The 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 6 and 7. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.

First Round Selections[link]

Key

All-Star

Pick	Player	Team	Position	School
1	Luke Hochevar	Kansas City Royals	RHP	University of Tennessee
2	Greg Reynolds	Colorado Rockies	RHP	Stanford University
3	Evan Longoria	Tampa Bay Rays	3B	Long Beach State University
4	Brad Lincoln	Pittsburgh Pirates	RHP	University of Houston
5	Brandon Morrow	Seattle Mariners	RHP	UC Berkeley
6	Andrew Miller	Detroit Tigers	LHP	University of North Carolina
7	Clayton Kershaw	Los Angeles Dodgers	LHP	Highland Park High School
8	Drew Stubbs	Cincinnati Reds	CF	University of Texas
9	Bill Rowell	Baltimore Orioles	3B	Bishop Eustace Preparatory School
10	Tim Lincecum	San Francisco Giants	RHP	University of Washington
11	Max Scherzer	Arizona Diamondbacks	RHP	University of Missouri
12	Kasey Kiker	Texas Rangers	LHP	Russell County High School (AL)
13	Tyler Colvin	Chicago Cubs	LF	Clemson University
14	Travis Snider	Toronto Blue Jays	RF	Henry M. Jackson High School
15	Chris Marrero	Washington Nationals	3B	Monsignor Edward Pace High School
16	Jeremy Jeffress	Milwaukee Brewers	RHP	Halifax County High School (VA)
17	Matt Antonelli	San Diego Padres	3B	Wake Forest University
18	Kyle Drabek	Philadelphia Phillies[Compensation 1]	RHP	The Woodlands High School
19	Brett Sinkbeil	Florida Marlins	RHP	Missouri State University
20	Chris Parmelee	Minnesota Twins	RF	Chino Hills High School
21	Ian Kennedy	New York Yankees[Compensation 2]	RHP	University of Southern California
22	Colton Willems	Washington Nationals[Compensation 3]	RHP	John Carroll Catholic High School
23	Maxwell Sapp	Houston Astros	C	Bishop Moore High School
24	Cody Johnson	Atlanta Braves	1B	A. Crawford Mosley High School
25	Hank Conger	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim[Compensation 4]	C	Huntington Beach High School
26	Bryan Morris	Los Angeles Dodgers[Compensation 5]	RHP	Motlow State Community College
27	Jason Place	Boston Red Sox	CF	Wren High School
28	Daniel Bard	Boston Red Sox[Compensation 6]	RHP	University of North Carolina
29	Kyle McCulloch	Chicago White Sox	RHP	University of Texas
30	Adam Ottavino	St. Louis Cardinals	RHP	Northeastern University

Supplemental First Round Selections[link]

Pick	Player	Team	Position	School
31	Preston Mattingly	Los Angeles Dodgers[Compensation 7]	SS	Evansville Central High School
32	Pedro Beato	Baltimore Orioles[Compensation 8]	RHP	St. Petersburg Junior College
33	Emmanuel Burriss	San Francisco Giants[Compensation 9]	SS	Kent State University
34	Brooks Brown	Arizona Diamondbacks[Compensation 10]	RHP	University of Georgia
35	Kyler Burke	San Diego Padres[Compensation 11]	RF	Ooltewah High School
36	Chris Coghlan	Florida Marlins[Compensation 12]	3B	University of Mississippi
37	Adrian Cardenas	Philadelphia Phillies[Compensation 13]	SS	Monsignor Edward Pace High School
38	Cory Rasmus	Atlanta Braves[Compensation 14]	RHP	Russell County High School
39	David Huff	Cleveland Indians[Compensation 15]	LHP	UCLA
40	Kris Johnson	Boston Red Sox[Compensation 16]	LHP	Wichita State University
41	Joba Chamberlain	New York Yankees[Compensation 17]	RHP	University of Nebraska-Lincoln
42	Chris Perez	St. Louis Cardinals[Compensation 18]	RHP	University of Miami
43	Steven Evarts	Atlanta Braves[Compensation 19]	LHP	Robinson High School
44	Caleb Clay	Boston Red Sox[Compensation 20]	RHP	Cullman High School

Compensation Picks[link]

Background[link]

Pitching accounted for 18 of the 30 selections in the first round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, including the top choice, right-hander Luke Hochevar, who was chosen by the Kansas City Royals. The University of Tennessee product pitched for the Fort Worth Cats of the Independent League after not reaching terms with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who selected him in the sandwich round (40th overall) of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.

