SUNDAY MINORS THEAD 8/5/18: New FA Pitchers Strong Debuts

[rico43]

A pair of free agent pitchers made strong debuts for Danville Saturday:

RHP Matt Hartman, who signed July 31 out of NAIA school Westmont College, threw four shutout innings in his debut, just four days after his signing, allowing only one hit, one walk while striking out four. Standing 6-3, Hartman previously pitched for the University of Arizona. He did not get the decision in the Danville victory.

Saving that win was another pitcher making his pro debut for Danville, Mason McReaken, who worked a perfect eighth with a strikeout. Also a right-hander, McReaken pitched for SUIE (that's Southern Illinois, Edwardsville, to the uninitiated), where he was a relief specialist who posted six saves this past college season. Definitely not in the mold of a big, strong flame-thrower, McReaken is just 5-10, 175 and appears to be a ground ball speciaiist. Congrats to the two newest Braves.

SUNDAY MINORS RESULTS
All Times Eastern

CLASS AAA

Norfolk 7, Gwinnett 4

SP: Toussaint 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
LP: Bell (2-3) 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Salas 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HR
McCreery 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Reed 2-4, 2B, R, BB
Jackson 2-4, 3B, HR (2nd), 2 RBI
Franco 1-4, 2B, RBI

CLASS AA

Chattanooga 9, Mississippi 2

SP: Sanchez 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
LP: Pike (0-4) 2 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Hursh 0.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Vasquez 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Graham 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K
Brothers 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Pache 3-5, 2 RBI
Salazar 3-4, R
Downes 2-4

ADVANCED CLASS A

Florida 7, Fort Myers 3

WP: Walker (3-10) 6.2 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Lietz 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Johnson-Miullins 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Rodgers 3-5, 2B, HR (2nd), 2 R, RBI
Davidson 1-5, HR (16th), 4 RBI, 3 K
Herbert 0-5, 4 K
Schwartz 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI

CLASS A

Greenville 9, Rome 2

LP: Javier (3-9) 4.2 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Curtis 3.1 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Dean 3-4, 3B, R, BB
Ramos 2-5, 2B, 3B, RBI

SHORT-SEASON

Danville 8, Bluefield 6

SP: Rowland 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
WP: Guth (3-1) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 1 K
Stallings 2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Daniels (Save, 1) 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Cullen 3-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI
Mejia 3-6 R B

---------------

GCL Braves, DSL Braves idle

MOVES:

MISSISSIPPI: McCreery to Gwinnett, Hursh to Mississippi; J. Morales demoted from Gwinnett

[rico43]

Watching Mississippi in Chattanooga this weekend...

First, some breaking news: Kyle Muller has been promoted again, and will start for Mississippi against Chattanooga Monday. Mueller began the year at Rome, beginning the year 3-0, 2.40 in six starts. Moving to Florida, it stopped raining long enough to post a 4-2 record with a 3.24 ERA in 14 starts. For those without a calculator or enough fingers, that's a combined 7-2, 3.01 for the third of the three-header pitching monster drafted by the Braves in 2016. He is a beast at 6-6, 225, a Dallas native who signed for $2.5 million. He set a national high school record as a senior by striking out 33 consecutive hitters.
Monday will be for me his long awaited chance to hit. The Braves easily could have allowed Mueller to continue to be a hitter when he signed, since as a high schooler, Some teams projected his bat as draftable a tool as his arm, as Mueller hit 14 home runs as a prep senior who was also 20-21 in stolen bases.

Saturday night, saw firsthand why the Braves moved Ray-Patrick Didder to shortstop as he made the single best defensive play I'd seen all year at the position. He took a ground ball deep in the hole, threw across his body in one motion without planting and zipped a strike to first base for the out. It was very Simmons-like. He has also hit safely in 21 of 23 games since moving up to Mississippi.

[msstate7]

Our starting pitchers are moving up faster than the jeffersons

[TheBravos]

Our starting pitchers are moving up faster than the jeffersons

What the heck...

[msstate7]

What the heck...

I'm old

[Deester11]

Our starting pitchers are moving up faster than the jeffersons

That...is simply funny.

[clvclv]

Has to be a big trade coming this winter - after the 5 all but locked rotation spots given health (Folty, Newk, Gausman, Julio, Soroka), that leaves you with Fried, Gohara, Allard, Touki, Wright, Wilson, Weigel, and Muller at AA or higher and Anderson and Wentz giving you no indication that they won't start in Mississippi next season as well. I know no one likes to call it a "pitching surplus", but it is what it is. If you want to take advantage of these guys' peak value as SPs, it's time to start trading people before they get hurt or regress - otherwise turn Gohara, Fried, and Weigel into RPs and build a Yankees-level pen.

[CJ9]

Austin Jackson double and homer so far. His triple a offensive numbers have been a lot better than Double a in the small sample so far.

[jpx7]

Austin Jackson double and homer so far. His triple a offensive numbers have been a lot better than Double a in the small sample so far.

