MLILY Mattresses in Atlanta, GA

It is safe to say that most Atlanta Braves fans want to see Vaughn Grissom have an excellent year in 2023 and beyond. Even though he did cool off, it is pretty evident that his bat can be effective at the MLB level.

In a small sample size of 156 plate appearances (forty-one games), Grissom had a wRC+ of 121, which equates to 21.0 percent better than league average. He had a slash line of .291/.353/.440. A slash line like that across a full season would make any manager ecstatic.

Although metrics show he is in line for regression, he would need a massive drop off to not be a bat worth getting significant playing time.

The question mark with Grissom is if he can handle SS. Ron Washington seems to be high on him, and based on the lack of depth added as a contingency plan, it appears that it is his job to lose. If we look back when we talked about his defensive metrics, we see that they do not favor great glove work so far.

It is a small sample size at 2^nd base from 2022, but Fangraphs’ defensive runs saved and ultimate zone rating did not take kindly to his work with the glove. In 347.0 innings, Grissom had -3 DRS and -1.8 UZR. In terms of Outs Above Average, he had -5.0. dWAR from Baseball Reference factors in position, so had he played SS it would have likely been a bit higher, but he had a dWAR of -0.3

So, what happens if Grissom can’t handle SS?

The real question is: If worse comes to worst, what are the options that the Atlanta Braves have to fill SS from a defensive standpoint? Grissom could still be used in a super utility type role and still bring tremendous value to the team in that capacity. Think Ben Zobrist, or Chris Taylor in his prime.

The first option in a short-term fashion would be to shift Grissom to a super utility role with Orlando Arcia filling the SS spot. Even though Arcia had arguably the best year of his career in terms of hitting, this scenario would not be flashy. Arcia had a wRC+ of 104 in 234 plate appearances (68 games). Prior to 2022, he never had a wRC+ higher than 97, and that was during the COVID shortened season.

A positive note shows that his underlying metrics show that his offensive performance was not a fluke. His .244 batting average was below his xBA of .253. His .416 slugging was lower than his xSLG of .421, and his wOBA of .321 was lower than his xwOBA of .329.

His approach, which we covered in great detail back in October, of waiting on fastballs and crushing them has worked well for him.

Arcia’s walk rate of 9.0 percent was well above his average of 6.3 percent.

Defensively, Arcia had an uncharacteristically bad year with the glove. Of course, prior to 2022, Arcia had only had 9.0 innings at 2^nd base during his time at the MLB level. In 2023, he played 398.2.

Could it be that the position change was a difficult adjustment? In 2017, 2018, and 2020 Arcia’s Outs Above Average (OOA) was in the top 11.0 percent, 6.0 percent, and 26.0 percent respectively (all of which at SS). But, in 2022, it was in the bottom 19.0 percent.

As far as DRS goes, he was right at league average at 2B with 0, but UZR did not favor his work at -1.1. In total, Arcia has a career 407.2 innings at 2^nd with -1.0 DRS and -2.2 UZR.

In 4274.0 innings at SS, Arcia has 9 DRS and -6.0 UZR. It should also be noted that since the start of 2019, Arcia has -6.0 DRS.

Using Arcia instead of a trade does make sense due to him already being on payroll at an extremely palatable rate of 1.5 million dollars towards the luxury tax.

So, there are mixed results as to if Arcia would actually be that much of a defensive upgrade to Grissom at SS. So, if the Braves are to the point that if they need defense, they may want to explore a trade at some point in the season (if Grissom has to move positions, of course).

Nick Ahmed

Nick Ahmed is not a name that is heard very often across social media platforms or anything like that, especially since he only played in seventeen games in 2022. However, when healthy he is one of, if not the best defender at SS in MLB.

The Diamondbacks are obviously not going to be competing anytime soon with the Dodgers and Padres looking to duke it out for the NLW title, and Ahmed is a free agent after the year.

He has never been a threat with his bat. His highest output was a 96.0 wRC+ in 2020 shortened season. His career wRC+ is a well below average 75.0.