Six of the first seven picks and nine of the first 12 selections were pitchers. In addition to the 18 hurlers, seven outfielders, three third basemen and two catchers made up the rest of the first round.

The first six picks were from the college ranks. University of North Carolina pitchers Andrew Miller (6th overall, Tigers) and Daniel Bard (28th, Red Sox) and University of Texas teammates Drew Stubbs (8th overall, Reds) and Kyle McCulloch (29th, White Sox) went in the first round.

Kyle Drabek, the son of longtime Major League pitcher Doug Drabek, was chosen by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 18th pick. He is currently a staritng pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.^[1]

Detroit's Andrew Miller became the first player from the 2006 Draft to reach the Major Leagues. He debuted in relief during a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium on August 30. He would make eight relief appearances for the Tigers during their pennant-winning season. He currently pitches in the Boston Red Sox organization and has also played for the Florida Marlins.

Tim Lincecum was the first 2006 draftee to be selected to an All-Star Game. Lincecum was selected in 2008, and joined shortly thereafter by Evan Longoria, who was selected via the Final Vote. Longoria was the only one to play in the game. Longoria would later be voted Rookie of the Year. Lincecum was also the first to win a Cy Young Award (2008 and 2009) in the National League. Clayton Kershaw, 7th in the draft, went on to win the 2011 NL Cy Young Award.

Andrew Bailey, 6th round pick by the Oakland Athletics, became the 2009 American League Rookie of the Year and participated in the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis and 2010 All-Star Game in Anaheim. He is currently the closer for the Boston Red Sox. Chris Coghlan, a supplemental first round pick, was the 2009 National League Rookie of the Year. He is currently a Miami Marlins outfielder.

Ryan Kalish, an outfielder who had committed to go to the University of Virginia, was picked in the 9th round by the Boston Red Sox, offered $600,000 (which had to be approved by the Commissioner's Office. as it was more aligned with second round slot money), and signed with the Red Sox.^[2] He made his major league debut in 2010.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kyle Williams was drafted in the 47th round of the draft by the Chicago White Sox. He chose not to sign, however, and opted to play for the University of Arizona and ultimately the 49ers in the NFL.

External links[link]

• MLB.com - 2006 Draft Tracker (all rounds)
• MLB.com - Draft History
• Complete draft list from The Baseball Cube database

References[link]

The First-Year Player Draft, also known as the Rule 4 Draft, is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players, from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs, to its teams.^[1] The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick. In addition, teams which lost free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded "compensatory" picks.

The first amateur draft was held in 1965. Unlike most sports drafts, the First-Year Player Draft is held mid-season, in June. Another distinguishing feature of this draft in comparison with those of other North American major professional sports leagues is its sheer size: under the new collective bargaining agreement the draft lasts 40 rounds, plus compensatory picks. In contrast, the NHL Entry Draft lasts seven rounds and roughly 215 picks, the NBA Draft lasts for only two rounds (60 selections) and the NFL Draft for only seven rounds (256 selections if no picks are forfeited).

The First-Year Player Draft has historically had far less media exposure than its counterparts in the other leagues for three primary reasons:

• High school and college baseball, the primary sources of MLB draftees, are not nearly as popular as college football, college basketball, and, in Canada and certain parts of the U.S., college and junior hockey. Consequently, most prospective top draft picks were unknown to the casual sports observer at the time of their draft. However, this is slowly changing: NCAA baseball has enjoyed a spike in popularity in the 2000s and top collegiate baseball players have enjoyed greater media exposure, though still far below that of their basketball and football counterparts.
• Unlike top draft picks in the NHL, NBA and NFL, all of whom are expected to make immediate impacts, top MLB draftees are nearly always assigned to the minor leagues for several years to hone their skills. The entire 2007 first round (64 players) totaled one inning of major league playing time as of the end of the 2008 season; as of the 2009 season, the vast majority of 2008 first-rounders were still assigned to minor league organizations. In contrast, every first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft had played in the league by the end of the 2008 season.
• While many NHL, NBA and NFL draftees will eventually reach their respective leagues, the vast majority of players selected in the First-Year Player Draft will never play in a single MLB game, including many first-rounders. For example, only 31 of 53 first-round draft picks in the 1997 draft eventually made a big-league appearance, and only 13 of those 30 appeared in more than 100 games as of 2009. In 1997's sixth round, only five of the 30 players selected eventually made a big league appearance, and only two of those five (Tim Hudson and Matt Wise) played more than 40 innings in the majors. Further illustrating the unpredictability of the draft's middle and later rounds, none of the 30 players selected in the 18th round ever reached the major leagues, but the 19th round eventually produced an all-star and World Series MVP, David Eckstein.

