ABWII is claimed off of waivers... Again!

[James]

Adam Brett Walker has been claimed again.  This time by the Braves:

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/01/braves-claim-adam-walker.html

[biggentleben]

He'll keep the guys in Gwinnett company. I don't understand this move actually, from the Braves POV.

[Oldgoat_MN]

A ball player should get $1000 every time he is claimed off waivers.

ABW would have had a pretty good off-season so far.

 

It actually might keep teams from jacking these players around with no real intent to give them a position in their organization.

[ashbury]

I think this pretty much makes it official: Adam Brett Walker II is the 1201st most desired player in all of baseball.

[spinowner]

 

I think this pretty much makes it official: Adam Brett Walker II is the 1201st most desired player in all of baseball.

Since he was still claimed, that makes him 1200th. Don't shortchange the guy.

[big dog]

 

A ball player should get $1000 every time he is claimed off waivers.

ABW would have had a pretty good off-season so far.

 

It actually might keep teams from jacking these players around with no real intent to give them a position in their organization.

Interesting idea.  I can't imagine it would affect the team's decision one bit, but what if the league raised the waiver fee by, say, 100% and gave half to the player?  It would make the whole process a little more humane, anyway, even if it didn't change what teams did.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

I wish him well.

[laloesch]

I think he deserves serious consideration.  I would like to see what he can do at the major league level despite the strikeouts.

[biggentleben]

 

I think he deserves serious consideration.  I would like to see what he can do at the major league level despite the strikeouts.

 

Sadly, that won't happen in Atlanta. He'll be in Gwinnett unless everyone and their monkey's uncle is hurt. One of the few areas the Braves have some depth at is corner outfield options.

[big dog]

 

Sadly, that won't happen in Atlanta. He'll be in Gwinnett unless everyone and their monkey's uncle is hurt. One of the few areas the Braves have some depth at is corner outfield options.

Odds that he is still in the Atlanta organization at the start of Spring Training?

[ashbury]

Since he was still claimed, that makes him 1200th. Don't shortchange the guy.

[biggentleben]

 

Odds that he is still in the Atlanta organization at the start of Spring Training?

 

No idea, honestly. The team could make use of him at AAA, but that would block a guy they really like in Dustin Peterson, so I'm not sure exactly where he fits, even at AAA

[Mike Sixel]

Kevin: Is Adam Walker just AAA filler at this point? I see that he was a top 20 prospect for the O’s on MLB.com’s final 2016 update

Klaw: He can’t hit and has no position. I don’t see ranking him anywhere.

[DaveW]

Keith Law Hates the Twins (former fringe prospects)

[GMinTraining]

 

Sadly, that won't happen in Atlanta. He'll be in Gwinnett unless everyone and their monkey's uncle is hurt. One of the few areas the Braves have some depth at is corner outfield options.

 

Really, because I thought the Braves only had three outfielders on their 40 man roster.  I imagine ABW  will have one of the corner outfield spots opposite their up and coming star Peterson.  I've been wrong before, but that is my guess.  Just glad to see ABW has been wanted over the off season.  40 man or no 40 man, he will have to produce to make any team.  We will see which team performs better at the end of 2017 I guess.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Really, because I thought the Braves only had three outfielders on their 40 man roster.  I imagine ABW  will have one of the corner outfield spots opposite their up and coming star Peterson.  I've been wrong before, but that is my guess.  Just glad to see ABW has been wanted over the off season.  40 man or no 40 man, he will have to produce to make any team.  We will see which team performs better at the end of 2017 I guess.

 

He only counts as being wanted a lot if you also consider how often he was unwanted.

[biggentleben]

 

Really, because I thought the Braves only had three outfielders on their 40 man roster.  I imagine ABW  will have one of the corner outfield spots opposite their up and coming star Peterson.  I've been wrong before, but that is my guess.  Just glad to see ABW has been wanted over the off season.  40 man or no 40 man, he will have to produce to make any team.  We will see which team performs better at the end of 2017 I guess.

 

He was only picked up by the Braves with the hope to pass him through waivers so he could fill their AAA roster. He did not receive an initial spring training invite, though this year that is basically meaningless as the WBC will mean plenty of guys are going to be going back and forth between minor league camp and major league camp.

 

The Braves have 3 guys listed as outfielders on the 40-man, true, but plenty have played the outfield on the 40-man currently, including two guys currently penciled in as starters in the infield. Right now, he'll have his work cut out for him to get consistent at bats in Gwinnett with Peterson, Mel Rojas, Jr., Emilio Bonifacio (seriously have no idea why he sticks around, but the Braves have some sort of fetish for him on their AAA roster), Ronnier Mustelier, and Lane Adams all penciled in for AAA Gwinnett currently.

[GMinTraining]

 

He was only picked up by the Braves with the hope to pass him through waivers so he could fill their AAA roster. He did not receive an initial spring training invite, though this year that is basically meaningless as the WBC will mean plenty of guys are going to be going back and forth between minor league camp and major league camp.

 

The Braves have 3 guys listed as outfielders on the 40-man, true, but plenty have played the outfield on the 40-man currently, including two guys currently penciled in as starters in the infield. Right now, he'll have his work cut out for him to get consistent at bats in Gwinnett with Peterson, Mel Rojas, Jr., Emilio Bonifacio (seriously have no idea why he sticks around, but the Braves have some sort of fetish for him on their AAA roster), Ronnier Mustelier, and Lane Adams all penciled in for AAA Gwinnett currently.

Hey the kid is playing baseball is all I know.  Anything can happen from there.  

