BRAVES NEWS
Braves rally falls short as the Orioles win 5-4
The Braves’ late rally on Tuesday tied the game in the eighth, but a less-than-stellar outing from Eric O’Flaherty, who the team announced will break camp with the big club, gave the Orioles a one-run victory. Jaime Garcia had a decent outing and some of the Braves’ bench options contributed to the eighth inning rally, while Freddie Freeman continued his torrid spring by getting two hits in his only two at-bats.
An inside look at SunTrust Park
Our own Kris Willis took part in the local media tour of SunTrust Park on Tuesday, and was able to capture some great shots of the Braves’ new home. There are some really cool features that you will certainly want to see, such as Monument Park and the view from Under the Chop. It was tough to watch the Braves leave Turner Field, but there is no denying that SunTrust is going to be a pretty sweet place to watch a ballgame.
Eric O’Flaherty, Emilio Bonifaco will make 2017 squad as Atlanta Braves announce roster moves
Remember the scene in Major League where the insane Indians fans find out the team signed Jack Parkman, and everyone cheers that the team is going all the way? Well imagine the inverse of that, and you’ll find the general reaction to this news. These roster decisions do not inspire a lot of hope in either the bullpen or the bench, and while both could be serviceable this season, that’s probably the most we can hope for. In related news that is somewhat surprising, Paco Rodriguez was released on Tuesday after never throwing a pitch for the Braves.
Inbox: Folty primed for breakout campaign?
Braves beat writer Mark Bowman did another installment of his offseason inbox on Tuesday and discussed a number of topics as the team prepares to head north for Opening Day. One such question relates to Mike Foltynewicz, whom he says is the one member of the Braves’ current rotation who has a chance to become a legitimate ace in the future:
Sure, you'll still occasionally see Foltynewicz shake his head or kick at the dirt when he objects to an umpire's call on a borderline pitch. And there will be moments when he might allow the previous pitch to affect the next. But the past few weeks have provided indication we'll see less of that from this talented hurler, who is the one member of the current rotation who has the potential to eventually become a legitimate ace.
MLB NEWS
Top five lineups in baseball for 2017
Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com provided a list of his top five lineups in baseball on Tuesday, with the Braves unsurprisingly absent from the list. The Cubs, Astros, Red Sox, Nationals, and Indians make up the top group, but with Ronald Acuna waiting in the wings I imagine this list will look quite different soon enough...
Preseason picks for 2017 awards winners
MLB.com experts made their picks for all the major awards, with Mike Trout projected to repeat as AL MVP (and continue his streak of top-2 finishes, which dates back to his first full year in 2012). On the National League side, a certain Georgia native with 80-grade hair and the floor of a 10-time All-Star checks in at number one for the NL Rookie of the Year:
Things are coming quickly to Swanson, who went from the first overall pick in the 2015 Draft to a sterling warmup at the big league level last year, when he slashed .302/.361/.442 in 129 at-bats.