The 2007 Draft was televised live for the first time in the draft's history on Thursday June 17, 2007 from 2:00pm until 6:00pm EDT (1800 - 2200 hrs UTC).^[2] The Draft coverage took place at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida.

Before the draft[link]

Major League Baseball has used a draft to assign minor league players to teams since 1921.^[3][4] In 1936, the National Football League held the first amateur draft in professional sports.^[5] A decade later, the National Basketball Association instituted a similar method of player distribution. However, the player draft was controversial. Congressman Emanuel Celler questioned the legality of drafts during a series of hearings on the business practice of professional sports leagues in the 1950s.^[6] Successful clubs saw the draft as anti-competitive. Yankees executive Johnny Johnson equated it with communism.^[7] At the same time, Pulitzer Prize-winning sports columnist Arthur Daley compared the system to a "slave market."^[8]

Prior to the implementation of the First-Year Player Draft, amateurs were free to sign with any Major League team that offered them a contract. As a result, wealthier teams such as the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals were able to stockpile young talent, while poorer clubs were left to sign less desirable prospects.^[9]

In 1947, Major League Baseball implemented the bonus rule, a restriction aimed at reducing player salaries, as well as keeping wealthier teams from monopolizing the player market.^[10] In its most restrictive form, it forbade any team which gave an amateur a signing bonus of more than $4,000 from assigning that player to a minor league affiliate for two seasons. If the player was removed from the major league roster, he became a free agent. The controversial legislation was repealed twice, only to be re-instituted.^[11]

The bonus rule was largely ineffective. There were accusations that teams were signing players to smaller bonuses, only to supplement them with under-the-table payments.^[8] In one famous incident, the Kansas City Athletics signed Clete Boyer, kept him on their roster for two years, then traded him to the Yankees just as he became eligible to be sent to the minor leagues. Other clubs accused the Yankees of using the Athletics as a de facto farm team, and the A's later admitted to signing Boyer on their behalf.^[12] Finally, it was the bidding war for Rick Reichardt, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels for the then outrageous bonus of $200,000 that led to the implementation of the draft.

Major League clubs voted on the draft during the 1964 Winter Meetings. Four teams — the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets — attempted to defeat the proposal, but they failed to convince a majority of teams, and in the end only the Cardinals voted against it.^[13]

The draft[link]

Major League Baseball's first amateur draft was held in June 1965. Teams chose players in reverse order of the previous season's standings, with picks alternating between the National and American Leagues.^[14] With the first pick, the Kansas City Athletics took Rick Monday, an outfielder for Arizona State University.

Originally, three separate drafts were held each year. The June draft, which was by far the largest, involved new high school graduates, as well as college seniors who had just finished their seasons. A second draft was held in January for high school and college players who graduated in the winter. Finally, there was a draft in August for players who participated in amateur summer leagues.^[14] The August draft was eliminated after only two years, while the January draft lasted until 1986.^[15]

Early on, the majority of players drafted came directly from high school. Between 1967 and 1971, only seven college players were chosen in the first round of the June draft.^[16] However, the college players who were drafted outperformed their high school counterparts by what statistician Bill James called "a laughably huge margin."^[17] In 1978, a majority of draftees had played college baseball, and by 2002, the number rose above sixty percent.^[16] While the number of high school players drafted has dropped, those picked have been more successful than their predecessors. In a study of drafts from 1984 to 1999, Baseball Prospectus writer Rany Jazayerli concluded that, by the 1990s, the gap in production between the two groups had nearly disappeared.^[18]

Economic impact[link]

Initially, the draft succeeded in reducing the value of signing bonuses. In 1964, a year before the first draft, University of Wisconsin outfielder Rick Reichardt was given a record bonus of $205,000 ($1,536,180 today) by the Los Angeles Angels. Without competition from other clubs, the Athletics were able to sign Rick Monday for a bonus of only $104,000. It would take until 1979 for a drafted player to receive a bonus higher than Reichardt's.^[19]

