Atlanta Braves with David O'Brien

Is this the future face of the Braves franchise? Photo by Tom Priddy/Four Seam images

Henry County’s heavy hitter is only 20 years old and has limited experience above the low minor leagues, but Braves officials have said that Jason Heyward will enter spring training with every opportunity to win the right-field job. And said it repeatedly, to any and everyone.

And if that’s the case, most who’ve seen Heyward hitting – or seen him simply existing – in recent weeks would probably put money on him being in right field for the Braves’ opening series with the Cubs April 5-8 at Turner Field.

Because the masher from McDonough is impressive. Straight up.

“He’s virtually skipping Triple-A if he makes the team,” manager Bobby Cox said of Heyward, who played in three late-season games at Triple-A Gwinnett and has only 50 games and 173 at-bats above Class A.

“That doesn’t happen often. But in his case we just feel that he should, if he’s going to come to spring training, be given a …

Continue reading Heyward’s growing as fast as expectations »

There was a point this offseason when young Braves pitching star Tommy Hanson was fed up and talked about leaving Atlanta.

Fed up with the weather, that is.

And talking — only half-seriously, we gather — about going home to Southern California to get away from Atlanta’s near-record rain in November-December.

“I was joking that if it rains one more day, I’m out of here,” Hanson said of a conversation he had with roommates, Kris Medlen – a fellow Southern Californian — and Braves minor league pitcher Ryne Reynoso.

“I couldn’t take it,” Hanson said. “Then after it stopped raining, it got cold and everything froze.”

Hanson says he's comfortable now and knows he belongs in the bigs.

But the towering redhead stuck it out and had a good time in his first offseason in Atlanta, where he shares a Buckhead hi-rise apartment with Medlen and Reynoso. Last week you might have caught Hanson live on the MLB Network in their studio. They flew him up to New York for an overnight trip just to …

Continue reading Hanson rested, ready & excited for Act 2 »

Schafer homered twice in opening series at Philly, then hurt wrist

He felt a pop in his left wrist on April 10, his last at-bat in the home opener against Washington.

Since then, Jordan Schafer has totaled 55 games played, 187 at-bats, 69 strikeouts, 36 hits, two home runs (both in Triple-A), 13 RBI, an unspecified number of cortisone injections, one wrist surgery and only-he-knows-how-many tattoos (both arms are now completely covered in ink from elbow to shoulder.)

But other than that, he seems like the same kid who came to spring training 11 months ago determined to win a big-league job.

Which is saying something. I think back to when I was 21, and wonder how I would have dealt with so much. And my answer is: Probably not well. And definitely not in a way that anyone would consider healthy.  But Schafer’s a tough kid, and mature (hey, don’t just judge the book by the tatts.)

And how many people that age have Schafer’s confidence? For that matter, how many people of any …

Continue reading Braves’ Schafer says he’s healthy, confident »

The old band isn't getting back together now, but maybe in the Hall of Fame

With Greg Maddux having already signed on to begin his front-office career with the Chicago Cubs, the Braves surely wouldn’t want Tom Glavine to start his post-playing baseball career with any team other than Atlanta.

There might be no reason to worry. Glavine has talked with Braves prez John Schuerholz about a job with the Braves that could include a variety of duties ranging from front-office work to helping out with young players at spring training and in the minor leagues, and possibly even some broadcasting.

Glavine coached his son's Atlanta Fire hockey team in Ottawa, Canada two weeks ago.

“We’re working on putting together what options might be available,” Schuerholz said. “Tommy and I have talked about this very preliminarily.”

The point is, they’ve talked. In other words, when the Braves called, Glavine didn’t just say, “Are you kidding me? After the way I was treated last summer?” and hang up …

Continue reading Braves hope to have Glavine back in fold »

Perceptions, assumptions and perceived ultimatums sure can change a lot in the space of three or four weeks.

Lowe says there's no hard feelings

Take the case of Derek Lowe, who was so sure four weeks ago that he was going to be traded, he told MLB.com: “I’m just waiting for it to happen. I don’t think it’s a matter of ‘if’ anymore. It’s just a matter of when.”

He also said that if he had to do it over again, if he knew the Braves would try to trade him a year into the deal, he would’ve signed elsewhere.

Seeing those quotes, Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz wrote on Dec. 16: “Before, the Braves wanted to dump him. Now, they almost have to dump him.”

Six days later, the Braves traded one of their two 15-game winners from 2009. Only it was Javier Vazquez, not Lowe.

(Oh, before we go any further, forgot to say happy birthday to The King. Elvis would have been 75 today — or is, according to some. Now, back to our regularly scheduled program….)

