Clippings Tuesday, March 1, 2016 Braves.com

Braves tab Perez to start Grapefruit opener

Righty -- followed by Blair, Newcomb, Sims -- first to audition for rotation spot

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | February 29th, 2016

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Grapefruit League season will give the Braves a chance to determine how close some of their top starting-pitching prospects are to being ready to rise to the Major League level. But it will also determine who will fill the two opening spots in Atlanta's rotation.

Braves Fredi Gonzalez and pitching Roger McDowell will keep an open mind as they spend the next month watching games and determining whether it would be better to fill those spots with youth or experienced veterans who are attempting to rebound.

"There's a lot of good competition," said Gonzalez, who will send Williams Perez to the mound to start Tuesday afternoon's Grapefruit League season opener against the Orioles at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex.

The Braves know that Julio Teheran will likely make his third consecutive Opening Day start and that he will likely be followed by Bud Norris and . But they could go a few different routes while filling the final two spots.

Perez and Manny Banuelos are candidates for those vacancies who tasted some success pitching for Atlanta last year. The Braves will also keep an open mind as they watch Aaron Blair, who appears to be the one prospect who has at least an outside chance of making the leap to the Majors to begin the season.

As the Braves attempt to enrich their future and gain a better feel for what they'll have in the future, they may give starts to Blair, Sean Newcomb, Tyrell Jenkins and at some point during the regular season. They also want to maintain some flexibility for , who is a couple of weeks behind with his preseason preparations because of the blood clot that sidelined him in September.

But as the Braves come off a 67-win season that was significantly influenced by the growing pains of their young , they might be tempted to go with the experience offered by Kyle Kendrick or Jhoulys Chacin, veterans who signed Minor League contracts this offseason.

"There's still a lot of to go and a lot of innings these guys need to complete to be ready," Gonzalez said.

After Perez starts Tuesday's opener, the Braves will get a look at some of their top prospects. Blair will start Wednesday's game against the Orioles in Sarasota. Newcomb is slated to throw the first two innings of Thursday's home game against the Tigers. Sims will get the start during Friday's game against the Phillies in Clearwater.

While Blair will get another start when the Braves travel to Dunedin, Fla., on Monday to face the Blue Jays, Sims and Newcomb might be used as relievers during the second turn through the rotation.

Teheran will face a group of Braves Minor Leaguers on Friday and then make his first Grapefruit League start on March 9 against the Astros in Kissimmee, Fla. Norris will make his first start on Saturday, and Wisler's first start against big leaguers will come on March 8 against the Mets.

Banuelos, who had a bone chip removed from his left elbow in September, will not make a start until the latter part of the Grapefruit season's second week. But because the Braves will not need a fifth starter until April 12, the young southpaw still could begin the season as one of Atlanta's five starting pitchers.

Kendrick confident battling for starter spot for 1st time

Righty joined Braves on Minors deal after uneven season with Rockies

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | February 29th, 2016

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Kyle Kendrick spent the early portion of his career as the oft-forgotten member of those great Phillies rotations that were headlined by Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels. Now the 31-year-old right-hander finds himself forced to fight for a spot within the Braves' rotation.

Coming off a disappointing season with the Rockies, Kendrick has come to Braves camp as a non-roster invitee. His hope in gaining one of those two rotation spots hinges on how he pitches over the next few weeks and whether Atlanta chooses to fill one of the vacancies with a veteran.

"This is the first time in my career that I have been in this position," Kendrick said. "But I understand that as long as I am healthy and I'm able to do what I've done in the past, I have no worries. If I'm healthy and throwing like I can, I feel like I can help this team win."

Julio Teheran, Bud Norris and Matt Wisler are projected to fill the first three spots in Atlanta's rotation. The top candidates for the final two spots are Williams Perez, Manny Banuelos, Jhoulys Chacin and Kendrick.

Kendrick has struggled to live up to the expectations that were set when he posted a 3.87 ERA while making his first 20 career starts for the 2007 Phillies. He signed a free-agent deal with the Rockies last year and then paid the Coors Field consequences, as he posted a 6.32 ERA over 27 starts.

When Kendrick signed his Minor League deal with the Braves, he knew that he has had some previous success in Atlanta. He posted a 2.93 ERA in the nine starts he made at Turner Field while pitching for the Phillies from 2007-14.