Player salaries continued to escalate through the 1980s. In 1986, Bo Jackson became the first draftee to sign a total contract (signing bonus and salary) worth over $1 million ($2,120,219 today).^[20] Jackson, a Heisman Trophy-winning football player for Auburn University, was also the first overall choice in the National Football League Draft, and was offered a $7 million ($14,841,530 today) contract to play football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.^[21]

High school players possessed additional leverage, as they had the option of attending college and re-entering the draft the next year. Agent Scott Boras routinely exploited this advantage to increase the contracts of his clients. In 1990, Boras client Todd Van Poppel signed a $1.2 million ($2,134,692 today) contract with Oakland Athletics, after committing to play for the University of Texas. The following year, Boras negotiated a $1.55 million ($2,644,808 today) contract for Yankees first round pick Brien Taylor, who had said he would attend junior college if he didn't receive a contract equal to Van Poppel's.^[22] By June 2009, a figure as high as $15 million was floated for collegian pitcher Stephen Strasburg.^[23]

Increasingly, teams drafted based on whether or not a player was likely to sign for a particular amount of money, rather than on his talent. This became known as a "signability pick." Before the 1992 draft, team owners unilaterally decided to extend the period of time a team retained negotiating rights to a player from one year to five. In effect, the rule prohibited a high school draftee from attending college and re-entering the draft after his junior or senior seasons. The Major League Baseball Players Association filed a legal challenge, but Major League Baseball argued that, since the Players Association did not represent amateur players, it was not necessary for the union to agree to the change.^[24] An arbitrator ultimately decided that any change to draft articles must be negotiated with the Players Association.^[25]

Procedures and rules[link]

Eligibility[link]

To be drafted a player must fit the following criteria:

• Be a resident of the United States, Canada, or a U.S. territory such as Puerto Rico. Players from other countries are not subject to the draft, and can be signed by any team (unless they are current members of college teams in the aforementioned countries).
• Have never signed a major or minor league contract.
• High school players are eligible only after graduation, and if they have not attended college.
• Players at four-year colleges are eligible after completing their junior years, or after their 21st birthdays.
• Junior and community college players are eligible to be drafted at any time.

Draft order[link]

The general draft order is the reverse order of the previous year's standings. If two teams finish with identical records, the previous year's standings of the two teams is the tiebreaker, with the team having a worse record receiving the higher pick.

Negotiating rights[link]

Prior to 2007, a team retained the rights to sign a selected player until one week prior to the next draft, or until the player enters, or returns to, a four-year college on a full-time basis. Starting in 2007, the deadline for signing a drafted player is August 15. A selected player who enters a junior college cannot be signed until the conclusion of the school's baseball season. A player who is drafted and does not sign with the club that selected him may be drafted again at a future year's draft, so long as the player is eligible for that year's draft. A club may not select a player again in a subsequent year, unless the player has consented to the re-selection.

A player who is eligible to be selected and is passed over by every club becomes a free agent and may sign with any club, up until one week before the next draft, or until the player enters, or returns to, a four-year college full-time or enters, or returns to, a junior college. In the one-week period before any draft, which is called the "closed period", the general rule is that no club may sign a new player.

Compensatory picks[link]

Currently, teams can earn compensatory picks in the draft based on departing free agents. Free Agents are ranked by the Elias Sports Bureau based on their previous two years of playing, and against players of similar positions. Players are categorized as either Class A or Class B, or they fall into the category of all other players. Below is a description of each free agent class and the compensation the free agent's former team received when the player signs with a different team.

• A Class A free agent is ranked in the top 20 percent of players at his position. A team that signs a Type A player gives its top draft pick to the club that the player is leaving; that club also receives a supplemental pick in the "sandwich" round between the first and second rounds.^[26]

• A Class B free agent is ranked below the top 20 percent but in the top 40 percent of players at his position. A team that loses a Type B player receives a supplemental pick, but the signing team does not lose a pick.^[26]

• All other players carry no compensation at all. There had previously been a third class of "Type C" players, but that was eliminated in the most recent CBA.^[26]

To earn a compensatory pick, a free agent must either be signed before the arbitration deadline in early December, or be offered arbitration by their former team but still sign with someone else.

Compensatory picks that one team gives another via this method are the highest available pick that team has, with the exception of picks in the top half of the first round.^[27] These picks are protected from being used as compensation. If a team that picks in the top half of the first draft signs a Type A free agent, they would give up their second round pick. If a team owes two other teams draft picks via Type A free agents, the team whose departing player had a higher score gets the higher ranked pick. A team cannot lose picks it has earned via compensation.

