Frank Wren's Legacy Lives On In Atlanta.

Every Braves' fan has an opinion on former General Manager, Frank Wren. Some view him as the man responsible for the decline of the franchise, others claim his free agent signings weren't financially sound. Some even believe he wasn't given a fair shot in Atlanta and eventually became the scapegoat for bigger issues with the organization. Regardless of how you feel about Frank Wren, his legacy with the Braves continues to live on. After Wren's firing, Atlanta shifted their focus on "rebuilding." Many publications have credited the Braves as having the top farm system in baseball, but it's built mostly on pitching. However, there's a few high upside bats residing in Triple-A. Most notably, Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies.

Ronald Acuna (signed for $100k out of Venezuela in 2014) has exploded onto the scene this season and looks to be the future top prospect for the Braves. This season, he's hitting a robust: .306/.362/.507 and appears to be ready to debut in Atlanta sooner, rather than later. Many fans post online about the emergence of Acuna and compare him to Braves' legend Andruw Jones. I think that's an unfair comparison, but fans seem to crave these comparisons and it puts unfair expectations on the players. Just remember, ESPN once compared Jason Heyward to Ken Griffey Jr. and suddenly, Atlanta fans expected Heyward to hit 50 home runs a season. Acuna looks to have all the tools in the world, but he's still just a 19 year old kid. With the Braves short on impact hitting prospects, Acuna looks to be the real deal.

Ozzie Albies (signed out of Curacao for $350k in 2013) has also impressed this season at Triple-A hitting: .290/.337/.441. He's currently being blocked by Brandon Phillips (yes, 36 year old Brandon Phillips). Unlike other rebuilding teams, the Braves don't seem too eager to allow their young position players a legitimate shot at earning a full-time job at the Major League level (this article is being written before the trade deadline, so this may change over the next week or so). During a telecast on FSN, Chipper Jones said of Albies: “He does have some flaws that we’ve got to fix and it’s up to us as a staff and as an organization to fix that..." It seemed to be that Chipper was getting hinting towards something more with how Albies plays the game and less about his actual talent. The Braves have always been against players who are "flashy" in the field, they once traded Yunel Escobar for his flashy play (Bobby Cox routinely benched Andruw Jones for making it look too easy)..., so it's not surprising to hear of them trying to work with Albies on "fixing" his "flaws." Whatever those "flaws" may be...

So, what does all of this have to do with Frank Wren's lasting legacy with the Braves? Well, Wren was the general manager when the Braves signed Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies. I notice a lot of fans seem to want to place blame on Wren for everything wrong with the franchise, but they fail to give the man credit for signing the two prospects (position playing prospects) with arguably the highest upside in the farm system. He also signed Johan Camargo, who is playing very well so far in Atlanta (.317/.341/.472 at the time of this writing).

Back to that whole, "Braves fans blame everything on Frank Wren" stuff... I was searching through Braves fans on twitter and discovered this gem:

That's right, Frank Wren is being blamed by some Braves fans for the team trading away Craig Kimbrel. Wren was fired by the Braves on September 22nd, 2014. Kimbrel was traded on April 5th, 2015. Yet, fans still want to blame Wren for that trade. Some fans even bash the extensions given out by Wren, when in reality, he gave modest deals to Kimbrel, Teheran, Freeman, and Simmons. Also, it's worth noting that in trading Kimbrel to the Padres, the Braves only received Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin, and Matt Wisler in the deal. If you compare that to what the Yankees received for for Aroldis Chapman, you can tell the Braves definitely sold low on Kimbrel. Yes, they did free up the money owed to Melvin Upton, but they still took on money in acquiring Quentin (who they eventually released.) In the end, the Braves basically only acquired Matt Wisler for their All-Star closer. All in the name of saving money. If only they had held on to Kimbrel until the trade deadline, they could have maximized their return.

Current Braves' GM John Coppolella seems to have a knack for not maximizing value in his trades. Just look at the trades involving Alex Wood, Andrelton Simmons, Craig Kimbrel, and Justin Upton. Coppy also has a knack for trading any player that was signed by Frank Wren and we routinely hear rumors of the Braves being open to trading Lucas Sims, Julio Teheran, or Ozzie Albies. Essentially, if you have any ties to the former GM, Atlanta might be looking to deal you away. In the end, if Coppy makes a bad trade, most fans will say: "he admitted it was bad!" and all is forgiven. If only Frank Wren had apologized for signing Melvin Upton.... Guess all would be good, right?

In the end, Frank Wren's legacy in Atlanta is difficult to quantify. On one hand, he was responsible for getting the Braves back to the playoffs after a five year drought. He was also in control when the Braves drafted Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrel, Alex Wood, Evan Gattis, and Andrelton Simmons. I think it's a bit unfair to completely forget the team he took over and how depleted the farm system was at the time of his hiring (John Schuerholz sold the farm to acquire Mark Teixeira). The Braves were contenders throughout Wren's time in Atlanta, but now-a-days, most fans think of Wren as being some fool who wasn't competent enough to keep his job. As someone who follows the Braves closely, I remember fans acting as if he was some genius during his tenure with the Braves. I believe the official saying was, "All I Do Is Wren." and all was good with the world. But once the Braves fired him, the local media ran stories against him pretty much everyday and turned him into one of the biggest scapegoats in Braves' history. While Frank Wren wasn't perfect, he was able to work with tight salary restraints and put together a team that was able to compete every season for a playoff berth.  His legacy in Atlanta continues to this day thanks to the likes of Freddie Freeman, Julio Teheran, Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna, Lucas Sims, and Johan Camargo. As the Braves continue to "rebuild", you could argue that the foundation that is in place is still in large part due the work of Frank Wren.