"Part of the reason I didn't get a Major League deal was because of the year that I had, and I understand that," Kendrick said. "I'm not going to make any excuses, but it definitely didn't help my cause pitching in Colorado. But that's over with. I learned a lot, and I'm happy to be here. I've wanted to be a Brave for a while."

Braves hire Andruw as special assistant to baseball ops

Former All-Star to work with , aid in internal initiatives

By Mark Bowman / MLB.com | @mlbbowman | February 29th, 2016

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- As Andruw Jones spent the past week coaching and evaluating young outfielders, the Braves quickly gained the sense that they would like him to fill this role on a regular basis.

Adding yet another legend to their revamped front office, the Braves announced Jones will serve as a special assistant to the baseball operations department. This is the same title that the Braves gave to the All-Star 's longtime Atlanta teammate, , in December.

"It's going to be fun," Andruw Jones said. "We're just trying to be a part of the organization that we were with for a long time and where we started. We're trying to help and rebuild it back to where it used to be as a competitive organization for a long time."

It is fitting that the Braves have welcomed the Joneses back into their organization just before they bid adieu to their current home. This duo significantly influenced the long stretch of success the Braves carried into this century, and in the process, they established themselves as the most productive players in Turner Field's history.

"We're happy to have [Andruw] back," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He's been terrific. He's been an asset to Spring Training."

When the regular season begins, Andruw Jones will assist the Braves with some international initiatives, but his primary focus will be to provide assistance to some of the clubs young outfielders. The 10-time Gold Glove Award winner has gotten a taste of this responsibility, as he has spent the past week working with Mallex Smith, a talented young center fielder who could reach the Majors at some point this season.

"We didn't [define] how many times I'm going to be on the field and how many times I'm going to go down to the Minor Leagues to see the guys down there," Jones said. "It's up in the air. Right now, we're just in Spring Training trying to help put the team together, so that when they go back north, we've got a solid defensive outfield and a solid team."

While playing for the Braves from 1996-2007, Jones never shied away from the chance to speak his mind. This trait has proved valuable as he has had the chance to evaluate all of the outfielders in camp. He recently told Gonzalez that he believes Hector Olivera is more than capable of making a smooth transition from third base to left field.

Jones earned five All-Star selections and captured 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards while playing for the Braves. He won the 's and finished second in National League Most Valuable Player Award balloting after he a franchise record 51 home runs in 2005 -- the same year the Braves won the last of their 14 consecutive division titles. "I'm trying to teach the kids the right things," Jones said. "That makes me happy. So I think that is why this decision was made."

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Why Braves bring some prospects to camp with no chance to make team

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The Braves’ spring-training clubhouse is jam-packed with 70 players, some of whom have zero chance of making the opening-day roster.

So why did guys like elite shortstop Ozzie Albies and outfield prospect Braxton Davidson, each just 19 years old and with no chance of breaking camp with the major league team, get invited to camp when it was already going to be overcrowded this spring?

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was asked that question specifically about Davidson, a first-round pick in the 2014 draft. But his answer could apply indirectly to Albies and plenty of other youngsters who are in major league camp for the first weeks of spring training.

“Just the experience of being around major league players, and a major league atmosphere at spring training,” Gonzalez said. “It’s got to help (Davidson), Here’s another guy that made himself better (during the offseason), so you him out there. Obviously he’s not going to make the club, but why not give him the experience? We’ve always done that.

“We always seem to (invite) one or two young guys who aren’t going to make the club, to give them a little experience. Not so much that they’re going to get too cocky or too comfortable when they get sent down (to minor league camp), but just enough to go, ‘OK, this is what major league camp is about. When I come back in a year, or maybe late August or September’ – not that I’m saying he’s going to do that, but some other guys (might) – then they say, ‘OK, this is the way I behave, this is the way they do stuff in the big leagues.’”

Braves hire Andruw Jones as special assistant

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The Braves have hired their 10-time former Gold Glove winnner Andruw Jones as a special assistant in baseball operations, where his primary focus will be working with the team’s minor league outfielders.

Jones, 38, will also assist in the Braves’ international initiatives. He was named last week as a 2016 inductee to the Braves Hall of Fame along with team president John Schuerholz.