The order of the supplemental round between the first and second rounds is determined by inverse order of the previous year's standings. All the Type A picks are done first, and then the order resets for all the Type B compensation picks.

Teams can also earn compensation for unsigned picks from the previous year's draft. If a team doesn't sign a first or second round pick, they will get to pick at the same slot plus one the following year. For example, if the team with the #5 pick does not sign that player, they would have the #6 pick the following year. The regular draft order would continue around those picks. For compensation for not signing a third round pick, teams would get a pick in a supplemental round between the third and fourth rounds. If a team fails to sign a player with one of these compensated picks, there is no compensation the following year.

Changes for 2012[link]

The adoption of a new collective bargaining agreement between MLB and its players union, starting with the 2012 season, will result in significant changes to the draft.

Free agent compensation[link]

For the 2012 draft, the current "Type A" and "Type B" designations remain in place, but the CBA included special provisions that modified the statuses of 11 players who were Type A free agents under the old CBA. Six of these will be "Modified Type A"—meaning that the signing team does not forfeit a draft pick, but the player's former team will receive a compensatory pick in the same position it would have earned under regular Type A rules. The remaining five will be "Modified Type B", with compensation identical to that for other Type B free agents.^[28]

After the 2012 draft, free agents will no longer be classified by "type". Instead, a team will only be able to receive compensation if it makes its former player an offer at least equal to the average of the 125 richest contracts.^[29] However, if a player is traded during the final season of his contract, his new team will be ineligible to receive any compensation.^[30]

Bonus pool[link]

Starting in 2012, each team will be allocated a "bonus pool" from which it can offer initial contracts to its drafted players. Each team's pool will be based on its draft position and number of picks, plus the amount spent in the previous year's draft. For the 2012 draft, these pools will range from $4.5 million to $11.5 million. If a team goes over its threshold by 5 percent or less, it must pay a "luxury tax" of 75% on the amount over the threshold. Teams that go 5 to 10 percent over must pay a 100% tax on the excess, and will lose their next first-round pick. A team that goes 15 percent over can lose its next two first-round picks, in addition to the "luxury tax".^[29] These excess picks will go to smaller-revenue teams via a yet-to-be-reported formula. Uniquely, these compensatory picks can be traded—marking the first time MLB has allowed trading of draft picks. However, the current rules against trading of regular picks, or picks awarded as free agent compensation, will remain in force.^[30]

Other changes[link]

Teams will no longer be able to offer major league contracts to their draft choices—only minor league contracts will be available. The only exception will be for drafted players who have scholarships in other sports.^[30] Also, the date for signing new picks moves from mid-August to mid-July.^[30]

See also[link]

• List of first overall Major League Baseball draft picks
• Rule 5 Draft

References[link]

External links[link]

• MLB.com official website
• MLB.com - Draft History
• MLB.com - Draft Rules

Below are the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Atlanta Braves:

Prospects[link]

Luis Avilán[link]

Luis Armando Avilán (born July 19, 1989 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a professional baseball pitcher on the Atlanta Braves' 40 man roster.

Avilán signed with the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent in 2008. The Braves added him to the 40 man roster after the 2011 season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Christian Bethancourt[link]

Christian Bethancourt
Bethancourt with the Rome Braves in 2011
Atlanta Braves – No. 68
Catcher
Born: (1991-09-02) September 2, 1991 (age 20) Panaman, Panama
Bats: Right	Throws: Right

Christian Bethancourt (born September 2, 1991 in Panama, Panama) is a catcher in the Atlanta Braves organization. He was signed as a non-drafted international free agent and began his minor league career at the age of 16 in 2008.

Bethancourt was named the seventh most promising catching prospect in baseball by MLB.com prior to the 2012 season.^[1]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Jaye Chapman[link]

Jaye Lawrence Chapman (born May 22, 1987) is a professional baseball pitcher on the Atlanta Braves' 40 man roster.

Chapman was drafted by the Braves in the 16th round of the 2005 MLB Draft. They added him to the 40 man roster after the 2011 season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Eric Cordier[link]

Erik Cordier (born February 25, 1986 in Green Bay, Wisconsin) is a right-handed pitcher currently on the Atlanta Braves 40-man Roster. He has yet to make his major league debut. Cordier was acquired by the Braves in 2007 from the Kansas City Royals in a trade in which the Braves sent Tony Peña, Jr. to the Royals.^[2][3]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Robert Fish[link]

Robert Michael Fish (born January 19, 1988) is a minor league baseball relief pitcher with the Atlanta Braves.

