This is the place where all pieces not Recaps or Game Threads will be discussed. Be kind and remember to tip your bartenders.
Question for the Bar: What Braves player is the most overrated player in the last 30 years?
Pieces discussed in this Bar:
- Braves Transactions
- Who’s Pushing for Promotion: Augusta and Rome
- Who’s Pushing for Promotion: Mississippi and Gwinnett
This bar is now closed. Good night, sweethearts. It’s time to go.
The Bar wasn’t update much this last go around because I was swamped with work and some family stuff. If there are any of our writers that can help alleviate some of the burden of writing some pieces that aren’t recaps or game threads, I’d be grateful.
Shame that Soroka’s path has been anything but straight, but frankly, I’m happy that he’s been sent down for purely baseball reasons.
I’m disappointed that Soroka’s first couple of starts didn’t go better. I had hoped–pretty unreasonably, I admit–that he could immediately be the pitcher he was in 2019. Given the results of those two starts, I’m not surprised or even disappointed that he’s going back down. I haven’t given up on his returning to all star form, but it will take a good deal of time, time best spent at AAA.
Am I the only one who thinks, given the new options rule, AA didn’t do a particularly great job of managing Danny Young over the first two months of the season? I mean, if you’re two months in and you basically can’t call him up again now, and he had only one stint worth any kind of writing home about whatsoever and the rest were like two days and he was barely used…
Meh, Danny Young isn’t worth getting upset about.
I still think there’s a chance that neither Fried nor Wright pitch any more this year. I think we’ll need Soroka. I hope he can find the magic in AAA.
Yeah, I think the Braves getting any useful innings out of either of them at this point isnt likely, but boy I hope I m wrong.
He threw well at Gwinnett last night. Hope he can shove a couple more times down there and get another chance in Atlanta.
Man, deGrom down for the year with TJ. It’s not like it took a genius to expect him to not stay healthy for the life of that contract, but dang, it just seems like he wasn’t even worth signing long-term for any length of time.
I’m not too, too disappointed about Soroka. He got hit pretty hard with 2 outs on Sunday. Is what it is. He’s not throwing bad, and he’s healthy, and that’s all I can ask for right now. He knows how to pitch. He’ll get there.
The Ben Heller signing is probably just an organizational depth move. Heller hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2020 due to injuries, and best case scenario, he’ll eat some innings at Gwinnett and maybe get the occasional cup of coffee. There’s definitely no harm in taking a flyer on him, and his sweeper does look like a promising pitch. As we’ve seen before, AA does seem to have a knack for finding guys who end up working out well!
Yeah, he’s a 31-year-old 22nd-round draftee who has thrown a total of 316 professional innings since being drafted more than a decade ago. Anything at all that he’s able to do is gravy. I think org depth is exactly the right expectation.
I’ve watched Heller pitch recently and his stuff looks really, really strong. I also thought Bryce Elder sucked so take my scouting report with a grain of salt.
ESPN has a piece on guesses for the All Star game lineups based on the season so far. Acuna and Strider of course, but the only other Brave they named was Elder. Literally no one makes that guess prior to the season.
They didn’t include Sean Murphy in their list? Ouch. He’s been the most valuable catcher in the majors this season.
Not having Murphy is a massive oversight.
That is MY bad, they did have Murphy too.
Jeff Francouer
Breaking news this afternoon…Kyle Wright will begin a throwing program after his shoulder was checked out and given the all clear, per multiple sources close to the club. Max Fried began his throwing program May 24 and has yet to throw off a mound. Fried is hoped to be back after the All-Star break, while Wright could be a mid-to-late August addition to the rotation.
Sorry, all – comments closed on this post as it was quite old, so I manually reopened them.
Regarding Lugbauer, is there any reason to believe he’s better than Mike Hessman?
Game has changed since Hessman. Lugbauer’s profile is actually acceptable in today’s product…that is, if he could produce an .800+ OPS. He needs to master AAA where there’s more pitchers that have MLB experience.
Nice piece on the prospects, Ryan. As I was reading that, and take into consideration what the Braves found in Arcia’s swing I am perplexed that Austin Riley continues to struggle the way he is. I mean, is there nobody in the system that can identify the problem with the swing right now? I mean, he’s got the second worst OPS on this team and has been one of the better hitters in baseball the two prior years.
Make way for the A’s in Vegas, baby:
So, is Danny Young toast? The Braves have a need for good lefty relievers at least until both Lee and Matzek are back and Minter inconsistent. Luetge is even worse. So far, both Shuster and Dodd are SP only. Where are we going to find lefties for the pen?
How about Forrest Wall?
Oddly, the Braves are overloaded on pretty good RH relievers. I’d like to see if we could trade two or three for one lockdown lefty. Aroldis Chapman is very enticing. Brad Hand? Brent Suter? Guys that are older and hanging on having good seasons but not attractive to their current teams.
AA really screwed up optioning Young so many times early on. The next time he’s brought up, he’ll have to be here to stay or the next time optioned, he’ll be put on outright waivers.
Yeah, I’d also love to see AA acquire another lefty reliever. Lee hasn’t thrown off a mound since getting injured, so his timeline for returning is unclear, and Luetge has been less than inspiring this season.
I think that is a feature rather than a bug. Usually it won’t matter with someone like Young and if he is actually doing so well that there is concern over losing him you are far ahead in the game.
Agreed. Young is just a guy. If the Braves have to waive him, it’ll be a cost of doing business.
I gotta say, I hate the Marlins, but I love this headline:
“Marlins’ Luis Arraez back to .400 with another 5-for-5 night”
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/37882418/marlins-luis-arraez-back-400-another-5-5-night
To be honest, I voted for him over Ozzie. Any time a guy’s flirting with hitting .400, I’m just giddy as a baseball fan. Keep on keeping on, Luis!
Arraez is 5 for 5 in two of his last three games (11 for 14 overall). Rakin’.
Great nickname, too: La Regadara (i.e., The Sprinkler).
Arcia is the man!
Last day to stuff the ballot boxes is fast approaching. Go support our boys in uniform, y’all:
https://www.mlb.com/all-star/ballot?affiliateId=asb-headline-mlb-2023
There is no comment box on the new thread Ryan