So much for regular updates....
It's been two months since I felt compelled to post. Some stuff has happened in that time period, mostly to the good. So here's a real quick post on what has happened....
The front office has shown some willingness to move on, which is a good thing. They sent Dansby Swanson to AAA, after letting him have too much time to prove he really wasn't going to turn the corner in Smyrna. Unfortunately, he had to be brought right back when Camargo was hurt in a freak accident. That being said, he's played a bit better since he came back up. I think the jury is still very much out on what Swanson will be long-term.
Jaime Garcia was traded. They didn't get much for him, but that's to be expected. He hadn't really shown much value this season. Sadly, he was the only one of the "rentals" that was traded, which says something about whether the league as a whole thinks that Kemp, Dickey, Phillips, etc have real value or are just guys. (I suspect part of this is that the league has now swung to a point where prospects are over-valued, but that's just my gut feeling there.)
Ozzie Albies was called up, and installed at second base. He's looked overmatched at the plate at times, but that's to be expected. Again, it's way early to decide what he'll be in the long run, but we can at least hope that he'll be a part of a contending Braves team. That's not something you could say about Brandon Phillips.
Phillips, it should be noted, decided he was willing to play third base. The articles I've seen imply that it was a grudging decision, but any such attitude has not shown on the field. I think in the long run this is a good thing for Phillips; he's much more likely to find a home next year if he can play multiple positions. "Aging utility player" has far more options than "aging second baseman".
Also, between the Garcia trade and the release of Colon, a couple of the young arms have been brought up. While there have been flashes of real promise, I have to say that Newcomb and Sims are exactly what you would expect based on their minor league numbers. Two guys who can dominate or be dominated, depending on just how wild they are on a given night. And even when they dominate, they're unlikely to give you more than six innings. Of course, that seems to be more and more the norm in baseball. Even the innings-eating R.A. Dickey is averaging just over six innings a start this year....
The front office has shown some willingness to move on, which is a good thing. They sent Dansby Swanson to AAA, after letting him have too much time to prove he really wasn't going to turn the corner in Smyrna. Unfortunately, he had to be brought right back when Camargo was hurt in a freak accident. That being said, he's played a bit better since he came back up. I think the jury is still very much out on what Swanson will be long-term.
Jaime Garcia was traded. They didn't get much for him, but that's to be expected. He hadn't really shown much value this season. Sadly, he was the only one of the "rentals" that was traded, which says something about whether the league as a whole thinks that Kemp, Dickey, Phillips, etc have real value or are just guys. (I suspect part of this is that the league has now swung to a point where prospects are over-valued, but that's just my gut feeling there.)
Ozzie Albies was called up, and installed at second base. He's looked overmatched at the plate at times, but that's to be expected. Again, it's way early to decide what he'll be in the long run, but we can at least hope that he'll be a part of a contending Braves team. That's not something you could say about Brandon Phillips.
Phillips, it should be noted, decided he was willing to play third base. The articles I've seen imply that it was a grudging decision, but any such attitude has not shown on the field. I think in the long run this is a good thing for Phillips; he's much more likely to find a home next year if he can play multiple positions. "Aging utility player" has far more options than "aging second baseman".
Also, between the Garcia trade and the release of Colon, a couple of the young arms have been brought up. While there have been flashes of real promise, I have to say that Newcomb and Sims are exactly what you would expect based on their minor league numbers. Two guys who can dominate or be dominated, depending on just how wild they are on a given night. And even when they dominate, they're unlikely to give you more than six innings. Of course, that seems to be more and more the norm in baseball. Even the innings-eating R.A. Dickey is averaging just over six innings a start this year....
posted by J Leeds at
9:48 AM
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