BRAVES NEWS
Atlanta has quiet but productive Winter Meetings
The Winter Meetings have come and gone and the Braves weren’t out to make a splash this week. Instead, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that the team was internally productive at the Meetings and came away from things feeling “content.”
One thing that various Braves employees said when asked about Anthopoulos: He seeks their opinions and genuinely seems to care what they think about everything.
That leads to free-flowing discussions in meetings where people feel like they can speak out and voice their opinions. And in settings such as the Winter Meetings, that’s particularly valuable.
Small news and notes from the Winter Meetings
Meanwhile, Ivan did a good job of rounding up the morsels of information that the Braves happened to drop while the Winter Meetings were going on. If you’re wondering why there’s a photo of Luiz Gohara up there, it’s for a reason. Apparently the Braves are going to keep on giving young pitchers like him a look going into next season and may not be rushing to add another veteran frontline starter to the rotation.
While the Braves don’t absolutely, definitively need a veteran starter to contend this coming season, the wait-and-see, patient attitude on display here suggests that Braves fans may be in for a “take stock” year rather than one in which the team frantically or fervently attempts to upgrade the roster from outside the organization. None of this precludes a big deal being swung during the offseason, but the attitude Anthopoulos is expressing seems fairly consistent with the Braves’ notable lack of transactions to date.
Braves pick Anyelo Gomez in Rule 5 Draft
The Rule 5 Draft took place yesterday morning and the Braves ended up taking a pitcher in the major league portion of the draft. Anyelo Gomez will be joining the organization after the Yankees left him unprotected. Initially it seemed like the Braves were going to try to flip Gomez in a trade, but it turns out that they’re planning on seeing what he’s got.
The Braves are not planning to trade Rule 5 selection Anyelo Gomez, a right-hander who will come to camp with a chance to win a bullpen spot.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 14, 2017
MLB NEWS
Machado trade rumors continue to heat up
The Orioles have made it known that they’re willing to listen to trade offers for Manny Machado and naturally they’ve received plenty of interest. After all, who wouldn’t want one of the game’s best players? Even with the knowledge that he could be a rental, teams are still trying to get him. The White Sox have strangely emerged as a surprising suitor but they’re doing it with the idea that they could flip him to a team like the Yankees. In fact, the O’s are reportedly talking shop with the caveat that teams would have to promise not to flip Machado to New York. Good luck with that!
Venters is still pitching
The Rays recently announced their list of spring training invitees and if you had a keen eye then you noticed that their list included a familiar name in the form of Jonny Venters. Venters has been absolutely snakebitten by elbow issues but apparently that hasn’t stopped him from trying to return to the big leagues. Now he’ll have a chance to make it with Tampa Bay and he’ll defy some extremely long odds if he does indeed make it.
I stand corrected: 4 Tommy John surgeries, not 3. Had 4th in July 2016. He'll be 33 in March and last pitched in majors in 2012 with #Braves. Perseverance, thy name is Venters. https://t.co/cVKUIsb5iG
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) December 14, 2017