Braves Wheeling and Dealing

Josh Anderson for RHP Rudy Darrow

AtlantaBraves.com reports the Braves had determined the centerfielder race came down to Jordan Schafer and Gregor Blanco. Josh Anderson was given every chance this spring to win this job, hitting .280 however, wasn't the way to win it outright. The Braves had a hard time finding a suitor for Anderson because he was out of options. The Braves would not have been allowed to send Josh Anderson to the minors without revealing him to the waiver wire. Josh Anderson will now be the 4th or 5th outfielder for Detroit, backing up Curtis Granderson in center.

Gregor Blanco has a tough road a head of him if he wants this centerfield job to be his with the hot spring Schafer is having. Blanco may have hurt himself playing for Venezuala in the World Baseball Classic. Gregor Blanco did not impress last year in his 144 games for Atlanta and Schafer was slapped with a 50 game suspension for Human Growth Hormone and set his ETA in Atlanta back a little bit. Flip a coin-heads Blanco wins the job; tails-Schafer wins the job.

RHP Rudy Darrow is a 25 year old relief pitcher who is slated to begin the season in the minors at either AA Mississippi or AAA Gwinnett. Darrow is a side-armer who is compared to a Pete Moylan type. (I smell another Tommy John candidate for Atlanta, but I hope I'm wrong).