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BRAVES NEWS
Braves could bring back Kelly Johnson or Jeff Francoeur for bench role
It appears that Atlanta is considering signing another bench player, with former-Braves Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur standing as legitimate possibilities to rejoin the club in 2017. Johnson has been a nice stopgap as a utility infielder for the first half of each of the last two seasons, with the Mets trading for him at the deadline in both instances. Francoeur was also in Atlanta for part of the 2016 season, and would be dealt to Miami as part of a three-team deal. If the Braves bring in either of these veteran players there is a distinct possibility that a mid-season deal could once again ship them out of town, but regardless it will be interesting to see if the interest results in a deal as the season grows nearer.
Talking Chop Podcast Episode 47: Infield rumors, Freddie Freeman and more
If you need a refresher course on the week’s rumors, the plight of All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, some Braves prospect talk, or just a rundown of what to expect in 2017, you can find it here as our guys cover it all in this edition of the Talking Chop Podcast.
Braves could continue to acquire starters
The Braves may not be done adding to their starting rotation for the upcoming season, writes MLB.com beat writer Mark Bowman. With the additions of Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, and Jaime Garcia this offseason the Braves have added a lot of experience to a rotation severely lacking in that department a season ago, but with pitchers like Jose Quintana and Chris Archer still available the opportunity to make additional changes could make a deal possible. There is a lot to like about both pitchers, and if the Braves make a deal for either it would be a significant upgrade.
Though neither Quintana nor Archer would provide the Braves the ace they sought during their early and brief pursuit of Chris Sale, both can legitimately be described as front-line starters with attractive contracts.
MLB NEWS
Scherzer to skip WBC due to finger injury
I know what you’re thinking Braves fans: “Hey Max, I’ve got a finger for you.”
In all seriousness, if you are a fan of the WBC this is a significant blow to the United States team. Scherzer is one of the game’s top arms and would give the US a legitimate ace to slot somewhere near the top of its rotation. The tournament begins in just two months and as names continue to be added to rosters around the world, we gain a better idea of the talent that will be on display once again in this highly-competitive round-robin tournament.