Though the Braves were a topic of several conversations throughout the Winter Meetings, the lone move made by general manager Frank Wren and his staff was the type in which Atlanta is rarely a player. The Braves selected 23-year-old lefthander Robert Fish from the Angels in the Rule 5 draft.
For most prospects, a stint in the Arizona Fall League represents an opportunity to get in a few more games against some of baseball's best up-and-coming players. For Joey Terdoslavich, the seven-week stint has been a continuation of his coming-out party.
To say that Evan Gattis came out of nowhere in 2011 is correct. However, it might be more accurate to say he arrived after being everywhere, only most of those places did not include playing baseball.
Righthander David Hale was pleased with his performance in the high Class A Carolina League in 2011, even though for the second time in as many full seasons of pro ball his role changed midstream.
Braves general manager Frank Wren told reporters that he envisions the team's needs centering on the addition of a shortstop, an outfielder and a utility infielder. At shortstop, the Braves have three options: re-sign veteran Alex Gonzalez, go with a prospect, or acquire someone through a trade or free agency.
Don't expect to see J.J. Hoover run on to the field doing back-flips in the Arizona Fall League when he relieves for the Surprise Saguaros.
Bill Ballew selects end-of-season award winners for the Braves system, selecting the Best Player, Best Pitcher and a player to keep an eye on.
Forgive Tony Mueller if he rolls out of bed and says good morning to the night. After all, the past four months have been a whirlwind for the center fielder.
Logic suggests that a pitcher would make his Triple-A debut before he accomplished the same feat at the major league level. Needs in Atlanta altered that path for righthander Randall Delgado.
The Braves dealt from a position of strength at the trade deadline due to a plethora of pitching, both at the major league level and throughout the farm system. That philosophy is built from the ground up, as evidenced again this season at Rookie-level Danville.
The first major league team Andrelton Simmons saw on television while growing up in Curacao was the Braves, with center field being patroled by Andruw Jones, the most notable player in the island's history. Simmons longed to play for the same team as Jones but knew the odds were long.
Picking out the Best Player, Biggest Leap Forward and Biggest Disappointment in the Braves farm system so far in 2011.
Much was made over the Double-A Mississippi rotation at the start of the 2011 season. Little, however, was said about righthander Paul Clemens, who has made as much progress as any pitcher in the Atlanta organization over the past two slates.
The Braves may soon have even more depth in their pitching ranks after selecting Florida State lefthander Sean Gilmartin with the 28th overall pick.
The Braves expected Julio Teheran to pitch in the big leagues at some point this season. The team just didn't envision the coveted 20-year-old righthander from Colombia making a pair of starts in May.
With birds of a feather flocking together, it makes perfect sense that Cory Gearrin mirrored every move made by fellow sidearmer Peter Moylan during spring training.
An abundance of shortstops is a nice problem for any organization to have. The Braves faced that predicament in the lower reaches of the farm system early this season but have sorted through the situation.
Save your catcalls and other lame attempts at humor. Mississippi pitcher Benino Pruneda has heard them all. It's the comments he hears after taking the mound that keeps the hard-throwing reliever coming back for more.
Adam Milligan realizes that professional baseball can be a game of out of sight, out of mind.
While general manager Frank Wren has said Nate McLouth has played this spring like "Pittsburgh Nate," 24-year-old Jordan Schafer has reminded the organization of the young player who was tabbed as the top prospect in Atlanta's farm system in 2008.
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