However, what he lacks with the bat he more than makes up for with his glove. In terms of DRS, he has accumulated 79.0 since 2014. That is not a typo. He has also accumulated 12.9 UZR. In terms of Outs Above Average, in the years that he qualified from 2017 to 2021 he was top 5.0 percent, leader in OOA, top 1.0 percent, top 1.0 percent, and leader of OOA respectively.

If we look at SABR’s Defensive Index (SDI), he does not rate quite as well, but every year that he qualified he has been in the top seven defensive players at SS with multiple top ten rankings regardless of position.

With Ahmed seemingly not costing an exuberant amount via trade capitol, it would make a lot of sense for the Atlanta Braves to pick him up as a rental to fill the gap since they are legitimate championship contenders this year. With an AAV of 8.125 million dollars, it would not be a huge hit in terms of luxury tax payroll.

Of course, a trade is not guaranteed because both parties would have to come to an agreement.

These two options make the most sense, but there are of course other trade options. The remaining free agents don’t make much sense, but Alex Anthopoulos is known for his crafty trades.

Are there other trade options?

Could the Braves look at someone like Jorge Mateo, who is an obvious glove first SS being in the bottom of the league in every offensive category as far as XSTATS, but elite defensively with being top 3.0 percent in OAA in 2022? He would obviously not be the long term answer, but could be a defensive compliment to Grissom’s bat first approach. Odds are slim, because they would have to give up some capital from a slim farm since Mateo is under team control through 2025. We also don’t know if Baltimore is ready to take the next step towards competing with a roster that is on the verge.

Nico Hoerner no longer is the starting SS for the Cubs, but he would likely cost even more than Mateo having a 4.0 fWAR season and being under control through 2025.

Other than these three trade options, most other defense savvy options are on teams that will most likely be looking to compete either this year or the near future.

Summary

Like stated earlier, most Atlanta Braves fans surely are rooting for Grissom to be able to handle everyday duties at SS. However, if time goes by and it is discovered that he cannot, the options are limited to pretty much Arcia, Ahmed as a rental, or paying prospect capital for a player that would be simply to upgrade defensively.

Here is to hoping that the faith Ron Washington has been showing in Grissom pays off.

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There were some sparks that flew late in the Celtics’ win over the Hawks as Marcus Smart and Trae Young were involved in an altercation with 1:25 left in the game. Smart took exception to Young’s foot hitting his groin area, and he let the Hawks guard know that.

The scuffle eventually led to both Young and Smart hitting the ground after players and officials tried to break them up after the two players were arguing. After review, Smart was ejected and Young was hit with a technical foul.

Young said postgame he has “nothing much to say” and that he didn’t get an explanation on why he got the tech. The officials said Young got the tech because he got up and pointed at Smart’s face, which was deemed “inappropriate.”

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Young did draw some laughs, though, when he was asked how he kept his composure after the incident.

“I’m not gonna Fred VanVleet these people,” Young said. “I’m just going to keep it there.”

VanVleet recently made headlines when he went on a rant about the officials, calling out a specific referee in Ben Taylor. VanVleet’s profanity-filled rant included how some specific referees are the problem, including how some can target certain players.

Smart agreed with VanVleet, saying earlier “I’m gonna let Fred do all the talking,” when he was recently asked about officials targeting him. Smart held back for the most part when asked earlier about the refs, but he did detail how he’s felt at times that “an official had a personal vendetta.”

“They have bad days, just like we do,” Smart said. “So it’s only fair to notice and understand and have empathy in the fact that sometimes they’re gonna let their emotions get the best of them and make calls and judgment calls the way that they officiate. It happens. As players we just want that consistency. Just like for us, we get emotional, too. But, for us, we get in trouble for it. And we just want that consistency around. And that’s it.”

Fortunately for the Celtics, they went on to beat the Hawks 134-125 after Smart’s ejection. The C’s opened a six-game road trip with Saturday’s game as they look to climb back atop the East standings.

