This is the second-to-last week of the MTM. I can't believe there's just a week and a half of spring training left. If you're looking for last week's MTM's go here. The Braves made their second round of roster cuts on Sunday, a couple of which were unexpected, like Michael Dunn and Jeff Lyman. Those roster cuts can be found here. The rest of the competitors for spots on the opening day roster are below, and the list is getting slim.
| Player, Position | This Week's Trend | Last Week | Notes and Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooks Conrad, 2B |  |
|
He is still looking like the front runner for the backup infielder job, but Thurston is coming on lately. |
| Gregor Blanco, OF |  |
|
He might squeeze in there if they DL McLouth for some reason. Not that I'm saying that's going to happen, but that's about the only way Blanco makes the roster. |
| Brandon Hicks, SS | |
|
It's just a matter of time before he gets sent down, but he's done a lot to impress the folks in Atlanta with his glove and his bat. |
| Joe Thurston, 2B |  |
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I have to keep him on the 50-50 arrow, but he's really been hitting well lately, and might just beat out Conrad for the backup job. Remember, Thurston is used to being a bench player and a role player, Conrad is used to a starting role, and might have trouble adjusting to being a backup. |
| Jason Heyward, OF | |
|
What did he, go like hit-less for three games? What a bum. |
| Matt Young, OF | |
|
The little guy survived the |
| Player, Position | This Week's Trend | Last Week | Notes and Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manny Acosta, RHP | |
|
I don't know what to say about this guy anymore. I just hope that if he makes the team (and he's a long-shot at this point), that he's over his combustibleness. |
| Jesse Chavez, RHP | |
|
He's getting better every time out, which I guess is what spring training is for. He had his bad games at the beginning, but he's looked real good of late. I think he's got a spot wrapped up in the bullpen. |
| Craig Kimbrel, RHP | |
|
I'm going to keep him on the bubble. He walked two guys in yesterday's game, but he struck out three. That kind of talent can't be overlooked. Still, he will probably be given some more time in triple-A... it can't hurt. |
| Scott Proctor, RHP | |
|
A great first outing, but a bad second outing. He's got another couple of weeks to work things out, and I think that if he can go when the bell rings, that he'll get that last spot in the pen. |
| Jo-Jo Reyes, LHP | |
|
He's been okay trying out of the pen, but I don't think he's going to be good enough. Still, after Chavez and Proctor, he might be the next guy in line. |
| Jonny Venters, LHP | |
|
He's done pretty well, and he's still around so he's obviously showed the Braves something. I still think he starts at triple-A, but we'll see. |
| Arrow Key: |
|---|
| = Chance of making the team is waffling or 50-50. |
| = Chance of making the team is trending down. |
| = Chance of making the team is trending up. |
0 recs | 7 comments
Conrad/Thurston
I like the idea of Thurston as the 25th man and Conrad at AAA. I really like Conrad better, but his Sept “off the bench” numbers were really bad. He can produce if he gets regular playing time. I hope they play him in AAA and bring him up in a DL situation when he can play for a couple of weeks, like his mid-summer stint last season.
That would bring the 40-man roster issue into play, and who knows if the Braves want to risk losing anyone. It would be safer to use Conrad, but I think Thurston might be a more productive move overall, keeping Conrad playing regularly at AAA.
bighop - March 25, 2010
Kimbrel
has another level on his fastball.Very impressive.Also throws a nice off speed curve. I would love to see him develop something on the order of a splitter, because hitters do not seem to be able to catch up with tha hop on his fastball,and that would put him in the dominant category.
mikie baseball - March 25, 2010
from what I can telll...
Kimbrel doesn’t need any more pitches. The ones he has now are effective enough to get the job done, it’s just a matter of learning how to hit the spots instead of being “effectively wild”.
Mr. Sanchez - March 25, 2010
Mariano Rivera comes to mind – you know exactly what pitch is coming 80% of the time, and people still can’t hit it.
justincredubil02 - March 25, 2010
Kimbrel looked great yesterday. His pitches were outstanding. Man, if he can get some control, he’ll be a helluva pitcher
eaheckman10 - March 25, 2010
his stuff looked great…his control, once again, didn’t
JKowalek - March 25, 2010
How do you see Chavez making it. I didn’t see it before today’s game, and I def don’t now.
JKowalek - March 25, 2010
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