Prior to playing professionally, Fish attended Miller High School in Fontana, California. He was then drafted by the then-Anaheim Angels in the sixth round of the 2006 amateur draft and began his professional career that year.

Pitching for the AZL Angels in 2006, Fish went 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in 10 games (one start), striking out 16 batters in 14 innings. In 2007, he pitched for the Orem Owlz and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (only one game), posting a 3-5 record with a 3.38 ERA in 17 games (16 starts). He struck out 81 batters in 74 2/3 innings that year. With the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2008, Fish went 10-4 with a 4.85 in 28 starts. In 2009, he went 1-6 with a 6.07 ERA in 22 games (13 starts) for the AZL Angels, Quakes and Salt Lake Bees. He again posted an elevated ERA in 2010, going 5-5 with a 6.79 ERA in 49 relief appearances. He struck out 73 batters in 58 1/3 innings.^[4]

He was selected by the New York Yankees in the 2010 Rule 5 Draft.^[5] During spring training, he was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Royals.^[6] He was returned to the Angels prior to the regular season.^[7] Fish was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 2011 Rule 5 Draft by the Atlanta Braves. He suffered an elbow injury during spring training.^[8]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Yohan Flande[link]

Yohan Carlos Flande (born January 27, 1986 in El Seibo, Dominican Republic) is a pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization

On December 19, 2010 Yohan Flande agreed to a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Ian Gac[link]

Ian Whitney Gac (born August 10, 1985 Seattle, Washington) is an American professional baseball infielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. Gac attended Edmonds Woodway High School in Edmonds, Washington before he was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft. He bats and throws right-handed, and primarily plays first base. Over his career, he has played in the Texas Rangers organization (2003–2009) and the Chicago White Sox organization (2010–2011).

Gac was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 26^th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft out of Edmonds Woodway High School. During the 2003 season, Gac played for the rookie-level AZL Rangers in the Arizona League and batted .242 with 22 runs, 44 hits, eight doubles, three home runs, 19 runs batted in (RBIs) in 46 games. In 2004, Gac continued playing with the AZL Rangers. He batted 19 runs, 36 hits, eight doubles, one triple, five home runs and 51 RBIs in 40 games. Gac was promoted to the Clinton Lumber Kings of the Midwest League in 2005. With the Lumber Kings, Gac batted .240 with 42 runs, 83 hits, 24 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs and 57 RBIs in 91 games. In 2006, Gac split the season between the Class-A Clinton Lumber Kings and the Class-A Advanced Bakersfield Blaze. With Clinton, he batted .197 with 21 runs, 41 hits, eight doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 26 RBIs in 54 games.

In 2011, while playing for the Winston-Salem Dash as a designated hitter, Gac was honored as the Carolina League's Most Valuable Player.^[9]

Gac signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves on November 22, 2011.

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Stefan Gartrell[link]

Maurice Stefan Gartrell (born January 14, 1984 in San Francisco, California, USA) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves.

Prior to playing professionally, Gartrell attended Sacred Heart Cathedral High School and later the University of San Francisco. He was drafted by the White Sox in the 31st round of the 2006 amateur draft, being signed by scout Adam Virchis.

He began his professional career in 2006, splitting the year between the Bristol White Sox (61 games) and the Birmingham Barons, hitting a combined .301 in 66 games. In 2007, he played for the Kannapolis Intimidators (95 games) and Winston-Salem Warthogs (20 games), hitting .299 with 14 home runs, 63 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 115 games. He spent all of 2008 with Birmingham, hitting .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBI. In 2009, he played for the Birmingham (101 games) and the Charlotte Knights (31 games), hitting a combined .281 with 23 home runs and 89 RBI in 132 games. In 2010 with the Knights he hit .255 with 27 home runs and 80 RBI in 139 games and 534 at bats.

On April 16, 2011, Gartrell was traded to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations. He will join the Gwinnett Braves, the Braves' Triple-A affiliate.^[10]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Juan Jaime[link]

Juan Jose Jaime (born August 2, 1987) in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.