“It’s good to be back in the organization that you started with,” said Jones, who has been in Braves camp as a guest instructor for the past week. “Trying to help the organization get better by working with the young guys. Hopefully they can learn something from you, the experience that you have and the time that you’ve been here in the organization, and (also) explain how great this organization is. Trying to make it better as it goes into the future.”

On the day of the Braves Hall of Fame announcement, Jones made official his retirement as a player. He last played in the majors in 2012 with the Yankees and spent two seasons (2013-2014) playing in Japan.

Signed at 16 out of Curacao by the Braves, Jones spent his first 12 major league seasons with the Braves, hitting 368 home runs for them and winning 10 consecutive Gold Gloves before leaving as a free agent after the 2007 season.

The hiring comes two months after the Braves hired Jones’ longtime former teammate, retired Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, as a special assistant to baseball operations. Chipper will work with Braves hitters in the last couple of weeks of spring training and before some home games during the season, and help with special scouting assignments.

“It’s going to be fun,” said Andruw Jones, who said it hadn’t been determined how many days he’ll work during the season. “Trying to be part of the organization that we’ve been with for a long time, that we started with. Trying to help it rebuild and get back where it used to be, a competitive organization for a long time….

“This is where I began my career and I’m looking forward to working with the young players and watching them develop.”

Braves general manager John Coppolella joked that Andruw looked so good in uniform this past week that “he might pull a Michael Jordan” and come back to play. “We are very excited to add Andruw to our staff as a special assistant,” Coppolella said. “He is perhaps the most accomplished defensive outfielder in our organization’s history and one of the best in baseball history. He signed at the age of 16 and was developed in this organization. He can offer a lot of experience and knowledge to our young players and we look forward to his contributions.”

Jones was a five-time All-Star who hit .254 with 434 home runs, 1,289 RBIs, 152 stolen bases and an .823 OPS in 17 major league seasons. He entertained thoughts of a comeback with a major league team this season, but said last month at Braves FanFest that he planned to announce his retirement soon. He did that last week.

He made his major league debut in August 1996 with the Braves, and two months later hit two home runs in Game 1 of the against the Yankees in New York. He became the youngest to hit a in a World Series game.

Braves’ Andruw Jones adapts quickly to new role

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – He’s new to the coaching thing, but Andruw Jones is already showing he might have a knack for it and the desire to do more than offer an occasional tip or two.

The Braves’ former 10-time Gold Glove winner was hired Monday as a special assistant, a job that will have Jones primarily working with the team’s minor league outfielders during the season, although he will also be involved in international initiatives and probably work some with big-league outfielders.

He’s been at spring training as a guest instructor nearly a week and will stay through March 6, working with prospects and major league outfielders including Hector Olivera, the Cuban who’s learning to play left field after switching from third base following the 2015 season.

“He’s been terrific,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Jones. “He’s been an asset to spring training. I’ve seen him working with Olivera. He came over to me unannounced a couple of days ago and said, ‘I think this guy can play left field.’ He goes, ‘You’ve got (Ender) Inciarte in center, so that’ll take a lot of pressure off (Olivera). Which makes sense. Andruw goes, ‘I think he’s athletic enough and I think he’s got enough speed that I think he could play left field.’”

One of the key players Jones is expected to work with this season is speedy center-field prospect Mallex Smith. The two already have talked and worked together at spring training.

“He’s a very smooth outfielder. Very, very smooth,” Jones said. “Couple of things he needs to work on, but those are things, if he wants to work on them and try to get better it will be easy, because he’s a great athlete.”

Gonzalez said it was his understanding that Jones would work primarily with minor league outfielders during the season, but said he would welcome him to occasionally suit up and work with big-leaguers before home games.

Jones, 38, spent the first 12 seasons of his major league career with the Braves and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves before leaving as a free agent after the 2007 season. He last played in the majors in 2012 and then spent two seasons playing in Japan.

What made him decide to consider the special-assistant position with the Braves?

“When the opportunity came up I talked with Scott (Boras, his agent) and told him I probably wasn’t going to play anymore,” said Jones, who has kept his permanent home in Atlanta since the beginning of his career. “He said, do what you want to do. My dad always said, if you know something, just try to stay in it. And try to pass it along to the upcoming guys or the younger guys.

