Freddie Freeman, the Atlanta Braves first baseman of the future, will not only get a September call up to the Major Leagues tomorrow, but he'll join some of the best prospects in the game when he competes in the Arizona Fall League which starts in mid-October. Freeman will have a chance to be managed by one of the best first baseman of the past 30 years as a member of the Phoenix Desert Dogs skippered by Don Mattingly.
Brandon Beachy, the breakout non-drafted free agent currently pitching for the Gwinnett Braves, will highlight the pitchers the Braves are sending to Arizona. Kyle Cofield, Eric Cordier, and Michael Broadway will also toe the rubber for the Desert Dogs. Outfielder Cory Harrilchak will round out the six player Atlanta contingent as the only A-ball prospect in the group.
Cofield has had an up and down season and missed some time due to injury. There was a bit of a buzz about him during spring training this year, and like many of the arms going to Arizona, Cofield could break out at any time and turn into a solid Major League prospect.
Cordier was acquired several years ago from the Royals in a spring training deal that sent light hitting short stop Tony Pena Jr. to Kansas City. Cordier has suffered several major injuries in his career, so he's a bit older and a bit behind many of the other guys in double-A, but he has a live arm and has now put together two back to back solid season.
Broadway was drafted way back in 2005 in the fourth round. He's been largely unimpressive as primarily a reliever, but he has slowly climbed the ladder towards Atlanta. He's an interesting add to the AFL roster since he likely won't make the Braves 40-man roster once again. The Braves would essentially be showcasing him for other teams.
Harrilchak is an interesting young outfielder, currently at Myrtle Beach. He's been a streaky player so far in his pro career, but he's got some speed, doubles power, and seems to be a decent all-around hitter. The tough competition of the AFL will be a major test for him.
Overall it looks like a good squad going out there.
UPDATE
According to the Phoenix Desert Dogs roster, shortstop Tyler Pastornicky has also made the Arizona Fall League. Not sure why his name wasn't in the original release that the beat writers got. He could be on the "taxi squad," which is a collection of players who fill in when there are injuries to the main roster. Pastornicky was one of the prospects the Braves acquired in the Yunel Escobar deal.
0 recs | 42 comments
Man, what a day for Freddie!
MBL1 - August 31, 2010 via mobile
Question
What happens if Freddie somehow makes the postseason roster (as unlikely as that is)?
Sean N - August 31, 2010
i’d say the AFL would be out of the question then, huh?
JKowalek - August 31, 2010
Can he do it again?
TradeAndruw - August 31, 2010
Hopefully he’ll stay healthy and get some good work in the AFL
JKowalek - August 31, 2010
Arena Football League?
Sweet. They are just that good. The walls are inbounds fellas!
Jman781 - August 31, 2010
excellent opp. with Mattingly. That’s great.
VivaLosBravos - August 31, 2010
God damn it
Pitch KK for christ’s sake!
TradeAndruw - August 31, 2010
if i were him
i’d say “fuck you” if the braves asked me to do anything
Career ERA: 4.17
kbertling353 - August 31, 2010
Remember, they pay him millions of dollars..
bwellnjonesco - August 31, 2010 via mobile
valid
VivaLosBravos - August 31, 2010
Fun personal factoid
Don Mattingly was the annoying little brother of my dad’s best friend growing up in Evansville, IN.
bbxxj - August 31, 2010 via mobile
That's pretty neat. Does your dad still know the family?
FitzFan - August 31, 2010
I think they have stayed in contact over the years and we went to their restaraunt a few years ago but I woudn’t call them close.
bbxxj - September 1, 2010
World English Dictionary
factoid (ˈfæktɔɪd)
— n
a piece of unreliable information believed to be true because of the way it is presented or repeated in print
buzzdeadwax - August 31, 2010
excellent
VivaLosBravos - August 31, 2010
Yeah, sorry just a brain cramp. I was going to type fact but somehow factoid came out.
bbxxj - September 1, 2010
Not trying to be word-nazi
I just saw/heard the actual definition somewhere not too long ago, and I figured I’d pass it on. GI Joe.
buzzdeadwax - September 1, 2010
Anyone know the reasoning behind the selections?
Some of our top prospects aren’t going. Were they not chosen? Did the team not want them to compete?
I was just wondering if this league was strictly for the top players or if it’s more complicated than that. We’ve had some really good players go through it in recent years, but I don’t think I’ve ever bothered to question why certain people went while others didn’t.