Actually, this was the near perfect game

Last week after a 1-1 draw, Atlanta United head coach Gonzalo Pineda called the performance “close to perfection,” a bit of a head scratcher considering the result and some of the underlying metrics left something to be desired. This was the ear perfect game. The Five Stripes dominated in so many aspects, it left the second half feeling rather sleepy as the team salted away the 90 minutes after building up a comfortable 3-0 halftime lead. It was only “near” perfect because of some isolated moments of indecision at the back (Brad Guzan’s command of the box, Purata with a near own goal, some near penalties, etc). But overall, you can’t commend the performance of the players and Pineda’s tactics enough. It was a game that proved Atlanta has more than enough talent to compete at the top end of the league, so long as they don’t hurt themselves.

Gonzalo Pineda will have a selection headache next week

When the Five Stripes return home to Mercedes-Benz Stadium next week against Portland, the manager will have some tough decisions to make. Derrick Etienne has looked stronger and stronger every week, but after two goals and an assist from Caleb Wiley on the left wing, how can you possibly relegate him to the bench? Amar Sejdic looked very sharp in midfield and helped contribute to a team pressing performance we haven’t seen in some time. If Rossetto is fit, who starts? What about the team’s marquee center back signing in Luis Abram? Miles Robinson and Juanjo Purata have hardly put a foot wrong this season. Suddenly, there’s a lot more depth to this team than it appeared just a few weeks ago.

Thiago Almada is unsurprisingly playing his best soccer now that Marcelino Moreno is gone

Apple commentator Taylor Twellman brought this up late in the first half of Saturday’s game, but maybe addition by subtraction really is a thing? Almada has noticeably more space to operate this season — particularly on the counter attack — and the entire team is better off for it. An Almada in space is more dangerous than an Almada with a fellow midfielder coming near him asking for the ball at his feet. Almada in space has many more options to either distribute or take defenders on the dribble, and teammates who are stretching the field making penetrating runs give opposition players a lot more to think about and ground to cover. All of this was clearly on display in the first half — something the team will certainly look to replicate on a regular basis this season.

An important goal for Luiz Araujo

After two weeks of pure frustration for Atlanta United’s DP winger after missing a penalty 30 minutes into the new season, Araujo’s first half goal Saturday against Charlotte feels like an important stepping stone toward getting the Brazilian going at his confident best. Araujo was excellent all game off the ball and help Atlanta sustain it’s pressure and stunt Charlotte’s build up. But while that is very important, everyone knows that Araujo needs to be feeling the right type of way if he is going to contribute the goals this team will need from him over the course of the season.

Make no mistake, Atlanta won with defense and work rate

Saturday showed a clear gulf in technical quality between Atlanta and Charlotte. And while it might not always be this stark of a contrast, Atlanta is probably going to have an edge in this area in most games they play. But you can argue that was the case last year too, when the team slumped to a finish leaving them outside of the playoffs. Because for this team, it’s never been about proving it’s the more skillful team. For years, Atlanta has beaten itself with costly mistakes — self inflected wounds that no amount of technical skill can make up for.

But it’s not just the clean sheet where this comes into play, defense and work rate were key in helping to create each of Atlanta’s three goals. Two came off of direct pressure, and one came after winning the ball in a defensive posture that set up a beautiful counter attack.

Frankly, this is the kind of game it would’ve lost last year. The team only won two of it’s seventeen road games in 2022. That’s inexcusable, but Saturday’s showing is a positive step in reversing that trend. And if they do, this team will be a top four team in the Eastern Conference.

Editor's note: The statements and opinions regarding players and/or potential future players in the article below are those of the AtlantaFalcons.com editorial staff and are not of the Atlanta Falcons' football personnel unless noted in a direct quote.

KhaDarel Hodge, Damiere Byrd, and Olamide Zaccheaus are 2022 Falcons set to hit the market for free agency. That leaves Drake London as the only primary wide receiver under contract.

London led all Falcons receivers with 866 yards in 2022 but no other player eclipsed over 600 receiving yards. The Falcons need another playmaker in the receivers room to compliment London; someone who's a threat on the outside.

