Today’s Trivia: Bryce Elder became the 46th former Texas Longhorn to win a MLB game. That ties him with what fellow Longhorn and member of the rebuilding 2015 Atlanta Braves? This reliever won a single big league game during his career and remains the only player to receive a PED suspension from MLB while on the Braves active roster.
Atlanta made some moves on Tuesday, so let’s cover them and anything else that’s happened since the last edition.
4/9: Signed OF Delino Deshields to a minor league contract
I keep a Tweetdeck column devoted to @tombaseball29, easily one of the most useful Twitter follows out there. I don’t normally worry too much about who had a signing first - this isn’t a scoop or breaking news newsletter - but he’s worth a shoutout.
Deshields, son of the 1990 ROY runner-up to David Justice, was the 8th overall pick of the 2010 draft, and when he debuted for Texas in 2015, he drew some award votes like his dad, finishing 7th after a .261/.344/.374 campaign with 25 SB. His OPS hasn’t seen .700 since 2017, leaving him to more of a bench niche role, offering speed, defense, and the ability to lay down a bunt - he led his league in sac bunts in 2017, 2018, and 2020. How well does he still offer those 3 things?
I can’t really tell you about the bunting, but I’d assume he can still lay one down. As for the defense, Deshields has averaged .0313 Outs Above Average per play since the start of the 2018 season. Here’s how he compares to current Atlanta OFs fare by the same metric:
Delino Deshields: +.0313
Guillermo Heredia: +.0277
Adam Duvall: +.0169
Marcell Ozuna: -.0173
Eddie Rosario: -.0255
Alex Dickerson: -.0321
That might be too large a sample, but Deshields isn’t an everyday player. His speed has diminished a tad since 2018, as speed tends to do. Deshields may only be at something like 80% of his old speed these days, but given how fast he started, that still leaves him as a very fast ballplayer. And he can still use that speed to steal bags here and there - he stole 23 bases between MiLB and Cincinnati last year.
Despite the possibility he’s a defender on par with Heredia, or at worst, better than half our current options, I still think Deshields is an emergency option for the OF, particularly as a backup to Heredia. He’s comparable to Heredia, depending on the defense. There’s a chance his baserunning maybe even makes him a better option, but he’s playing catch-up when it comes to Heredia’s established role as a dugout jester and general vibe-setter. He’s also a candidate for the Terrence Gore playoff roster spot this fall.
4/12: Designated C Chadwick Tromp for assignment
Every team likes to have a catcher like Tromp stashed at AAA, but no team truly misses a player like Tromp if they get claimed on waivers. That’s how Atlanta picked him up from the Giants, after all. I think the Braves like Tromp and the 1.043 OPS he’s posted at Gwinnett, so I’d imagine they’ll hope he isn’t claimed. I can’t find a previous outright assignment for Tromp, so the Braves might be able to retain him if he goes unclaimed.
4/12: Designated RHP Jacob Webb for assignment
A few weeks ago, I said of Webb, “Don’t expect him to stay at Gwinnett all year.” I was right, but for the wrong reasons. While Webb’s option to AAA didn’t terribly surprise me, I also didn’t expect a DFA so soon into the season. But Webb will be 29 this season, didn’t make it into this bullpen in need of righty arms, and had yet to appear in a game for AAA Gwinnett. I might have guessed Travis Demeritte would get designated first, but Webb was on the shortlist.
And, like Tromp, he might pass through waivers and remain with the organization. He’s a replacement level pitcher, which are nice to have on hand. If he’s claimed, the Braves will probably be ok.
4/12: Optioned LHP Tucker Davidson to AAA Gwinnett
Davidson pitched in relief Monday, and like half his MLB appearances before, it was a disappointing performance. Given his excellent, though not extensive, track record at the minor league level, we should expect to see him back for his next chance fairly soon. With this option, that will be April 22 at the earliest.
4/12: Optioned C William Contreras to AAA Gwinnett
I don’t think anyone was real clear on what Contreras’s role on the big league club was supposed to be, the Braves included. Regardless of his role on the roster, Contreras seemed equally confused about what to do at the plate. In his 4 plate appearances, he struggled to make contact in the zone and chased too many pitches outside it, resulting in three punchouts and one glorious pop-up.
As lost as he seemed at the plate, Contreras was stupendous behind it, working with Kyle Wright on a gem on Saturday night.
He’ll stay in Gwinnett for at least 10 days. His bat will likely require a longer stay, but with Tromp out of the way, he’s now the clear first call if d’Arnaud or Pina require some assistance.
4/12: Selected the contract of RHP Bryce Elder from AAA Gwinnett
Atlanta’s #5 prospect (MLB.com) made his big league debut last night, an appearance necessitated by Tucker Davidson’s Monday night appearance. The rookie handled it exceedingly well, given the hurried nature of the debut. He confidently mixed all four pitches - changeup, cutter, sinker, and slider - using each on at least 20% of his pitches. That kept batters guessing, and they occasionally guessed right, especially as Elder tired in the 6th, but Washington mostly struggled to find any traction against the young righty. It wasn’t a dominant performance, and it will surprise no one if the team feels Elder needs more refinement at the AAA level. But at the same time, it was an auspicious debut for a pitcher who expected to make this Tuesday start against the Nashville Sounds. I can’t imagine this will be his last start for the 2022 Braves. Well done.
4/12: Selected the contract of RHP Jackson Stephens from AAA Gwinnett
Signed to a minor league deal in January, Stephens last appeared in the majors in 2018 with Cincinnati. One glance at his Statcast metrics can quickly tell you why he wound up with the Braves. Atlanta loves a spinny curve, and Stephens had an extremely rotational one in 2018:
Used as a reliever in Cincy, Stephens spent 2021 building his stamina in the Mexican League and the Venezuelan Winter League. With Gwinnett, he made a start, going 6 innings with 7 Ks and 0 BBs.
Last night, he made his Atlanta debut, picking up a rare 3-inning save in the blowout win, the first save of his career. The stuff was a tad rusty compared to four years ago, having lost ticks off the radar gun and RPMs off the movement nearly across the board. But Stephens also managed to keep batters guessing with a 4 pitch mix, found the strike zone consistently, and kept the ball out of the heart of that strike zone:
If Stephens can be a multi-inning reliever who commands his pitches, there’s value beyond just getting the team through the occasional blowout.
Odds and Ends
Trivia answer: Elder tied former Brave Andrew McKirahan on the former Longhorn win list. McKirahan was better than his 5.93 ERA in Atlanta, but the Braves sent him to Cincinnati in the Brandon Phillips trade. He would throw 16.2 minor league innings in 2017, mostly in AA, but would never return to the majors. Since leaving the majors, McKirahan seems to spend most of his time tweeting that people shouldn’t take the COVID vaccine, presumably because it doesn’t contain enough growth hormone for his taste.
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