Christian Bethancourt optioned to Gwinnett

[dak]

I think this is the right move on a number of levels.

Mark Bowman ‏@mlbbowman 3m3 minutes ago
Christian Bethancourt will be optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett today. The subsequent move has not been revealed. #Braves

Mark Bowman ‏@mlbbowman 58s58 seconds ago
Bethancourt has batted .208 w/ a .528 OPS in 29 games. He has been charged with six passed balls in 236.1 innings.

[thethe]

Wow...

I guess we will see lavanway (sp?)

[Tapate50]

The defense has been brutal. Just lapses in fundamentals really....

[yeezus]

his bat probably won't ever be ready, but it's far from it right now. and his defense isn't nearly good enough to make up for it.

[rico43]

So now our last two walk-off home runs are playing in Triple-A. I may never figure this game out -- but I do understand the issues the club has with Benthancourt.

[Tapate50]

IMO this puts a spotlight directly on the position for the franchise as a whole.

[Hawk]

I don't like it, but I see why it had to happen.

[Hawk]

Braves call up Lavarnway.

[MadduxFanII]

The questions with Bethancourt were always:

1. Would he hit at all?

2. If he didn't hit, would he as brilliant defensively as the fulsome scouting reports claimed he was? Because he would need to be in order to justify a lineup spot with his bat.

Both questions have been answered with a resounding "no" so far. Doesn't mean he can't change those answers in time, but I'm skeptical. There's a reason I advocated using him as a trade chip this off-season before the re-build strategy was clear.

[yeezus]

It looks like Lavarnway might be able to hit a little bit. But apparently he's poor defensively.

[Julio3000]

I thought signing Lavarnway was a precursor move to this. Not surprised, but disappointed that he didn't do better, at least on D.

[Deester11]

The questions with Bethancourt were always:

1. Would he hit at all?

2. If he didn't hit, would he as brilliant defensively as the fulsome scouting reports claimed he was? Because he would need to be in order to justify a lineup spot with his bat.

Both questions have been answered with a resounding "no" so far. Doesn't mean he can't change those answers in time, but I'm skeptical. There's a reason I advocated using him as a trade chip this off-season before the re-build strategy was clear.

I'm with Hawk in that I'm disappointed. I don't believe it's a resounding no. I will say that he's making mistakes he hasn't made since AA ball. That could be several things. I'm sure most have made up their minds on him and that's fair, but I feel like as young as he is, you have be consistent with him. Play him 5 days in a row....4 days...whatever. But knee jerking him into 1 day here and there was never going to be good for him.

If most of you know the prospects and have followed along, Beth's adjustments have ALWAYS come during the second part of getting used to a level. The added scrutiny of making a mistake and knowing it'll be spotlighted probably didn't help. I have watched him physically since rookie ball. I see the signs of regression. I'm not sure he figures it out or not, but I hope upon hope that he does.

[Tapate50]

I thought signing Lavarnway was a precursor move to this. Not surprised, but disappointed that he didn't do better, at least on D.

I did as well.

[Anthony J. Pierzynski]

Lavarnwho?

[Anthony J. Pierzynski]

There's still time to vote AJ for All-Star.

[yeezus]

I'm with Hawk in that I'm disappointed. I don't believe it's a resounding no. I will say that he's making mistakes he hasn't made since AA ball. That could be several things. I'm sure most have made up their minds on him and that's fair, but I feel like as young as he is, you have be consistent with him. Play him 5 days in a row....4 days...whatever. But knee jerking him into 1 day here and there was never going to be good for him.

If most of you know the prospects and have followed along, Beth's adjustments have ALWAYS come during the second part of getting used to a level. The added scrutiny of making a mistake and knowing it'll be spotlighted probably didn't help. I have watched him physically since rookie ball. I see the signs of regression. I'm not sure he figures it out or not, but I hope upon hope that he does.

I agree that I would've rather seen him catching every day rather than AJ. But there might be something to be said for pitchers wanting to throw to AJ instead (I don't know what the stats look like at all).

[MadduxFanII]

I'm with Hawk in that I'm disappointed. I don't believe it's a resounding no. I will say that he's making mistakes he hasn't made since AA ball. That could be several things. I'm sure most have made up their minds on him and that's fair, but I feel like as young as he is, you have be consistent with him. Play him 5 days in a row....4 days...whatever. But knee jerking him into 1 day here and there was never going to be good for him.

If most of you know the prospects and have followed along, Beth's adjustments have ALWAYS come during the second part of getting used to a level. The added scrutiny of making a mistake and knowing it'll be spotlighted probably didn't help. I have watched him physically since rookie ball. I see the signs of regression. I'm not sure he figures it out or not, but I hope upon hope that he does.

I certainly think Bethancourt should have been playing more often. And I suspect he would have received more PT if the problems had been restricted to his bat. But managers are loath to accept repeated mental mistakes from their catchers.

[Hawk]

But there might be something to be said for pitchers wanting to throw to AJ instead (I don't know what the stats look like at all).

Which is even more interesting when you consider that out of Spring Training pitchers were raving about Christian's throwing arm. Now, it would appear that going with a lesser defender is preferred to CB's game calling skills (and mental lapses).

This has been the gripe against Bethancourt for the greater part of the past year or so; he's lazy. Signing AJ was supposed to be a motivating factor.

Now, the Braves will try to motivate him by taking away his job.

[Deester11]

Which is even more interesting when you consider that out of Spring Training pitchers were raving about Christian's throwing arm. Now, it would appear that going with a lesser defender is preferred to CB's game calling skills (and mental lapses).

This has been the gripe against Bethancourt for the greater part of the past year or so; he's lazy. Signing AJ was supposed to be a motivating factor.

Now, the Braves will try to motivate him by taking away his job.

We didn't find out that freaking Jace could play until he played. If we'd have used the same path with him, he'd be in AAA. Sorry, but this has been piss poor development. If we all saw Beth do this for 45 games, it'd be one thing. Hellll I've seen him so much and I still don't know!

[NinersSBChamps]

Just another example of a touted prospect not being able to cut it at this level. Which is why putting all this stock in prospects isn't the best of ideas.