I was flipping back and forth between the XM Radio Grateful Dead station and XM 175 tonight on my drive home and caught some of the interview with Mark Bowman, the Atlanta Braves beat writer for MLB.com. Bowman was interview by Joe Castellano and Jim Bowden.
As I switched over, Bowman was talking about the Braves interest in Mike Cameron and Marlon Byrd. I haven't heard this rumor before, but I was curious where Nate McLouth would play should the Braves sign Cameron or Byrd as they are both centerfielders. I assume McLouth will play right field till Jason Heyward is ready, but I thought the Braves were going to allow Heyward a chance to win the right field job in spring training.
More after the jump:
Bowden and Castellano then asked about Heyward, and Bowman felt that the Braves will have him play a few more months in AAA before bringing him up in June, similar to how they handled Tommy Hanson this year.
Should Heyward get the call in June, and everyone expects that to happen, I assume Matt Diaz would either be trade bait or platoon with McLouth and Heyward, as he crushed left-handed pitching to the tune of .412-.464-.640-1.103 in 136 at bats in 2009.
So who should the Braves sign? Cameron went 24-70-7-.250-..342-.452-.795 with the Brewers in 2009, while Byrd went 20-89-8-.283-.329-.479-.808 with Texas in 2009.