Baseball Prospectus – Prospectus Triple Play: Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Wright sucks, Adam LaRoche keeps hitting but they still don’t believe in him, and for some reason they think Almanza’s got a bullpen job and Jung Bong is the likely other lefty, though I hear Pratt’s in and Nitkowski’s the frontrunner for the other spot. You know, since the righthanded middle relievers are all pretty lousy, why not keep three lefties? Or four? Is there a quota?
THE DEVIL RAYS ARE THINKING OF PLAYING ROBERT FICK AT THIRD BASE? I thought the Braves were hard up.
The Devil Rays are thinking of playing Robert Fick at third base?
Other than him having terrible footwork, a scattershot arm, and the inability to field a bunt without ending up on his backside, I don’t see why this wouldn’t work.
Oh, and Free Trey Hodges.
Almanza gave up 10 HR in 50.1 innings last year, while pitching his home games in PPS. Yikes.
If the Braves just once were willing to go with 11 pitchers only, they could let Alf and Alm do their damage at Richmond, and go with Smoltz, Cunnane, Hodges, Bong, Pratt and Nitkowski in the pen. But after reading a quote from Bobby talking about Alfonseca’s ”lights-out stuff”, I know how likely that is to happen.
Lights out? As in “Alfonseca is going to get in the head with a line drive pretty soon”? No?
Alfonseca’s on a major league contract, so it’s Atlanta or waivers. Almanza, however, is on a minor league deal, though I’ll bet they promised him his release if he doesn’t make the team and he thinks he can catch on elsewhere.
Hey, I’d take a dislocated shoulder or something as well.
Here’s the quote, BTW: “He’s got lights-out stuff — that sinker,” said Braves manager Bobby Cox, who has had only praise for Alfonseca. “I don’t think we need to be concerned. He’s a veteran. If he’s still got the sinker, he should be fine when we open on [April 6].”
Not good when Bobby pulls out the ‘lights-out stuff’ argument to defend a ‘veteran’ in spring training already. With Boom-Boom Bobby, that came later in the season….