Epilogue 

I know most Braves fans will be either angry or offended with this piece, but I think it's fair to look back on a GM who has been chastised for producing a lack of prospects. When you look back, the team produced many young stars during his time in Atlanta. Also, when the top two hitting prospects in the farm system are his signings, it's important to give the man credit for that. While his sample size is small and he may not have the potential upside as Acuna or Albies, you could even argue that Johan Camargo has the look (and tools) to be just as good a player as Dansby Swanson (and he is also a carryover from the Wren era as well.) Also, it's worth noting that the Braves are giving Swanson the "Heyward treatment" and allowing his season long slump to take away his playing time and development as he will now only be a part-time player. That's a far-cry from the guy who was destined to win National League Rookie of the Year just before the season started. Interestingly enough, it seems like Camargo is enjoying his success due in part to a high BABIP, just as Swanson did last season during the start of his Major League career (Camargo .398 vs .383 for Swanson).  So, take from this what you will. I'm sure the same old trolls will continue to mock Frank Wren on twitter as being some incompetent loser who ruined the franchise, while ignoring all the good he did while in Atlanta. The Braves do still have bigger problems to solve, most notably, with the coaching staff. It seems like Wren's ultimate undoing in Atlanta was in part to him wanting to fire Fredi Gonzalez after his refusal to use Craig Kimbrel in a playoff game and his desire to change a lot of the scouting department in Atlanta. The Braves ended up bringing back guys who had been fired and keeping Fredi around for another season and a half. To me, the Braves need to fully embrace change if they want to compete again for a divisional title (or World Series.) Young, fresh thinking people who aren't afraid to go against the book. I doubt they'll go that route, but it would be a breath of fresh air for a franchise that tends to go by the book with every move they make. Until then, it'll be difficult for me to actually embrace this "rebuild." 

Braves Interested In Young Catchers? Why?

The Braves are being linked to young catchers and they're apparently willing to offer young pitchers in return. But are they needed?

Kevin Cox/Getty Images

To me, the bigger question is why are they seemingly giving up on Christian Bethancourt after 104 plate appearances this season? In a rebuilding year, they're going with 38 year old A.J. Pierzynski and failed prospect Ryan Lavarnway. Why is a franchise that is in full rebuilding mode choosing to give up on their own highly touted prospect? And choosing to play someone past their prime and a catcher who was a highly touted prospect, but failed to live up to the expectations? 


Instead of searching for other catchers and giving up valuable pitching assets, why not give playing time and experience to Bethancourt? If you buy into "veteran leadership" and "grit" Pierzynski would make the perfect back-up for a player who is trying to establish himself at the Major League level. The Braves have decided to bury Bethancourt in Triple-A and essentially destroy any value he may have had.


In his short stint with the Braves this season, Bethancourt has struggled at the plate, but he has been good for a 0.6 dWAR behind the plate. Lavarnway and Pierzynski have combined for a -0.7 dWAR and a mediocre 0.9 oWAR.

On paper, the combination of Bethancourt and Pierzynski would be the most effective duo in Atlanta, but they choose to not give Bethancourt a legitimate shot at establishing himself behind the plate.

For a team that's building towards the 2017 season, limiting the at-bats for one of the biggest position player prospects in recent memory is not the right way to go about things. With his value at an all-time low, he wouldn't help the Braves out in a trade either.

In Triple-A, Bethancourt is doing pretty well given the small sample size so far. Hopefully this will lead to another promotion to Atlanta and the Braves will finally give him a legitimate shot to prove his value. If not, Atlanta will possibly trade valuable pitching prospects for a defense first position... Which is interesting considering that's Bethancourt's speciality.

My Interview with Braves prospect J.R. Graham.

A few weeks ago I was able to set up an email interview with J.R. Graham of the Atlanta Braves. If you're unfamiliar with J.R. Graham, he was the Braves 4th round selection in the 2011 MLB Draft out of Santa Clara University. 

Credit: Steven Mantilla/Register & Bee

As of 6/11/2012, he's 7-1 with a 2.58 ERA and averaging 5.75 K/9 and only 1.76 BB/9. Graham is known as a power pitcher and can touch 98-100 MPH with his fastball. He compliments his fastball with an above average slider and a changeup. 

Now that you know the basics with J.R. Graham, let's get to the interview questions!

Brandon Greene: Which player(s) did you look up to when you were younger? 

J.R. Graham: Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, and Tim Hudson. 

BG: At what point did you realize you may have a future in baseball?