I’m not a huge believer, but the aggressive promotion (relative to his AA production) does make me think the Braves consider him a candidate for backup catcher sometime next year. Personally, I’d rather retain Flowers to backup, and go after Grandal (or even Realmuto, if the cost isn’t unreasonable), but it doesn’t hurt to have a backup plan that involves Jackson.

[msstate7]

Austin Jackson double and homer so far. His triple a offensive numbers have been a lot better than Double a in the small sample so far.

No idea the pitchers he faced at both levels, but isn't AA more of pure stuff while AAA has a bunch of junkballers? Wonder if velocity gives Alex trouble. Again, I have no idea who Jackson has been facing

[ball4life32]

Pache 3-5

[Heyward]

Has to be a big trade coming this winter - after the 5 all but locked rotation spots given health (Folty, Newk, Gausman, Julio, Soroka), that leaves you with Fried, Gohara, Allard, Touki, Wright, Wilson, Weigel, and Muller at AA or higher and Anderson and Wentz giving you no indication that they won't start in Mississippi next season as well. I know no one likes to call it a "pitching surplus", but it is what it is. If you want to take advantage of these guys' peak value as SPs, it's time to start trading people before they get hurt or regress - otherwise turn Gohara, Fried, and Weigel into RPs and build a Yankees-level pen.

Been saying this.

You cant prospect hoard forever.

Braves are set at least next year at 1B, 2B, SS, and 3B seems ok with Camargo and once Riley comes, or maybe sign a vet to platoon with Camargo. Acuna and Ender for 2 of the 3 outfield spots leaves you with 1 OF spot and catcher.

Not sure whats there at OF to trade for, i guess you can offer Muk the QO and hope he accepts. But trading for Realmuto and extending him makes alot of sense if the money and trade cost is right.

Bullpen at least has Biddle, Venters (has 1 more yr of control i think, not 100 percent certain), Minter, Winkler, O'Day, Viz for 6 BP spots. Imagine they'll add a BP in free agency with the cash they have to use, whether thats a 20 mil guy like Kimbrel or a 10 mil guy is another discussion. But the Braves gotta make a big move this winter for someone with the money and trade chips they have, it's time.

[Southcack77]

Been saying this.

You cant prospect hoard forever.

Braves are set at least next year at 1B, 2B, SS, and 3B seems ok with Camargo and once Riley comes, or maybe sign a vet to platoon with Camargo. Acuna and Ender for 2 of the 3 outfield spots leaves you with 1 OF spot and catcher.

Not sure whats there at OF to trade for, i guess you can offer Muk the QO and hope he accepts. But trading for Realmuto and extending him makes alot of sense if the money and trade cost is right.

Bullpen at least has Biddle, Venters (has 1 more yr of control i think, not 100 percent certain), Minter, Winkler, O'Day, Viz for 6 BP spots. Imagine they'll add a BP in free agency with the cash they have to use, whether thats a 20 mil guy like Kimbrel or a 10 mil guy is another discussion. But the Braves gotta make a big move this winter for someone with the money and trade chips they have, it's time.

In effect, the Braves already did the equivalent of signing a 9 million dollar reliever in O'Day.

[Southcack77]

No idea the pitchers he faced at both levels, but isn't AA more of pure stuff while AAA has a bunch of junkballers? Wonder if velocity gives Alex trouble. Again, I have no idea who Jackson has been facing

I don't think this is really true. Think what people have said about AA has been warped in the retelling.

[rico43]

The M-Braves came out on the short end of one of the ugliest ballgames I've seen all year. Braves pitchers walked 12, Sanchez took a liner off his non-throwing arm and came out in the second inning; Jason Hursh, moved back to AA, continues to fade from anyone's memory.

Good things: Pache had three hits; Didder had a day off, but has hit safely in 21 of 23 games since promotion; Salazar continues to hit but made the only two errors (on the same play).

Muller starts Monday, so we got that going for us.

[striker42]

The M-Braves came out on the short end of one of the ugliest ballgames I've seen all year. Braves pitchers walked 12, Sanchez took a liner off his non-throwing arm and came out in the second inning; Jason Hursh, moved back to AA, continues to fade from anyone's memory.

Good things: Pache had three hits; Didder had a day off, but has hit safely in 21 of 23 games since promotion; Salazar continues to hit but made the only two errors (on the same play).

Muller starts Monday, so we got that going for us.

Hursh was taken at 31. Aaron Judge was taken at 32.

Hursh is such a disappointment. He's got big league stuff but he's just a heaver. No idea how to pitch.

[Tapate50]

Mcreery promoted to AAA? Hmmm.

[Oklahomabrave]

So strange to see Muller promoted before Anderson.

[Oklahomabrave]

Mcreery promoted to AAA? Hmmm.

Why is it hmmm worthy what’s the implication?

[CJ9]

Mcreery promoted to AAA? Hmmm.

Gotta think he’s up when rosters expand if he does well in Gwinnett. Already on the 40 man.