Spring Training Thread

[thethe]

Hope AA is able to work it out with Fried. I'll miss that guy.

[Slippyjms]

I thnk it makes sense to keep Grissom down. To be fair it's not like grissom has been killing it with the bat this spring. Shewmake provides the better glove and also works as a natural platoon partner with Arcia. A defense first SS platoon should be fine in the 9 hole. Starting Grissom in AAA would give the Braves an opportunity to continue to evaluate his defense at SS and also get him work at other positions around the diamond and determine how he would be most valuably used. Maybe he's needed later in LF if that group falls apart. He'd likely be called up to replace the first injured IF as well. Would I say Shewmake is better than Grissom? Probably not. Would I say starting the year with Shewmake with Grissom in AAA will net us more wins? Probably.

[striker42]

We get it. You hate Shewmake just like you hate Anderson.

My thought that Shewmake was a big reach in the draft and has been a big disappointment has nothing to do with that comment.

The situation is odd. The Braves hyped up Grissom at SS all offseason and he started spring training getting a lot of time at SS. He wasn't great but wasn't awful. You'd expect the Braves to get him as many reps as possible in games but they all of a sudden have been playing Shewmake more. There are a couple possible explanations.

Most likely is that Grissom is banged up somehow and the Braves just have no reason to announce that.

Next most likely explanation is the Braves just don't think Grissom's defense is going to be ready for the start of the season and are exploring other internal options.

There's also the chance that Shewmake has shown some unexpected major progress at the plate during camp and that he's just flat out beating Grissom.

One option no one had mentioned is the possibility we're showcasing Shewmake so I threw it out there. I think this is unlikely though as we wouldn't sacrifice reps for Grissom to showcase Shewmake. Also, Shewmake has very little trade value at the moment.

Now, if we're convinced Shewmake is the hitter we've seen the past two years and we get any kind of value in an offer for him, we'd be crazy not to take it. There's no reason to look to trade him but if we're getting interest it could explain his playing time at SS. This is still very unlikely though.

[msstate7]

Braves have a really good hitting lineup.
Braves have a really good pitching staff.
I think the braves feel defense at ss is much more important than hitting

[CJ9]

Soroka starting Wednesday. DOB said he was mostly 92-93 in live BP on Friday with a couple 94s and 95s.

[bravesfanMatt]

This is good news. I want him to succeed so bad.

[msstate7]

This is good news. I want him to succeed so bad.

Maybe he rebounds, gets extended, and takes over Fried's spot next season

[CyYoung31]

It’s not like we’d get Jack **** for Shewmake anyway, so of course we’re not showcasing him for a trade.

[MadduxFanII]

Man, Shewmake hit .259/.316/.399 last year as a 24-year-old in Triple A, a year after hitting .228/.271/.401 in Double A and after putting up an .868 OPS in college with an aluminum bat. If he hits the way those minor league lines translate, he'd have to be a truly exceptional defensive shortstop not to be a real negative as an everyday player.

One possible explanation is that the Braves have come to the conclusion that Grissom simply can't play shortstop at this level, and so the only actual choice is between Shewmake and Arcia.

[Deester11]

My thought that Shewmake was a big reach in the draft and has been a big disappointment has nothing to do with that comment.

The situation is odd. The Braves hyped up Grissom at SS all offseason and he started spring training getting a lot of time at SS. He wasn't great but wasn't awful. You'd expect the Braves to get him as many reps as possible in games but they all of a sudden have been playing Shewmake more. There are a couple possible explanations.

Most likely is that Grissom is banged up somehow and the Braves just have no reason to announce that.

Next most likely explanation is the Braves just don't think Grissom's defense is going to be ready for the start of the season and are exploring other internal options.

There's also the chance that Shewmake has shown some unexpected major progress at the plate during camp and that he's just flat out beating Grissom.

One option no one had mentioned is the possibility we're showcasing Shewmake so I threw it out there. I think this is unlikely though as we wouldn't sacrifice reps for Grissom to showcase Shewmake. Also, Shewmake has very little trade value at the moment.

Now, if we're convinced Shewmake is the hitter we've seen the past two years and we get any kind of value in an offer for him, we'd be crazy not to take it. There's no reason to look to trade him but if we're getting interest it could explain his playing time at SS. This is still very unlikely though.