J.R.: I've always had the dream of playing professional baseball, but I don't think it really hit me until my sophomore year of high school 

BG: You were a two-way player early in your college career. Do you ever miss playing the field?

J.R.: I do miss it from time to time. That's the nice part of being on a national league team they let us bunt and swing it from time to time. So I get my hitting fix. 

BG: Have you ever been compared to other players in MLB? If so, which stands out the most?

J.R.: I've had a few comparisons. Tim Hudson, Roy Oswalt, but the one that stands out most to me and I don't know where it came from was a young Greg Maddux.

BG: What has been the biggest adjustment you’ve had to make over the course of your young career?

J.R.: Going from a thrower to a pitcher. I used to get on the mound and just throw as hard as I could and let my stuff take over. 

BG: What were your thoughts when the Braves selected you in the fourth round of the 2011 Draft?

J.R.: I was in disbelief. I hadn't talked to them much before the draft. Once I saw my name going to the Braves I was extremely happy because of the rich history they have of developing pitchers and being a first class organization. 

BG: Do you read into any of the new age stats (Sabermetrics)?

J.R.: Not really. I just go out and play the game. 

BG: What do you like to do in your free time?

J.R.: I like to watch movies and read on occasion. I also enjoy going out on the boat. 

BG: What’s the one song on your iPod or MP3 player you can’t go without hearing?

J.R.: Too many songs to pick from. I love music. Right now my song would be Chiron by All That Remains. 

BG: Do you have any hobbies outside of baseball?

J.R.: Even though I'm not good at it I like to golf. 

BG: Do you ever get compared to Tim Lincecum? 

J.R.: The only comparison I've had with Tim Lincecum is being an undersized pitcher.  

BG: What’s more satisfying? Hitting a home run or striking out a batter?

J.R.: That's a tough one! I'd say striking out a batter. 

BG: Do you have any superstitions?  

J.R.: I have to sleep with my glove the night before I start. 

BG: At the time of this interview, you’re 5-0 with a 2.33 ERA. What do you think has been the key to your success? 

J.R.: Attacking hitters and not letting them get comfortable. 

BG: How do you prepare for a start? (Mentally, physically, etc.)

J.R.: Mentally, I visualize what I want to do the night before and I visualize each pitch I throw. I do this every night before I pitch. Physically, I have a lifting and running routine I stick to. So, when the game comes I know I am physically prepared to preform. 

BG: Last question, what piece of advice would you give to a young pitcher that’s hoping to be drafted someday?

J.R.: Follow your dreams.

Thanks again to J.R. Graham for the interview. He's one of the nicest players I've ever spoken to and he's off to a great start to his career. 

College Baseball: Why All MLB Fans Should Take Notice

(Foley Field, home of the Georgia Bulldogs)

Throughout the years college baseball has been growing not only with college sports fans, but also fans of Major League Baseball. It's been an interesting transition, but it's not a surprising one. Not too long along ago information about college baseball players wasn't the easiest to come across, but that's not the case anymore.

Baseball, now more than ever, is a game of prospects. Scouting reports and information about amateur players used to be reserved for people on the "inside", but now any fan can type in a high school player or college player's name into a search engine and they can also feel like a scout or an insider as well. College baseball is becoming more prominent of late because of all the talented college players that are being drafted and developed. Just look over the past few years, you have: Stephen Strasburg, Danny Hultzen, Anthony Rendon, David Price, Mikie Mahtook, Trevor Bauer, Gerrit Cole, Buster Posey, Bryce Harper, Drew Pomeranz, and many more. College baseball is producing more and more MLB ready players. Unlike high school players, these players are competing in major conferences against other top prospects. In high school, it's hard to say this unless you live in a state like California, Texas, Florida, or Georgia. In college, you can be from any state and you can showcase your talents against the best of the best every weekend (assuming you play in a "power conference"). I understand that they're no guarantees with any prospect, high school or college, but it's becoming more evident to me that high college draft picks are becoming "safer" picks versus their high counterparts.

A major complaint many fans have towards college baseball is the "pinging" of the bats. They don't consider it to be real baseball. Well, the NCAA has made changes (click link for more info) to make the game less of a hitters paradise. This will cut down on "cheap" home runs and will also allow pitchers to actually pitch to their true ability instead of worrying about giving up home runs to a light hitting 2nd baseman. Sure, they aren't wooden bats, but this is as close it gets. Also, college players use wooden bats in summer leagues, and that should help determine their skills, even if it's a small sample size.

College baseball is rapidly growing amongst fans of Major League Baseball and it's due in large part from the success of players like Stephen Strasburg, Evan Longoria, and Bryce Harper. Fans know from their success that top prospects are coming from the college ranks and they want to say they knew of them before they are popular. Yes, high school draft picks come with just as much hype and promise, but you have to wait upwards of 5 years before most of them are Major League ready, that's not always the case, but recent college picks have only been taking around 1-3 years to develop properly. In some cases, they can be ready after a short stint in the minors, a trip to the AFL, and an impressive Spring Training campaign.

If you're a "true" baseball and you don't follow college baseball, you're doing a disservice to yourself.

Thanks for reading!