Braves option Freddy Tarnok, Alan Rangel to Triple-A

Another day, another round of cuts. This time: righty hurlers Freddy Tarnok and Alan Rangel.

Both Tarnok and Rangel were added to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft protection deadline, which ultimately didn’t end up mattering since the Rule 5 Draft was cancelled amid lockout-related frenzy.

Both hurlers appeared in Monday’s game against the Red Sox, each throwing an inning. Tarnok gave up an unearned run (shortstop error plus later catcher throwing error) to go with a hit and two strikeouts; Rangel gave up a solo shot to lead off his frame and then struck out the next two batters.

Note that while both guys have been sent to Triple-A, it doesn’t mean that’s where they’ll play for the upcoming season. Tarnok could certainly start there after nine pretty successful starts in Double-A last season, but that’d still only be nine starts, and the Triple-A rotation is pretty full. The same can be said for Rangel, who had seven very good starts at Double-A, but again, might feel pinched out of the Triple-A roster unless there are injuries or promotions. We’ll see.

Tarnok placed ninth on our preseason prospect ranking, while Rangel didn’t even make the honorable mentions. On the community prospect list, Tarnok was a rare match (also ninth), while Rangel finished 20th. Tarnok could possibly see some major league time in 2022, depending on his continued development and the team’s needs.