RELATED CONTENT:

In today's free agency preview, we take a look at potential wide receiver options at several different price points, though we've skipped value picks. If you're going to re-sign someone at a lower price point, it might as well be Zaccheaus. He knows the system, he's clutch and is an Arthur Smith guy:

Top of the market

Jakobi Meyers, WR

Meyers' consistency gave way to another productive season in 2022. The Georgia native led the New England Patriots' receiving corps with 804 yards on 67 receptions, six touchdowns, and averaged 12 yards per catch. He'll arguably be one of the top receivers to hit the market this off-season. Meyers is a physical route runner who can create separation and find soft spots in open field. He has great upside which makes it difficult for defenders. And the thing is, Meyers is only fours year into his career. Any team looking to add a quality young receiver should look no further than Meyers. His calculated market value is $12.5 million, per Spotrac.

Allen Lazard, WR

Lazard had the best season of his career last season. The fourth-year wideout led all Green Bay Packers receivers with 788 yards on 60 receptions, six touchdowns and averaged 13.1 per catch. He's a big explosive receiver who can block just as well as he can catch. Having a receiver who can do the grunt work on the outside, in addition to being a reliable pass-catcher is essential for any offense. And like Jakobi Meyers, Lazard is still young into his career. His calculated market value is $12.5 million, per Spotrac.

Mid-Range

Adam Thielen, WR

Thielen has proven to be a playmaker over his lengthy career. His best season came in 2018 when he had 113 receptions for 1,373 yards and nine touchdowns. In 2018, he also had the most consecutive 100-yard receiving games with eight. The 9-year NFL vet was key contributor for the Vikings' offense in 2022 with 70 receptions for 716 yards and six touchdowns. Is he the same Second-team All-Pro receiver he once was? I'm not saying that, but I think he would still add depth to any NFL roster he's on. For any team looking to sign a vet receiver who can add leadership, Thielen is the route to take.

Notes | The infielder could be back from his oblique strain as soon as Thursday. Plus, Osleivis Basabe does his homework, and roster cuts are on the way.

By

Published Yesterday|Updated Yesterday

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Rays expect to have Taylor Walls back in a game sometime this week. The infielder has been out with an oblique strain since the start of spring training.

The hope is that Walls will play Thursday, when the Rays have split-squad games against the Braves and Twins.

“We’ve got him circled around that 16th date. So, he’s progressing well,” manager Kevin Cash said before Sunday’s 10-4 win over the Mets at Clover Park. “He’s on the field taking some batting practice, some ground balls and stuff, but he’s feeling very, very good.”

Thursday would be exactly two weeks before opening day on March 30, which the Rays feel would be plenty of time to get him the work he needs without rushing him back.

“We’re certainly getting to a point like we need to get him some reps, and we’re not going to run them out there every day to get him caught up with that bat,” Cash said. “So (he’ll) play, have an off day, play, off, play. It’ll be a situation like that.”

Cash said right-hander Calvin Faucher, who also began the spring sidelined with an oblique strain, threw his second live batting practice this weekend. He is scheduled to pitch in Tuesday’s game against the Twins.

“He looked outstanding,” Cash said.

Elite prospect

Osleivis Basabe had a single Sunday, another day in which the utility infielder showed off his offseason work. Basabe is batting .500 with a home run, eight RBIs and two stolen bases through 10 games while playing second base, third base and shortstop.

While that versatility certainly plays into the Rays’ plans, it’s something that takes a lot of work. Basabe gets to the park early, putting in extra defensive reps at each position, learning how to get good reads of the ball off the bat from each angle, and working on his bat.

Cash and the Rays’ front office have noticed the work paying off, something that makes Basabe proud.

“Obviously, a couple of years ago, I was less than an elite baseball player,” he said. “Right now, I consider myself that, and it’s showing out on the field.”

So much that Cash calls him a highlight of spring training so far.

“He’s been just a huge bright spot,” Cash said. “It’s not just that he’s getting hits, he’s going up there and driving balls, which is really, really encouraging.”

Game details; Rays 10, Mets 4

Niko Hulsizer hammered two homers to lead a lineup full of prospects in a Rays rout. Hulsizer’s first home run, off Carlos Carrasco, was a line drive to left-center that left the ballpark quickly. His second, in the seventh, crashed into the roof over the centerfield camera. Kyle Manzardo also homered.