“(Share) the experience of the things you know — so when you look back you look at that kid and say, I helped him get better and I helped him get where he’s at right no. Those are the things I had on my mind when it came time to retire. That’s all you know your whole life – you play this game so long. So to get a chance to come out here, be at spring training and show up and try to teach the kids the right things and things you know — it makes me happy. That’s why the decision came up.”

Braves prospects Blair, Sims, Newcomb to get early starts

By David O'Brien - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Prospect Aaron Blair gets a couple of starts within the first two times through the Braves rotation this spring, while left- hander Manny Banuelos isn’t scheduled to make his spring debut until March 12.

Those were among the points of interest Monday when Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez announced his starting-rotation plays for the first nine Grapefruit League games. Williams Perez will start the Braves’ spring opener Tuesday (1 p.m.) against the at Champion Stadium, and Blair gets a start Wednesday when the Braves bus over to face the Orioles again in Sarasota, Fla.

Gonzalez is giving a few of the organization’s top pitching prospects a start or two apiece in the first part of the Grapefruit League schedule, to give them a taste of big-league competition and give the coaching staff and team officials a chance to see them before they’re sent to minor league camp.

Blair might be the closest to the majors among the group of four top Braves pitching prospects that could make their big-league debuts at some point during the 2017 season.

The others are No. 1 pitching prospect Sean Newcomb, who gets the Game 3 start Thursday against the Tigers; Lucas Sims, who starts Friday against the Phillies in Clearwater, Fla., and Tyrell Jenkins, who was the Braves’ minor league of the Year in 2015 but only has 25 starts above Single-A.

Jenkins wasn’t among the pitchers listed for starts in the first nine games.

Planned opening-day starter Julio Teheran is scheduled to pitch his first game in a minor-league scrimmage Friday while Sims pitches the Braves’ main game.

None of the prospects are expected to compete for a spot in the opening-day rotation. However, if several others struggled or got hurt, Blair or another prospect might get consideration for the opening rotation

Still, the Braves have about eight other pitchers competing for spots in the rotation to begin the season, and Gonzalez indicated five who’d get the most starts this spring to get “stretched out” for the season were Teheran and, in no certain order, second-year starter Matt Wisler, veteran Bud Norris, and non-roster invitees Kyle Kendrick and Jhoulys Chacin.

Norris is set to start the fifth game Saturday against the Pirates, followed by Kendrick on Sunday against the Mets, and Blair in his second start Monday against the Blue Jays. Wisler makes his spring debut with a March 8 start against the Mets, and Teheran gets his first start March 9 vs. the Astros.

Gonzalez was asked why Perez, after starting the Grapefruit League opener, wasn’t scheduled to start again in the next eight games. He said it was because the right-hander is a known commodity.

“Williams could start, could come in as a reliever, be that swing guy,” Gonzalez said. “But we know him, we’re comfortable with him, so let’s watch some of the other guys (early in camp). He could come in as a reliever and get some work. After the first game he could come in and fill in any of those games.”

Gonzalez said Sims, the former first-round draft pick from Brookwood High School, might “piggyback” with Teheran on March 9 and pitch 2-3 innings after Teheran leaves the game.

Banuelos, who had arthroscopic surgery in September to remove a bone chip from his previously Tommy John surgery-repaired elbow, is a little behind other pitchers. Another of the Braves’ young starters, Mike Foltynewicz, is coming back from surgery to remove a rib after having blood clots in his arm in September, and he’s also behind other pitchers.

“We’re just making sure, following the protocol with Banuelos,” Gonzalez said. “With Folty we’re not ready to give you a date” when he’ll be ready for games.

Banuelos is set for his first start near the end of the second week of games. That could still give him enough time to get ready if he were to break camp as the fifth starter, since the Braves won’t need a fifth starter until April 12 in the seventh game of the season.

But, Gonzalez said, “Let’s not pencil him in to be the fifth, because there’s a lot of good competition — really. Chacin is throwing the ball well.”

Manfred full of it on lack of Hispanic baseball managers

By Michael Cunningham

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez is the only Hispanic manager in . That surprises me. The only reason I know it is because he appeared on a segment of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that examined the issue.

It’s surprising because managers are almost exclusively ex-ballplayers, and the number of Latino players has increased every year to about 30 percent now. Also, about 25 percent of major league coaches are Hispanic.

