The Daily Chop: Baseball’s return, 2020 MLB Draft and more

For the most part, executives and front office personnel of the Atlanta Braves have been quiet in regards to when baseball might be able to return, if at all, in 2020. However, on Thursday, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei fielded questions in an interview with CNBC in regards to the postponed season. (Quotes via Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.)

“I think it’s an uncertain question,” Greg Maffei said in a live interview on CNBC, “but the (MLB) commissioner believes there will be baseball. The real question is, will we have enough games to be able to have a full credible season that allows us to … produce winners of divisions and the like?”

“If baseball does resume … it seems most likely it’ll resume first with players only and no fans present,” Maffei said.

Additionally, Tucker also spoke with Braves Hall of Famer Tom Glavine who is hoping that baseball will return this year but that it will likely look pretty different.

“I think we’re all kind of smart enough to know, if baseball does come back, it’s going to come back in a very different way than we’re accustomed to seeing it,” said Glavine, the former Braves pitcher and baseball Hall of Famer. “I don’t think we’re going to see it, obviously, with full stadiums.”

More Braves News

Here is a great Q&A with the Braves’ Big 3 of John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine by The Athletic’s David O’Brien.

This week’s Starting Nine column focuses on the life and career for former Braves Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn.

Our own Anthony Traurig took a look back at shortstop Rafael Belliard who was a key member of the early part of the Braves’ run in the 90s.

Thursday’s Braves Flashback journeyed back to 2014 and one of the best starts of Aaron Harang’s career.

2020 MLB Draft

Eric Longenhagen updated the 2020 Draft Prospect Rankings over at FanGraphs. Arizona State’s Spencer Torkelson tops the rankings while Georgia RHP Emerson Hancock checks in at No. 4.

MLB Pipeline is also gearing up for the Draft. Jim Callis lists the prospects with the best tools in the draft pool.

Also at MLB.com, Chris Landers lists each team’s biggest draft regret. For the Braves, it was failing to sign Hall of Fame left-hander Randy Johnson whom they drafted in the fourth round of the 1982 Draft.

Red Sox Punishment

Major League Baseball released its report into the punishment of the Boston Red Sox for electronically stealing signs. However, as Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich write in The Athletic, there are still plenty of questions that remain unanswered.

The Red Sox parted ways with former manager Alex Cora back in January when the news of MLB’s investigation broke. Cora was suspended through the end of the 2020 season by MLB this week for transgressions that occurred during his time in Houston. Cora released a statement on Wednesday where he accepted “full responsibility” for his actions.