You owe no damn apologies for your take on Shewmake. I'll say it..I've seen the good and bad. His good is...solid. His bad is what the actual fk...? Those pining for him according to his good spring need to come out of the clouds a bit. I think he'll do ok because the lineup is awesome. But he's no more otherworldly than Grissom. His defense is much better. That may be enough.

[bravesfanMatt]

Shew is having a good spring. But is it real? Not much power. Only 2 walks. BABiP of .400. We all know someone can fake it for a month before the real player shows back up.

Time will tell with Shew. I haven’t watched a lot of him personally. So Is he hitting it hard or just finding holes.

[msstate7]

Grissom will start at ss today

[UNCBlue012]

I honestly think Griss is still the favorite to start at SS but they're giving Shewmake every opportunity to take the job or show he can do it one day. It's ST, you see what everyone has. They know Griss is a solid to really good hitter with a decent glove. It's unknown what Shewmake is.

[striker42]

You owe no damn apologies for your take on Shewmake. I'll say it..I've seen the good and bad. His good is...solid. His bad is what the actual fk...? Those pining for him according to his good spring need to come out of the clouds a bit. I think he'll do ok because the lineup is awesome. But he's no more otherworldly than Grissom. His defense is much better. That may be enough.

I do not apologize for my stance on Shewmake. He's had over 600 PAs the last two years, hasn't been young for his levels, and has been consistently terrible at the plate. A SSS against pitching staffs with most of their good pitchers in the WBC shouldn't be changing minds. If I regret anything it's softening my stance some when the majority of the board thought I was crazy for saying Shewmake was a huge reach in the first round.

If anything, I was too soft on Shewmake from the beginning. I thought he'd add weight and as a result hit well enough to play SS but that he'd outgrow the position and not hit well enough for 3B or LF. I thought he'd be a guy without a position. However, he's been worse at the plate than even I thought he'd be. I thought we foolishly spent a first round pick on a guy with a ceiling of being a utility player. Now I don't even know if he'll hit enough to be a backup SS in the majors.

I hope I'm wrong. I hope he's been plagued by some flaw in his swing that he's fixed and has suddenly gained the contact skills we were promised when he was drafted. But turn arounds like that are actually pretty rare, especially for a guy in his mid 20's.

[zbhargrove]

Shew is having a good spring. But is it real? Not much power. Only 2 walks. BABiP of .400. We all know someone can fake it for a month before the real player shows back up.

Time will tell with Shew. I haven’t watched a lot of him personally. So Is he hitting it hard or just finding holes.

No of course it’s not real. He hasn’t had success at any level above A ball. He’s had like ~30 spring at bats which is his whole “positive” body of work. It’s a joke if folks think he’s the answer. If they don’t have confidence in Grissom we are in trouble at SS. I still think Grissom starts and I don’t think it will be close

[msstate7]

Apparently the FO doesn't think it's a joke. He's obviously being considered.

FWIW, zips projects jim at 0.5 fWAR in 78 games without hitting a lick.

[bravesfanMatt]

Apparently the FO doesn't think it's a joke. He's obviously being considered.

FWIW, zips projects jim at 0.5 fWAR in 78 games without hitting a lick.

yes, I try to stay some what tempered with all this. Getting excited about small sample sizes is an easy thing to do.. but the fact that they are giving him this serious of a look tells me they know more than just the numbers are saying.

[Heyward]

Hope AA is able to work it out with Fried. I'll miss that guy.

On that some token, with the possible emergence of Dodd and Schuster to go with Wright, Strider, hopefully Soroka as well. Might have the depth to trade Fried next winter for a haul.

[thewupk]

On that some token, with the possible emergence of Dodd and Schuster to go with Wright, Strider, hopefully Soroka as well. Might have the depth to trade Fried next winter for a haul.

I'd be shocked but anything is possible. Fried has the 7th best WAR among pitchers since 2020. He's a true #1. I can't see the Braves dealing that type of pitcher in the middle of their championship window no matter what kind of haul we're looking at. We aren't the Rays.

[bravesfanMatt]

On that some token, with the possible emergence of Dodd and Schuster to go with Wright, Strider, hopefully Soroka as well. Might have the depth to trade Fried next winter for a haul.

not sure I want to trade Fried.. I don't trust the Mort will hold up even this season, much less anything beyond. That leaves Wright and Strider as our staples. Dodd and Schuster are extremely unknowns and probably max out as a #4.. Even if Soroka and those 2 pitch well, that leaves us with a rotation of 5. We know we will need at least 6-7 at the bare minimum.