BRAVES NEWS
AP takes a look at the new “kids” on the Braves block
The Braves have a new-look rotation this season, but the faces in that rotation are very familiar to us and have been around for a very long time. Of course we’re talking about R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon, who are the two most prominent new acquisitions to come into the Braves’ fold this season. Charles Odum of the AP wrote about their arrivals, and also shared what Brian Snitker is expecting the two veterans to provide to the team this season.
Can the new-look rotation help bolster a potentially-solid bullpen?
Meanwhile, the crew of guys who are probably very happy to see these new faces in the rotation are probably all in the bullpen. If the new starters can do their job and eat up innings, then that could definitely help them out and take a lot of the burden off of them when it comes to the time when they enter games. Cory McCartney of Fox Sports South recently took a look at the bullpen and what to expect from them in 2017.
But those moves -- potentially -- come with an added bonus: taking pressure off a bullpen that was taxed in 2016.
Eighty-eight times last season Atlanta pitchers failed to get out of the sixth inning, a number bested by only the Marlins and Pirates (89 each), Brewers (91) and Dodgers (96). That resulted in relievers amassing 567 1/3 innings, the most in franchise history, per Baseball-Reference's Play Index.
If those new rotation pieces can bridge the gap into the late innings, the bullpen could be a major area of strength. But there are a number of questions that will have to be answered in the coming weeks.
Braves will be represented at WBC by handful of major leaguers
The rosters for the World Baseball Classic have recently been released, and the Braves will have plenty of representation at the international competition. Bartolo Colon (Dominican Republic), Freddie Freeman (Canada), Jaime Garcia (Mexico), Ender Inciarte (Venezeula), and Julio Teheran (Colombia) will all be playing at the WBC, and five minor leaguers will also be taking part in the Classic as well. You won’t have to look far to find Braves at this year’s event.
Braves and Jordan Walden mutually agree to void deal
Earlier in the offseason, the Braves and Jordan Walden agreed to a potential reunion when the team signed him to a minor league deal with a spring training invite. Unfortunately, Walden hasn’t progressed as far as the Braves would have liked in his efforts to rehab from shoulder injuries, so the two parties have mutally agreed to void the minor league deal.
MLB NEWS
Jeffrey Loria may have “handshake deal” for $1.6 billion to sell the Marlins
Remember when everybody laughed at Jeffrey Loria when he claimed that he was trying to sell the Marlins for $1.7 billion? As it turns out, he may not have been too far off, because Forbes reported that he could have a handshake agreement in place to sell the team for just a shade under that number. According to Darren Rovell, the potential buyer was identified as Charles Kushner, which is probably why any celebrations from Marlins fans—and there will be a huge celebration if/when the team gets sold—were immediately muted.
reality is, charles kushner wouldn't be approved as owner by mlb owners. side note: his bad past doesnt eliminate sons tho.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 9, 2017
For what it’s worth, the Miami Herald is saying that it’s not Kushner, so we’ve obviusly still got a long way to go in this particular saga.
Cleveland “intrigued” by option of bringing in Chase Utley
Meanwhile, the defending AL pennant winners are still looking at ways to improve their squad, and one option that Cleveland is apparently interested in is potentially signing Chase Utley. It’s weird because they already have a very good second baseman in Jason Kipnis, but they could always use Utley as a utlity man or simply as a reliable bench bat. Either way, Utley could end up landing on his feet in what’s been a very lean offseason for free agent second basemen.