In the OTL piece baseball commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledged that the lack of Hispanic mangers is a problem. But instead of promising to be proactive and vowing to do better, Manfred made plenty of excuses. That includes this comment on Hispanic players’ educational backgrounds: “Obviously the quantitative part of our game has exploded. And to the extent that you are dealing with big data, analyzing that data and making decisions made on that data, higher education can be an advantage.”

Wait . . . what? This sort of felt like an Al Campanis moment, just more subtle than coming right out and saying Hispanics aren’t smart enough to do the job. In addition to being insulting to Hispanics, Manfred’s comment is transparently BS on multiple levels.

First, major league teams sign most players from Latin America while they are still teenagers. That means the vast majority of Hispanic players don’t go to college. Now Manfred says that’s a reason they are not being hired as managers when they are done playing. That’s a rigged game.

Manfred’s assertion that a college education is helpful for analyzing data is true . . . for general managers and other senior front-office personnel. Field managers do not need to analyze data at the granular level. Anything beyond the basics can be explained to the manager by all of those numbers-smart executives who now dominate front offices (for the Braves that’s GM John Coppolella, among others).

Also, there are a lot of American players who never went to college. Most elite high school prospects go straight to the pros. Five current major- league managers are ex-players who didn’t go to college: (Angels), John Gibbons (Blue Jays), Don Mattingly (Marlins), Pete MacKanin (Phillies) and (Pirates). All of those guys are Caucasian.

For managers, crunching sophisticated numbers is less important than knowing how to make in-game decisions and run a clubhouse. The best way to learn those things is to actually manage pro ballplayers. But there are seven current big-league managers who never did the job at any pro level before getting their current jobs: Scott Servais (Mariners), (Brewers), Brad Ausmus (Tigers), Robin Ventura (White Sox), Dave Roberts (Dodgers), (Cardinals) and Walt Weiss (Rockies). That’s six Caucasian guys and one guy with a black father and Japanese mother (Roberts).

Ozzie Guillen, formerly the manager of the White Sox and the Marlins, told Outside the Lines that it’s hard for Hispanic players who paid their dues to see managers get hired with no experience.

“It’s like a knife stab you in the middle of your heart,” Guillen said.

It seems a college education isn’t an important consideration for Americans to get a shot at managing a major league team. Previous pro managing experience also seems optional for those candidates. But Hispanic candidates apparently have to check all of the right boxes to get a chance.

It doesn’t make sense from the perspective of the clubs. If chances are that seven or eight players on a roster speak Spanish as their first (and sometimes only) language, then an experienced manager who is fluent in Spanish is an asset. Certainly he has an edge over a manager who relies on Spanish-speaking coaches to communicate with those players.

“I’m bilingual,” Alex Cora told OTL from his native Puerto Rico, where he manages a winter club. “The game is becoming more and more Latino, let’s be honest. I think that’s an advantage.”

Yet according to OTL just one Hispanic person was hired for the 25 manager positions open since 2012. Manfred said he’s committed to enforcing the so-called “Selig rule” in a way that requires teams with manager openings to interview at least one Hispanic candidate. Yet he wouldn’t name the one club he said he fined for violating the rule. What’s the point if there is no public shaming of violators?

Cora said he thinks Hispanics will get more opportunities when clubs “start looking at us as capable instead of Latinos.” Guillen said they deserve the chance.

“I think there should be more attention to what we can bring to the table not because baseball is not running the game right or (is) wrong,” Guillen said. “Not because we are in the minority. I think we need (an) opportunity because of what we know about the game.”

Somebody tell Manfred that’s not something you learn in college.

Braves’ payroll is fourth lowest in baseball

By Tim Tucker - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A new securities filing by Braves owner Liberty Media tallied the amount of guaranteed contracts on the team’s books.

The tally: As of Dec. 31, the Braves owed players $77 million in guaranteed salaries for the 2016 season, $54 million for 2017, $49 million for 2018, $40 million for 2019 and $53 million thereafter, according to Liberty’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.

The 2016 figure shows that this season’s payroll is positioned to be at the low end of the MLB scale — currently fourth lowest among the 30 teams, according to the payroll tracker at spotrac.com. The 2017 figure means the Braves would have to go on quite a spending spree if the payroll is going to rise as high as many had originally expected when the team moves to SunTrust Park next year.