 

Crazy part is we are talking about a guy who just left the worst team in baseball and got DFA'd off the 40 man (Twins).  3 teams actually picked him up and now he has a chance to impress a new employee.  Go figure.  It's not like the Twins performed better by keeping Walker off the MLB roster.  Like all lost prospects - Maybe a new voice helps with development.  We will see how Buxton, Kepler, Rosario, and Vargas progress this spring with a new hitting coach.  I pray well.

[Bark's Lounge]

I really wish a MLB team would keep ABWII on there roster for the whole 2017 season and start him everyday so we can see him slash a 17HR/635-OPS/240-SO/550-PA/Sub-Par Defense/DH.

 

Home Runs can be fun, but I can't see where that would be fun... and I do not think that is far off from the truth.

 

Like many, I just want to see Adam Walker walk into the sunset of the MN Twins reality.

 

Steve Balboni, Ken Phelps, Ron Kittle, Rob Deer and many more are by far his superiors.

[GMinTraining]

 

I really wish a MLB team would keep ABWII on there roster for the whole 2017 season and start him everyday so we can see him slash a 17HR/635-OPS/240-SO/550-PA/Sub-Par Defense/DH.

 

Home Runs can be fun, but I can't see where that would be fun... and I do not think that is far off from the truth.

 

Like many, I just want to see Adam Walker walk into the sunset of the MN Twins reality.

 

Steve Balboni, Ken Phelps, Ron Kittle, Rob Deer and many more are by far his superiors.

I think most people on the board agree with you.  It would be a first in his career (stat line) however.  But if you wish it hard enough - it might come true.  I only know what I've seen and that stat line you proposed has yet to happen.  So maybe?  I'll bet on the "at least" 25 home run totals and 100+ rbi totals and 200 strikeout totals he's produced EVERY year on average.  Maybe this is the year he won't be able to tap into that power and production.  Maybe? - His lack of contact and SO's haven't kept his respective teams from having 80 win seasons and him being the teams leading run producer.  So maybe, this is the year his SO's cost his team from scoring more runs than most other teams. Maybe this is finally that year.  History shows..........................Balboni, Phelps, Deer, etc. so we will go by that history and play it safe with a Top 5 pick again. I know how my maybe's have turned out (80+ wins) Lol  

[TheLeviathan]

I think he could strike out 400 times if given 600 ABs.

[Bark's Lounge]

 

I think he could strike out 400 times if given 600 ABs.

Post of the Day!

[GMinTraining]

Looks like Adam Brett Walker II might have found a home after being DFA'd 4 times in 3 months.

 

Still doing ABW things - Leading Braves in RBI and XBH's, but striking out less lately. 2 Walkoffs this Spring.  

http://m.mlb.com/atl/video/topic/26663334/v1246089583/detatl-walker-gives-braves-win-with-walkoff-single/?c_id=atl

 

Just glad somebody has given him a chance even if it is ST.

 

Go Twins

[biggentleben]

He's still a very, very, very long shot to make the team. The Braves are actively shopping for an outfielder that could possibly back up all three outfield positions, and they also just got two very plausible candidates from the WBC who hadn't really had a chance to establish themselves.

 

If there's ever a spring where stats mean nothing, a WBC spring is it.

[mikelink45]

I would hate to be in his position.  What a maze he is trying to get through.  He has some talent and he has some big flaws, I hope that this focuses him on those flaws.  I think he should go to one of the Asian leagues because the majors seems to fall in love with the players after they batter Korean League pitchers. Good luck to him, it would be great to see him prove the teams wrong and he would not be the first to do so.

[Bark's Lounge]

 

I would hate to be in his position.  What a maze he is trying to get through.  He has some talent and he has some big flaws, I hope that this focuses him on those flaws.  I think he should go to one of the Asian leagues because the majors seems to fall in love with the players after they batter Korean League pitchers. Good luck to him, it would be great to see him prove the teams wrong and he would not be the first to do so.

Eric Thames with the Brewers will get his time to shine this year.

 

This post is not directed at MikeLink45. My mind is mush today - can anyone think of any position players (Hitters) who went to the far east to establish themselves and then return to MLB and succeed? The only one I can think of is Cecil Fielder. I ask this with respect and with a blank memory today.

[mikelink45]

 

Eric Thames with the Brewers will get his time to shine this year.

 

This post is not directed at MikeLink45. My mind is mush today - can anyone think of any position players (Hitters) who went to the far east to establish themselves and then return to MLB and succeed? The only one I can think of is Cecil Fielder. I ask this with respect and with a blank memory today.

Here is a site that may help you answer your question, but first a quote from the site about someone we saw in Florida this spring:

"Nothing about Vogelsong's career follows convention. From 2000-06, the pitcher struggled to a 5.86 ERA while bouncing between the rotation and bullpen for the Giants and Pirates. Vogelsong then headed to Japan to pitch for the Orix Buffaloes and Hanshin Tigers from 2007-09.
While he pitched a little better abroad, posting a 4.17 ERA in the NPB, it wasn't as if he absolutely dominated the competition.
And yet, here we are. After returning to the States to pitch for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate in 2010, Vogelsong has been a cog in the Giants rotation. Since 2011, he's gone 39-35 with a 3.74 ERA, collecting two World Series titles and an All-Star appearance along the way.
I know, it doesn't make any sense to me either. Life's weird."

 

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2014/11/08/100650148/15-mlb-players-took-talents-japan-npb

 

You might also enjoy reading this history of American Expats in the Japanese leagues: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_expatriate_baseball_players_in_Japan

[biggentleben]

Walker sent down to AA to make room on the Gwinnett roster for Ryan Howard.

[Mike Sixel]

Walker sent down to AA to make room on the Gwinnett roster for Ryan Howard.

Ouch. I still cannot fathom trying Howard...

[snepp]

He was off to an abysmal start, maybe it'll be good for him.