Jaime signed as an amateur free agent with the Washington Nationals. In 2007, Jaime pitched for the Nationals team in the rookie-level Dominican Summer League. He logged a total of 26⅔ innings in 14 relief appearances, winning 3 games, losing none, and recording a 1.35 ERA. During this span, he struck out 34 batters while issuing just 14 bases on balls.

Following the 2010 season, Jaime was claimed off waivers from the Nationals by the Arizona Diamondbacks.^[11] He was designated for assignment on August 13, 2011,^[12] before being released on August 16. He signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves on August 18.^[13]

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Jose Lugo[link]

Jose Lugo
With the Fort Myers Miracle in 2008
Atlanta Braves
Pitcher
Born: (1984-04-10) April 10, 1984 (age 28) San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Bats: Leftt	Throws: Left

Jose A. Lugo (Adames) (born April 10, 1984 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic) is a minor league relief pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Lugo signed with the Oakland Athletics on January 30, 2002. Over four seasons in their organization, he compiled a 14-6 record. The Minnesota Twins selected Lugo in the Rule V Draft following the 2005 season. He split 2006 between the Elizabethton Twins and Beloit Snappers, going 8-4 with a 3.56 earned run average in 13 games started with Elizabethton and 1-4 with a 4.45 ERA in 22 relief appearances with the Snappers. With Beloit again in 2007, he went 5-6 with a 4.32 ERA in 40 games (seven starts). In 2008, he pitched for the Fort Myers Miracle, making 51 relief appearances and going 2-6 with a 4.04 ERA.

On December 11, 2008, he was acquired by the Kansas City Royals in the Rule V Draft, and on that same day he was traded to the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations.^[14] He was sent back to the Twins on April 1, 2009.^[15]

• Career statistics and player information from Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Christian Marrero[link]

Christian Marrero (born July 30, 1986 in Miami, Florida) is a minor league baseball outfielder who plays with the Gwinnett Braves, Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. He was signed as a free agent by the Chicago White Sox on June 1, 2006.

Christian started his career at rookie ball in the White Sox system in 2006. He worked is way up to Double-A in 2009 and stayed there through the 2011 season. Christian's best season came in 2009 when he split time between High-A Winston-Salem Dash and Double-A Birmingham Barons. He hit .308/.348/.501 with 18 home runs and 74 RBI. Through the 2011 season, Marrero is hitting .284/.361/.450 with 63 home runs and 354 RBI. On April 3, 2012 Marrero was the acquired by the Braves from the White Sox for cash considerations.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Cody Martin[link]

Cody M. Martin (born September 4, 1989 in Dos Palos, California) is a professional baseball pitcher pitching in minor league baseball for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. Prior to being drafted by the Braves, Martin played college baseball at Gonzaga University, where he was named a First Team All-American.

Martin went to Dos Palos High School in Dos Palos, California, appearing in the Fresno City/County All-Star Game.^[16][17] He also played for the school's football team, but stopped playing football after his junior season to focus on baseball.^[18]

Martin attended Gonzaga University, where he played college baseball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs baseball team in the Western Athletic Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. He recorded 15 saves as a relief pitcher for Gonzaga in his freshman and sophomore seasons,^[19] setting the Gonzaga single-season record with nine in his freshman year.^[20] As a junior, Martin served as a starting pitcher, leading Gonzaga with five wins.^[19][21] The Minnesota Twins selected Martin in the 20th round (615th overall) of the 2010 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft,^[21] but he did not sign, returning to Gonzaga for his senior season in 2011. Returning to relief, Martin was named a First Team All-American by Baseball America and Second Team American Baseball Coaches Association All-American after his senior season, in which he led NCAA's Division I in earned run average and batting average against.^[19][22]

The Atlanta Braves drafted Martin in the seventh round (236th overall) of the 2011 MLB Draft.^[23] He signed with the Braves and made his professional debut that season with the Danville Braves of the Rookie-level Appalachian League. He was promoted to the Rome Braves of the Class-A South Atlantic League later that season. He began the 2012 season with the Lynchburg Hillcats of the Class-A Advanced Carolina League.^[24]

Martin's father, Chuck, played professional baseball in the minor leagues for the Braves organization in 1984 and 1985.^[25]

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Cory Rasmus[link]

Cory Taylor Rasmus (born November 6, 1987 in Columbus, Georgia) is a right-handed pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization. He was the second selection in the first round in the 2006 Atlanta Braves Draft. He is listed by the Braves as standing 6'1" and weighing 220 pounds. He is the younger brother of Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus.