“It’s good to get offensive performance by multiple people, and certainly Niko and Manzardo,” Cash said. “Niko drove the ball well. Those were long home runs.” Hulsizer finished with three hits in three at-bats.

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Miscellany

With Panama being eliminated from the World Baseball Classic on Saturday, the Rays are expecting to get starting catcher Christian Bethancourt back sometime this week. … Cash said the team expects to make roster moves at the beginning of the week to open up at-bats and innings in Grapefruit League games for big-leaguers.

• • •

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JUPITER — After nearly two weeks without throwing a baseball, Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow is still not ready to start back up. The right-hander suffered an oblique injury early in camp and has been on doctor-prescribed rest since.

“Just treatment,” manager Kevin Cash said before Saturday’s game against the Marlins. “I actually talked to him two days ago. He’s in a better spot mentally. He was pretty frustrated. But we said to get in here, get his work done and get out.

“You feel for him just because he’s worked so hard, and I mean, we all see it. The guy’s got, like, the perfect physique, and why does he keep getting injured? I think he questions himself, but he does all the research and tries to prevent it, but it sneaks up on him. But he’ll be OK.”

Glasnow was injured while throwing to hitters during a live batting practice session on Feb. 27. An MRI the next day revealed a Grade 2 left oblique strain, the team said.

Glasnow, 29, underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2021 before returning to pitch in two regular-season games for the Rays in 2022. He also made one start during the wild-card series against the Cleveland Guardians.

Good news for Diaz

Yandy Diaz, who left Friday’s game after being hit on the left hand/wrist with a pitch, could be back sooner than expected.

“It’s all good,” Cash said. “I talked to him (Friday) night. I called him and, as far as I know, he will be a part of the live (batting practice Sunday),” Cash said.

Remembering Wills

Rays Radio went back on the air Saturday for the first time since the sudden death of long-time broadcaster Dave Wills on March 5.

“It will be 30% baseball and 70% Dave,” Andy Freed, Wills’ long-time radio partner, said in describing the broadcast. “It will be stories about Dave from us and others.”

In addition to a special pregame ceremony April 22 at Tropicana Field, the Rays announced they will honor Wills by wearing a specially designed memorial patch on their batting helmets throughout the season. The team also will establish a scholarship in his honor.

Wills, 58, was one of the voices of the Rays for the past 18-plus years, beginning with Freed in 2005.

Game details: Marlins 5, Rays 3

Josh Lowe continued to show his power, hitting his third homer of the spring off lefty Trevor Rogers. “He hit a home run the other day pull-side, and I don’t see him do that very often with backspin, and then he did it again (Saturday) off a lefty, a good lefty,” Cash said. “So he’s in a good spot. You want these guys to feel good, to have success and, certainly while there’s decisions to be made, you want them to be able to put the best foot forward and I feel like he is.” … Josh Fleming worked his way out of a jam in the first to throw three scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and struck out two. “I was encouraged that he got through it. He let the defense play a little bit behind him, and after that first inning he thought he settled in and made some strides with the sinker and certainly the big sweeping breaking ball he’s been working on.”

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Columnist John Romano will send the latest Rays insights and analysis to keep you updated weekly during the season.

Miscellany

Rays fans will be able to catch Sunday’s game against the Mets on MLB Network. Coverage begins at 1 p.m. ... The big plan for Saturday night in the Rays’ hotel was watching the big Dominican Republic-Venezuela matchup in the World Baseball Classic. Cash said he’d be watching his bench coach, Rodney Linares, manage the Dominican team and envying his roster, which includes Wander Franco, Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Rafael Devers, Julio Rodriguez and Juan Soto.

• • •

Sign up for the Rays Report weekly newsletter to get fresh perspectives on the Tampa Bay Rays and the rest of the majors from sports columnist John Romano.

Never miss out on the latest with the Bucs, Rays, Lightning, Florida college sports and more. Follow our Tampa Bay Times sports team on Twitter and Facebook.