Doghnut - August 31, 2010
I think it’s mostly guys that they want to get some more work. Freeman is very young for AAA and he’ll be very young for the majors, so they probably want to get him a little more work before handing him the starting job in the majors. Beachy’s season has come out of nowhere, so they’d probably like to see what he’s got in a tough hitter’s league like the AFL. Harrilchak has been a little old for all of the leagues he’s played in, so this gives him a chance to start getting acclimated to a AA-type level before the regular season starts up again.
telemakhos - August 31, 2010
Looks like I'm going to Phoenix in a few months. :)
Scott Coleman - August 31, 2010 via mobile
I'll see you there then
I knew there was a reason I moved out here!
king of games - August 31, 2010
Without a doubt! Where are you located now?
Scott Coleman - August 31, 2010 via mobile
I’m in Gilbert, AZ
king of games - August 31, 2010
Awesome.
I’m in Tucson. Not too many people on TC are from AZ. Don’t tell me you’re an ASU guy
Scott Coleman - August 31, 2010
No, I moved here a couple years ago from PA, My dad lived in Georgia/Florida for a long time and watched a lot of Braves games.
king of games - September 1, 2010
Pretty cool.
In the few years I’ve been reading, if not a member of, TC, I assumed you lived in the Phoenix area.
When my parents first married in 1949, they moved for a while to Tucson before coming back to GA. I’m sure Tucson has changed a lot since then. I know Phoenix has. I’ve been through both, but never spent a lot of time in either.
Old Braves' Fan - September 1, 2010
any reason Teheran and Delgado aren't going?
Innings pitched limit for the year?
leedawg - August 31, 2010
That, and it’s literally the most hitter friendly league there is.
Scott Coleman - August 31, 2010 via mobile
Anyone else worried a little about Beachy being there? I know he’s had a great season, but I would hate to see a guy like that get shelled in the AFL.
Maybe I’m feeling overly protective.
Doghnut - August 31, 2010
What?
A lot of guys get shelled there! No, how can a guy leading all of the minors in ERA not belong? I’d rather him get beat up there instead of next year in Atlanta. The kid is smart and cool under pressure. He’ll get better, even if he gets shelled, or dominates.
Braves12 - August 31, 2010 via mobile
Hanson didn’t seem to mind it so much.
king of games - August 31, 2010
Hanson is the exception that proves the rule
yondaime4 - August 31, 2010 via mobile
Hanson is the only pitcher to ever win AFL MVP
telemakhos - September 1, 2010
Yeah I'm probably just being overprotective.
If he were a first round pick, I wouldn’t feel this way. That sounds horrible but it’s the truth. I would expect a first round pick to be conditioned in a way that a few bad outings wouldn’t shake him mentally. I don’t feel the same way about a kid that came out of no where like Beachy.
Doghnut - September 1, 2010
The reality is that the first rounders psyche’s are much more brittle than the guys that come out of nowhere. A lot of those premium talents have never failed, and more importantly the idea that they could fail has never really been brought to their consciousness. Conversely, guys like Beachy, who weren’t drafted and hadn’t been a second, or third, thought in anyone’s mind until this year, have not only dealt with failure, but been told plenty of times that they don’t have a chance, and, more harshly, that they just aren’t good. The “nobodies” are pretty damn mentally tough and a few rough outings aren’t very likely to rock them. I’ve seen some premium talents get very shaken by some stuff that the “nobodies” wouldn’t even flinch at.
cbwilk - September 1, 2010
For a perfect, recent, example in reference to the first description given above,
see: Francoeur, Jeff.
Old Braves' Fan - September 1, 2010
I didn't think that could go
Isn’t there a rule that states something to the effect of if a player’s home country has a fall/winter league, then that player isn’t eligible for the AFL? I thought so, and that would be why we don’t generally see international players in the AFL…
theatlfan - August 31, 2010
So how are these guys chosen? Does each team get a certain number of players to send? Or are they chosen by some committee?
Bobby Cocks - August 31, 2010
The teams choose the players themselves. I think they have some kind of lottery process to choose what positions they get to send, as far as the position players go and how many pitchers to send, but I don’t know what that specifically entails.
cbwilk - September 1, 2010
I think Broadway and Cordier are auditioning...
for spots at the end of the bullpen next year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cordier at all.
Mr. Sanchez - September 1, 2010
Good news
but I think Freeman just needs to finish the season with the Braves and have a good offseason and get ready for spring training than to play and risk an injury
Braves24 - September 1, 2010
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