Rasmus played as catcher for Phenix City National Little League during the 1999 Little League World Series. He finished the World Series batting .400. One of his many highlights of the regional tournament in St. Petersburg, Florida was picking off catcher Michael "Gator" Genz, a member of the Georgia team.

Rasmus attended Russell County High School in Seale, Alabama. He was selected to play in the 2005 Aflac All American Baseball Classic.^[26]

Rasmus was drafted by the Braves with the 38th pick in the first round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He was assigned to the Gulf Coast Braves (Rookie League) upon signing with the Braves on June 8, 2006. He missed the 2007 season due to shoulder surgery. He resumed pitching in the 2008 season. In 2009 he was pitched in the Appalachian League for the Danville Braves. He was promoted to the Rome Braves of the South Atlantic League to start the 2010 season. After going 6-6 with a 3.48 ERA and being selected as a South Atlantic League All-Star, Rasmus was promoted to the Braves' Class A Advanced affiliate, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on July 22, 2010.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Jason Rice[link]

Jason Rice (born May 13, 1986) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.

Rice was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. He played in the White Sox system through 2008, spending most of the time in Class-A.

He was acquired by the Boston Red Sox in the triple-A phase of the 2008 Rule 5 draft.^[27]

The Red Sox traded Rice to the Oakland Athletics for Conor Jackson on August 31, 2011.^[28] He was called up to the majors for the first time the next day.^[29] Rice did not appear in any games for the Athletics.

Rice was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians on September 6, 2011. He was subsequently outrighted to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, but did not appear in any games for them.

On November 22, 2011, he signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves.

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Edward Salcedo[link]

Edward Starlin Salcedo (July 30, 1991 in La Vega, Dominican Republic) is a shortstop in the Atlanta Braves organization, who played for the single-A Rome Braves for the majority of the 2010 season. He was signed by the Atlanta Braves on February 23, 2010 to a minor league contract. His $1.6 million signing bonus is the largest the Braves have ever given to an international prospect. The Braves say they regard the 6-foot-3 Salcedo as a first-round talent who is projected as a strong offensive and defensive player. He was named the 9th best Atlanta Braves prospect according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus.^[30]

Edward Salcedo's playing career has been delayed due to suspicions about his valid age. He was once considered the top international prospect back in 2007 and was offered a $2.7 million signing bonus by the Cleveland Indians but was voided by the United States government due to his age. Edward Salcedo's first taste of the big leagues did not fair so well, averaging .225 with OPS of .640 in his split times with Dominican Summer League/South Atlantic League.^[31]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Andrelton Simmons[link]

Andrelton Simmons is a minor league baseball shortstop in the Atlanta Braves organization. Before the 2012 season, MLB.com rated Simmons as the 65th best prospect in baseball.^[32]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Joe Terdoslavich[link]

Joseph Terdoslavich (born September 9, 1988 in Sarasota, Florida) is a First Baseman and Third Baseman in the Atlanta Braves organization. Terdoslavich was drafted in the 27th round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays but did not sign. He was later drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 6th round of the 2010 MLB Draft and signed with Braves.

Terdoslavich has had a very successful season in 2011 for the high-A Lynchburg Hillcats in the Braves minor league system and followed that up with a very successful Arizona Fall League, making the Fall League All Star team. He will start the 2012 season playing at AAA for the Gwinnett Braves, making the jump from A to AAA skipping AA.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

José Yépez[link]

Jose Ricardo Yepez (born June 19, 1981 in Carora, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.

He was called up by the Seattle Mariners on June 29, 2011.^[33] After not making an appearance with Seattle, he was designated for assignment on July 6.^[34]

The Atlanta Braves signed Yepez to a minor league contract in November 2011.

• Career statistics and player information from Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Full Triple-A to Rookie League rosters[link]

Triple-A[link]

Double-A[link]

Class A-Advanced[link]

Class A[link]

Rookie[link]

References[link]

Josh Tomlin
Cleveland Indians – No. 43
Pitcher
Born: (1984-10-19) October 19, 1984 (age 27) Tyler, Texas
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
July 27, 2010 for the Cleveland Indians
Career statistics (through May 8, 2012)
Win-Loss	19–13
Earned run average	4.38
Strikeouts	159
Teams
Cleveland Indians (2010–present)

Joshua Aubry Tomlin (born October 19, 1984 in Tyler, Texas) is a Major League Baseball pitcher, Tomlin plays for the Cleveland Indians.