Medlen, Beachy, Schlosser non-tendered

I would take a flyer on Alexi too, before this past season he was solid. He could be another solid buy low bounce-back candidate.

Couldn't agree more!! I would say the courting should intensify if the Braves truly believe Hale will be the 5th starter. I don't think Ogando can make 30 starts anymore but could serve as a valuable long man/6th starter. He can also pitch the 6th/7th innings if needed.
 
Daniel Descalso just non-tendered by the Cards. Could he be the stop gap at 2nd base until Peraza is ready.

I am hoping to see us sign Everth Cabrera (as blueagleace1 suggested) for that role personally after the Padres non-tendered him today. Plus I want to improve our team speed and add more stolen base threats since we are not looking like we'll have as much power this coming season.
 
I am hoping to see us sign Everth Cabrera (as blueagleace1 suggested) for that role personally after the Padres non-tendered him today. Plus I want to improve our team speed and add more stolen base threats since we are not looking like we'll have as much power this coming season.

Cabrera would certainly help in that area. Would also be a nice insurance policy if Simmons (knock on wood) ever got hurt or his ankle problems flare up causing him to need a few more days off per year.
 

After doing some thinking I'm with you... Cabrera is the guy to go after. He could be our starting 2B -which would also allow Peraza to spend the 2015 season at AAA- and be our leadoff guy (assuming his .OBP is closer to 2012-2013). Then he can also spell Simmons at SS and CJ at 3B against tough righties.

Just food for thought I guess.
 
The problem is... its almost impossible to come back from 2 TJ surgeries...

You guys know this isn't really true, right?

http://www.baseballamerica.com/majors/ask-ba-how-bad-is-a-second-tommy-john-for-a-pitchers-career/

Jon Roegele’s invaluable list of Tommy John recipients found 46 players who had two or more Tommy John surgeries. Three were position players, which isn’t all that germane to your question. Another 10 were pitchers who have not had a chance to work back from their second surgeries yet, but of the others, 26 made it back to the big leagues while seven did not. That 78.7 percent success rate compares pretty favorably with the percentages of pitchers who make it back from a first Tommy John surgery, especially when you add in the fact that a few of the pitchers who didn’t make it back were fringe big leaguers pre-injury.

...

But the good news for pitchers is that there are plenty of examples of pitchers making it back from a second Tommy John surgery. And generally they are coming back from the second surgery with roughly the same stuff that they had.

...

So for Parker, Medlen, Beachy and the other two-time TJ men working toward becoming two-time TJ survivors, the prognosis doesn’t seem all that different than that of a typical Tommy John surgery recipient. With more and more pitchers undergoing the surgery in high school or early in their college or pro careers, it’s likely we’ll see even more two-time surgery survivors going forward.
 
I think Descalso is a good fit. DOB reported a few weeks ago that the Braves are looking for a LHH that can share time with Johnson at 3B. Descalso can also help us at 2B obviously.

Everth Cabrera comes with a lot of baggage that many teams will want to avoid (PED suspension, DWI, domestic violence allegations).
 
I think Descalso is a good fit. DOB reported a few weeks ago that the Braves are looking for a LHH that can share time with Johnson at 3B. Descalso can also help us at 2B obviously.

Everth Cabrera comes with a lot of baggage that many teams will want to avoid (PED suspension, DWI, domestic violence allegations).

If we're not getting Brad Miller from Seattle, this would be a pretty good gap filler.

Miller would be a coup.
 
And Schlosser was a piece of garbage, no future here besides 25th pitcher on 25 man pitching staff possibly.

Pretty much agreed, but wouldn't have used as strong as language as calling him garbage. See him as nothing more than Gwinnett level and not major league caliber.
 
You guys know this isn't really true, right?

http://www.baseballamerica.com/majors/ask-ba-how-bad-is-a-second-tommy-john-for-a-pitchers-career/

Jon Roegele’s invaluable list of Tommy John recipients found 46 players who had two or more Tommy John surgeries. Three were position players, which isn’t all that germane to your question. Another 10 were pitchers who have not had a chance to work back from their second surgeries yet, but of the others, 26 made it back to the big leagues while seven did not. That 78.7 percent success rate compares pretty favorably with the percentages of pitchers who make it back from a first Tommy John surgery, especially when you add in the fact that a few of the pitchers who didn’t make it back were fringe big leaguers pre-injury.

...

But the good news for pitchers is that there are plenty of examples of pitchers making it back from a second Tommy John surgery. And generally they are coming back from the second surgery with roughly the same stuff that they had.

...

So for Parker, Medlen, Beachy and the other two-time TJ men working toward becoming two-time TJ survivors, the prognosis doesn’t seem all that different than that of a typical Tommy John surgery recipient. With more and more pitchers undergoing the surgery in high school or early in their college or pro careers, it’s likely we’ll see even more two-time surgery survivors going forward.

So who are the starting pitchers that have come back from two TJ surgeries?
 
I was probably too hard on Schlosser, but I think you can only have one specialist in the bullpen on a 12-man staff and that specialist is usually going to be a LOOGY and not a ROOGY. It depends on the composition of the rest of the pen, but two is a luxury. Still and all, the key is having your starters go at least six. That's the best way to not wear out a bullpen, which has been a problem for Gonzalez.

I'm not in love with Varvaro. He is what he is. But he has given us some decent innings and has even found his way to pitch effectively in somewhat serious situations. He's a lot like Christian Martinez to me and those guys can be valuable.
 
So who are the starting pitchers that have come back from two TJ surgeries?

In terms of non-terrible starters?

Chris Capuano
Darren Dreifort (though his whole body fell apart afterwards)

There aren't a lot of decent starters who had two, and certainly not a lot who had it as young as Beachy and Medlen. Most guys who get TJS are fringe players who come back and continue being fringe players. But there is no indication that it's a death knell the second time, and if you don't limit it to only starters there are a number of decent pitchers who've come back from two:

Brian Wilson
Joakim Soria
Jason Frasor
Doug Brocail
Al Reyes
Jason Isringhausen
Shawn Kelley
 
I have maintained since the day each went down last spring that there's no way I'd tender either if I had input.

That said, I'd have given BOTH of them $1.6 million guaranteed before I'd have signed Jim Johnson to a major league contract.
 
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