When the Braves signed Freddie Freeman, Andrelton Simmons, Craig Kimbrel and Julio Teheran to long-term contracts totaling a guaranteed $267.4 million several months after the November 2013 announcement of the new stadium, those contracts were back-loaded so that the four players would make a combined $193.8 million after the new stadium opens. But Simmons and Kimbrel had a combined $87 million remaining on their contracts when they were traded, including $61 million that would have been due after SunTrust Park is scheduled to open.

In last week’s SEC filing, Liberty Media credited “lower player salaries and game operating costs” for improving the Braves’ operating income last year, despite a $7 million drop in revenue because of lower attendance and reduced concessions sales.

Royals’ Yost a believer in Braves’ way

Former Braves coach took the to the World Series title last fall. And there’s a story from six years ago about his belief in the process it took for the club to get there.

It’s a belief born of his time with the Braves (from 1991-2002), and it holds promise for these Braves (and for Braves fans).

Last week, Kansas City Star columnist Sam Mellinger tolds Yost’s story from Surprise, Ariz., one with a key moment that happened six years ago. Mellinger wrote:

Yost had developed something like a baseball crush on many of the Royals’ young players, and had started telling friends he had never in his life been wrong about something that he had ever been this sure about.

Quickly, however, Yost was learning that part of his job (as manager) would be as The Process’ salesman, the conduit from the team to the doubters — which, at least on this night, included David Glass. The club’s owner was angry, frustrated.

“I don’t like watching this team,” Glass is remembered saying. “It upsets me. I don’t like it.”

Yost snapped back.

“Mr. Glass, then don’t watch,” he recalls saying. “Alright? Do not watch right now. But it’s going to get better. Trust me, it’s going to get better.”

Yost, now in the midst of his victory lap, told Mellinger about his time in Atlanta and his belief that a young core takes 2 1/2 years to become big- league level winners. After 2 1/2 years, the Royals won 86 the next season, and then 95 and a title the next.

“So that 2 1/2 -year mark,” Yost says, “it was exactly right.”

So should the Braves model themselves after the Royals? The AJC’s Mark Bradley says not so fast.

Fox Sports

Former Braves star Andruw Jones named special assistant to baseball operations

Andruw Jones will help develop the Atlanta Braves' outfielders and assist with the organization's international efforts.

By Staff

Andruw Jones is the latest Braves legend to re-join the franchise on a full-time basis.

The 10-time Gold Glove outfielder, who will be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame this summer, was named special assistant to baseball operations on Monday. In his new role, Jones will assist with the organization's outfielders as well as its efforts in the international market. He will report to president of baseball operations John Hart and general manager John Coppolella.

"This is where I began my career and I'm looking forward to working with the young players and watching them develop," Jones said in a statement.

Jones, a five-time All-Star and the primary defensive anchor of the franchise's run of 14 consecutive division titles, was already in Braves camp serving as a special instructor. He could be found around the team's spring training complex working with young outfielders like Mallex Smith and Ender Inciarte.

"He is perhaps the most accomplished defensive outfielder in our organization's history and one of the best in baseball history," Coppolella said in a statement. "He signed at the age of 16 and was developed in this organization. He can offer a lot of experience and knowledge to our young players and we look forward to his contributions."

This is growing a trend for the front office. Earlier this offseason, the team added longtime third baseman Chipper Jones to its coaching and developmental staff and the lineup of special instructors during camp has included Tim Hudson, and Javy Lopez. Associated Press

Former star OF Andruw Jones is new Braves special assistant

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Atlanta Braves are bringing back former 10-time Gold Glove center fielder Andruw Jones as a special assistant to baseball operations.

Jones already was with the team as a guest instructor in spring training. Under the official capacity, he will focus on working with Braves outfielders. Jones, a native of Curacao, also will assist with the team's international initiatives.

Chipper Jones also returned to the team this year in a similar capacity.

Andruw Jones, a five-time NL All-Star, won his string of Gold Gloves from 1998-2007. He set a Braves franchise record with 51 homers in 2005.

The 38-year-old Jones played in Japan the last two years before retiring. The team announced last week Jones will be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame this summer.