The Braves …

Continue reading Lowe says all’s cool, he’s ready to pitch »

A few thoughts while wondering if Johnny Damon would wear his hair Boston-era caveman style or Yankees-era short when he signs with the Braves — OK, if he signs with Braves — and trying to figure out how it’s colder in Atlanta this week than it was last week in Whistler, B.C., when we were there snowboarding.

Caveman BoSox-era Damon, aka Jesus

Seriously, it’s colder here in North Georgia than it was in the mountains in the Great White North. Quite a bit colder, with wind-chill factor considered. But even the actual temperature is lower. And we have no snow — or sexy European skiers — to distract us from the bitter cold.

As for Damon, as I’ve said a few times the past couple of weeks, the Braves can afford to sign him if they could do a one- or two-year deal for well below $10 mill per, and perhaps closer to $7-8 mill per season if it’s a two-year deal.

I think Damon would/will seriously consider it for at least two reasons: He hasn’t received better offers yet, and he’s told …

Continue reading Damon could be good fit atop Braves’ order »

Some Braves fans are restless, perhaps understandably so. Watching this offseason roster construction process –- they traded Javy Vazquez for Melky Cabrera? — can be like watching sausage being made. Not as appetizing as the end result.

Melky's D is solid, but the offense….

Oh, and you know what they say about the Braves’ roster: If you don’t like it, don’t worry. It’ll change soon.

(OK, people might not actually say that, but we had to cram in a couple of boilerplate phrases to reach our annual maximum, since you can’t carry unused ones over to next year.)

Anyway, so much for coasting into the holidays for Braves general manager Frank Wren. He stayed busy this week with two high-profile moves, trading Vazquez to the Yankees in a five-player deal, then agreeing to terms with free agent slugger Troy Glaus on a deal that won’t be announced until the former American League home-run leader takes a physical after the holidays.

If healthy, Mt. Glaus will slug

The  towering …

Continue reading Wren making bold moves; we pick Best CDs of ‘09 »

If the Braves have any interest in re-signing first baseman Adam LaRoche, he said he’s not been told about it. That’s what he said a few hours ago when I texted him.

Asked him whether he’d heard anything from the Braves since becoming a free agent, and LaRoche replied in a text message: “No talk from ATL that I know of. Guess I should have hit .400 while I was there.”

To recap, he hit .325 with 12 homers, 40 RBI and a .401 OBP and .557 slugging percentage (.958 OPS) in 57 games after being traded to the Braves from the Boston Red Sox on July 31.

LaRoche on no Braves offer: "Guess I should have hit .400 while I was there."

Braves officials have kept private most details of their offseason plans and maneuverings this year (you might have noticed), and all general manager Frank Wren has said about LaRoche is that the Braves haven’t ruled out attempting to re-sign him.

Wren was asked this afternoon about the lack of contact with LaRoche and whether the Braves still have …

Continue reading Maybe Braves get back to LaRoche, maybe not »

The Braves’ last postseason appearance came in 2005, when an almost unfathomable 18 rookies helped Atlanta win its 14th consecutive division title. That included 12 rookies who made their major league debut that year. Think about that.

Seventeen of those 18 are gone from the organization now, with Kelly Johnson’s unceremonious non-tender departure Saturday leaving catcher Brian McCann as the only member of the erstwhile “Baby Braves” still with a tomahawk on his jersey.

In retrospect, maybe they were doomed by that bad nickname. Sort of like “Tweeting” is a really bad name, right? And speaking of Twitter, you can follow us on it  @ajcbraves.

But I mean, come on. Baby Braves? I never liked it, never used it (if one of you finds it in a story with my byline, I’ll come up with a good excuse for how it got there).

The rundown of those 18 rookies reads like a who’s who of … well, I’m not sure exactly.

Wilson Betemit, Blaine Boyer, Frank Brooks….

As a group they were …

Continue reading From bevy of Baby Braves, McCann is last standing »

Indianapolis – We’ve got grey skies, snow/sleet mix and not much sizzle in the form of trades or signings. Welcome back to Indy. That’s what we got through Tuesday night in the first couple of days at these Winter Meetings.

The the only moves the Braves made (so far) were ones thrust upon them by Rafael Soriano when he decided to take arbitration.

If you can help the Braves move Soriano soon, they'd appreciate it….

Soriano stayed, Ryan Church was DFA’d to open a roster spot for him, blah blah blah, and now Soriano will likely soon be gone via trade that his agent has already said he’ll approve if it gives The Scowl a chance to pitch in the eighth and ninth innings (those jobs are no longer available with the Braves, who hired Billy Wagner and Takashi Saito for the positions).

Oh,and before we go any further, remember to follow us on Twitter @ajcbraves.

So what have we learned and/or had reinforced about the Braves’ intentions since arriving in Indy on Sunday. A quick …

Continue reading In frigid Indy, Braves look to deal pitcher or two »