The Braves claimed Joe Mather off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, a move that could provide defensive versatility and right-handed power — and a potential backup to new first baseman Freddie Freeman.
Freeman is expected to be the lineup regular, and the Braves want someone who can play 20-25 games and give left-handed rookie some rest.
“In spring training he’ll be in position to show us he’ll be that guy,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said of Mather, 28, whose late-blooming career was stalled by wrist problems. “He’s a big, strong aggressive player.”
Mather can play first base, third base and all outfield positions. He’s 6 feet 4 and 220 pounds, but moves well enough that Cardinals managerTony La Russa used him occasionally in center field.
Wren said that versatility was “really big for us, the way we’re set up. He kind of fits in the mold of a number of guys we had last year who can do a number of things, and has some right-handed power.”
With veteran third baseman Chipper Jones coming back from knee surgery and Freeman having only a month of big-league experience, Mather could help out at both positions, provided he stays healthy.
He was a pretty big story in baseball-mad St. Louis in 2008 before Mather broke the hamate bone near his left wrist. Two wrist surgeries forced him to miss parts of two seasons.
“Hopefully that’s behind him,” Wren said. “You never know for sure, but you sure hope so.”
Mather spent most of the 2010 in Triple-A, batting .275 with 10 homers in 91 games. In 36 games for St. Louis, he hit .217 (13-for-60) with four doubles.
In 193 major league at-bats during the 2008 and ‘10 seasons, he’s hit a combined .233 with a .287 on-base percentage and .415 slugging percentage.
He showed his power in 2008, hitting eight homers in 133 at-bats during two call-ups with the Cardinals, and batting .303 with 17 homers and 1.041 OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentage) in 59 Triple-A games.
Between Triple-A and the majors, Mather had 25 homers in 344 at-bats during that ‘08 season. That was after hitting 31 homers in 2007, his seventh season in the minors.
The Brave tried to trade for him after the 2008 season, offering relieverRafael Soriano , but were turned down by the Cardinals.
Wren said getting Mather wouldn’t affect whether the Braves bring back arbitration-eligible outfielderMatt Diaz or re-sign free agent outfielder-first baseman Eric Hinske .
Hinske was the Braves’ left-handed pinch-hitter and a clubhouse leader. It would seem Mather’s presence would lessen the need for Diaz, who hit .250 with seven homers in 224 at-bats in 2010, including .273 in 121 at-bats vs. lefties.
Diaz’s .313 average during 2007-2009 seasons included a robust .369 average and .975 OPS vs. lefties.
In his final year of arbitration eligibility, Diaz hopes to stay with the Braves and has indicated he’d skip arbitration and sign for what he made last season ($2.55 million). Among five unsigned Braves arbitration-eligibles, he’s the one most likely to be non-tendered.
Charlie O'Brien
Freeman is expected to be the lineup regular, and the Braves want someone who can play 20-25 games and give left-handed rookie some rest.
“In spring training he’ll be in position to show us he’ll be that guy,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said of Mather, 28, whose late-blooming career was stalled by wrist problems. “He’s a big, strong aggressive player.”
Mather can play first base, third base and all outfield positions. He’s 6 feet 4 and 220 pounds, but moves well enough that Cardinals manager
Wren said that versatility was “really big for us, the way we’re set up. He kind of fits in the mold of a number of guys we had last year who can do a number of things, and has some right-handed power.”
With veteran third baseman Chipper Jones coming back from knee surgery and Freeman having only a month of big-league experience, Mather could help out at both positions, provided he stays healthy.
He was a pretty big story in baseball-mad St. Louis in 2008 before Mather broke the hamate bone near his left wrist. Two wrist surgeries forced him to miss parts of two seasons.
“Hopefully that’s behind him,” Wren said. “You never know for sure, but you sure hope so.”
Mather spent most of the 2010 in Triple-A, batting .275 with 10 homers in 91 games. In 36 games for St. Louis, he hit .217 (13-for-60) with four doubles.
In 193 major league at-bats during the 2008 and ‘10 seasons, he’s hit a combined .233 with a .287 on-base percentage and .415 slugging percentage.
He showed his power in 2008, hitting eight homers in 133 at-bats during two call-ups with the Cardinals, and batting .303 with 17 homers and 1.041 OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentage) in 59 Triple-A games.
Between Triple-A and the majors, Mather had 25 homers in 344 at-bats during that ‘08 season. That was after hitting 31 homers in 2007, his seventh season in the minors.
The Brave tried to trade for him after the 2008 season, offering reliever
Wren said getting Mather wouldn’t affect whether the Braves bring back arbitration-eligible outfielder
Hinske was the Braves’ left-handed pinch-hitter and a clubhouse leader. It would seem Mather’s presence would lessen the need for Diaz, who hit .250 with seven homers in 224 at-bats in 2010, including .273 in 121 at-bats vs. lefties.
Diaz’s .313 average during 2007-2009 seasons included a robust .369 average and .975 OPS vs. lefties.
In his final year of arbitration eligibility, Diaz hopes to stay with the Braves and has indicated he’d skip arbitration and sign for what he made last season ($2.55 million). Among five unsigned Braves arbitration-eligibles, he’s the one most likely to be non-tendered.
Charlie O'Brien
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