo would be the next candidate IMO – with a breakout year this year he could be ready to compete for the big club in 2014. It is Terdo’s role to win if he can prove to be a capable defensive third baseman.
by bravesfaninchitown on Feb 14, 2012 12:30 AM EST up reply actions
I think these are all great points. Without really having one outstanding prospect, which any or all of these three guys could turn into, it’s hard to anoint any of them as the guy the Braves are looking at as the long term replacement. They each have their weaknesses and their strengths, and they’ve all shown enough promise to get to work on getting better. Out of these three, I still think Salcedo has the most potential, but I’m really high on all three. Hopefully one of them turns out to be Chipper’s long term replacement, but it’s too early to say the team has a specific guy in mind.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-C-B-Wilkins/dp/1449578454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257720610&sr=1-1
www.dropoutproductions.com
Thank you
I should have added the caveat of “obviously taking into account these are both minor league players, neither of whom has played above high-A, and that trying to pick a player-of-the-future is sort of meaningless.”
Did you get a chance to see Drury play? As I only see stats, I really can’t make an informed comment on any of these guys, so I really appreciate the insight you provide.
I saw Drury in ST and again a few times during the season. I like him a lot. He doesn’t really blow you away, he’s not overly physically impressive and he doesn’t have that wow presence or anything, but he’s one of those guys that if you watch for a while, you realize he loves the game and works hard to play it right. He’s got physical skills and he’s a hard worker and what he did this year playing almost the whole year at 18 was a good indication of what he might be able to do on the way up. I’m a fan and I think he’s gonna have a nice season with Rome.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-C-B-Wilkins/dp/1449578454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257720610&sr=1-1
www.dropoutproductions.com
He's got the same problem a lot of our prospects do...
“Needs to walk more.” He’ll be fine if he can hit .300, but if he hits .250, his OBP is going to be too low.
"Baseball is the only major sport that appears backwards in a mirror." ~George Carlin
by FineHamAbounds on Feb 14, 2012 12:03 AM EST reply actions
Yeah, with the way he was crushing the ball you really would have expected him to get walked more. Still, it was his first full season and it was a good one for what you’d expect his type of hitter to do. AA is going to be a test, but I think he’ll be fine. Not sure if there will be an improvement in walks, but he’ll be fine.
I wrote a novel, it's about baseball, you should buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-C-B-Wilkins/dp/1449578454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257720610&sr=1-1
www.dropoutproductions.com
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