2020 Atlanta Braves News

FredJacket

FredJacket

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Davey Martinez said (yesterday)... Carter Kieboom will enter spring as Nats 3rd baseman... but has to earn the starting spot. Kieboom's spot on team (long term) is 3B. He'll be expected to focus on defense in spring training (made 4 errors in 10 games at 3B in AAA last season.... yikes! o_O)

For now.... I have to hit the "I trust management" button.

https://www.masnsports.com/national...om-will-get-chance-to-win-third-base-job.html
 
Buzzbomb

Buzzbomb

Mello Yellow-Jacket
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Fred, we both lost our cleanup hitter. I liked yours better than ours. Matter of fact, he was my second favorite on your team, right after Maxie. You won a WS Title, he was a huge part of that and what got you to that point(besides the ball bouncing right, with Lady Luck). Our guy hit about a buck(.100’s)vs. the Cards, and didn’t pick an injured Freddie up.

How are feeling towards the huge minus you absorbed, compared to the addition(s)that have been placed upon the Nats. lineup?

Edited-I was typing while you were posting. Alex told us in a podcast over a month or two ago, Riley would have to earn a spot on our club. He thought he was close to being a star, just needing more ABs and a few adjustments.
 
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FredJacket

FredJacket

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Buzzbomb said:
Fred, we both lost our cleanup hitter. I liked yours better than ours. Matter of fact, he was my second favorite on your team, right after Maxie. You won a WS Title, he was a huge part of that and what got you to that point(besides the ball bouncing right, with Lady Luck). Our guy hit about a buck(.100’s)vs. the Cards, and didn’t pick an injured Freddie up.

How are feeling towards the huge minus you absorbed, compared to the addition(s)that have been placed upon the Nats. lineup?

Edited-I was typing while you were posting. Alex told us in a podcast over a month or two ago, Riley would have to earn a spot on our club. He thought he was close to being a star, just needing more ABs and a few adjustments.
Click to expand...
Yep... funny how similar our situations are... to the point both teams couldn't (or didn't want to) land JD.

Here is Nationals WS (no DH) lineup:
Turner SS
Eaton RF
Rendon 3B
Soto LF
Kendrick 2B
Zimmerman 1B
Robles CF
Gomes C

Assuming Zimmerman will get signed... Rendon is only guy gone. Yes...HUGE hole to fill. Nobody available to "replace" Rendon, but lineup may still be ok. Soto has all the signs of becoming a legend (MVP potential). Most intriguing thing on him will be how he can produce with no Rendon to "protect" him. Rendon gone is one less guy to pitch around... & Soto becomes that guy. Good news is Soto's plate discipline is outstanding & assuming he stays patient, he'll get on base & get chances to do damage if guys do get on in front of him.

Biggest concern would be depth because Zim, Hendrick, Cabrera just can't play every day. But Rizzo has addressed that. Next you just worry about production dropping off across the board...older guys decline (usually). Will that happen to all of them? Who knows? Same can be said about the high-dollar starting pitching.

I'm a half-full guy...so, I'll assume Nationals have a solid roster & disaster can't/won't hit across board... certainly expect a post season worthy record.
 
Buzzbomb

Buzzbomb

Mello Yellow-Jacket
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12,014
Acuna won’t hit 4th.
Alex said his #1 need is the middle of the order.
He has made contact with the agents for Ozuna, Castellanos(if you believe in Jim Bowden and Jon Heyman).

The Braves have signed lefty Chris Rusin to a minor league deal and invited him to major league camp, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter).
 
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Buzzbomb

Buzzbomb

Mello Yellow-Jacket
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12,014
Can you believe the Dodgers have so much depth and talent on their 40 man, that they could DFA this guy(and they did this past week)?
CASEY SADLER, RHP
Age: 29 (30 on July 13, 2020).
2019 stats: Tampa Bay Rays & Dodgers, 4-0, 2.14 ERA, 1 save, 33 games, 1 start, 46.1 IP, 41 hits, 13 BB, 31 K.
 
FredJacket

FredJacket

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Forgive me if I've mentioned this before, but after the Nationals swept the Cards, they had several extra days to prep for WS... One thing they spent a lot of time on was establishing a complex system of signing in order to counter the Astros sign stealing.

I've heard multiple pitchers say they were concerned the Astros were up to something & they wanted to just be sure they were prepared.

Hudson talks a little about it here.

 
Buzzbomb

Buzzbomb

Mello Yellow-Jacket
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I think Wieters is washed up. Not that I’m a big fan of the two we have, but sentimentality gets you .199 BA, 100 k’s in 300 AB’s, and an o’fer when facing good pitching in the playoffs.

For the record, I love Matt as a person, a GT guy, a very nice career.
 
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