Atlanta Braves Sign 2B Gordon Beckham

The Atlanta Braves, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, have signed 2B Gordon Beckham to a one-year deal worth $1.25 Million. Beckham played at the University of Georgia.

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Atlanta Braves have signed former Chicago White Sox 2B Gordon Beckham to a one-year deal worth $1.25 Million.

Sources: #Braves have signed free-agent infielder Gordon Beckham to a one-year, $1.25M contract.

Sources: #Braves have signed free-agent infielder Gordon Beckham to a one-year, $1.25M contract.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 2, 2015

Beckham helped lead the 2008 Georgia Bulldogs baseball team to a game of winning the College World Series over Fresno State. He was the 8th overall selection in the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft and spent most of his 7-year MLB with the Chicago White Sox, briefly playing 26 games with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2014.

In his seven big league seasons, Gordon Beckham is below average Major League hitter with a .242/.304/.372 splits. This is understandable given that he is a middle infielder by trade. During his first four years in the league, Beckham provided double-digit homer power three times and had a career in RBI’s as a 22-year-old rookie in 2009 with 63.

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This acquisition seems like another buy low, sell high type of signing for the Atlanta Braves. Beckham signs a team-friendly one-year deal to play for his hometown team. The former Georgia Bulldogs played in high school at the prestigious Westminster School in Atlanta. Having the shot to play for the Braves could likely spark a solid year for 29-year-old middle infielder.

What I remember the most about Gordon Beckham was his on-field leadership collegiately. He and relief pitcher Josh Fields helped navigate a good, but not great Georgia Bulldogs baseball team to College World Series Champion versus Fresno State. Before Alex Wood came along, Beckham and the late-blooming Fields were the two premier products out of UGA from the baseball diamond.

This signing of Gordon Beckham could mean one of several things for the 2016 Atlanta Braves going forward:

1. The Atlanta Braves may not land 2B Ben Zobrist after all. Zobrist plans to make his decision in a matter of days, but he and Beckham play the same position.

2. This could mean that Atlanta is growing tired of 2B Jace Peterson‘s inability to hit off-speed stuff. By bringing in Gordon Beckham in some type of platoon capacity could allow either big leaguer to emerge as a starter, while the other is promptly shipped out of town by GM John Coppolella for more assets.

3. Gordon Beckham may have the intrinsic qualities of a veteran leader that the Atlanta Braves are always looking for in rebuilding their team. Perhaps Beckham is no longer an everyday player as a big leaguer and may want to assume a mentor role with his hometown team.

4. This may also have something to do with promising IF prospect Daniel Castro reportedly not having a stellar season in winter ball. Castro emerged as one of the better stories in the awful second half of the 2015 Atlanta Braves.

While he may not have lived up to the lofty expectations after being drafted 8th overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2008, maybe Gordon Beckham experiences a career renaissance playing for his hometown team in 2016. Atlanta has very little to lose in bringing a veteran player like Gordon Beckham.

Expect Coppolella to continue to make many more team-friendly signings this offseason with the future of the baseball club in mind. While Gordon Beckham could serve as a mentor/second base placeholder, I hope that his game progresses while playing for his hometown Atlanta Braves.

Next: Jim Johnson Back with the Atlanta Braves

Much of the often crossing over fan bases of Dawg Nation and Braves Country didn’t like Alex Wood/Hector Olivera trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In a way, signing a popular UGA player like Gordon Beckham alleviates, albeit belatedly, the pain of losing the Braves’ favorite Dawg in 2015. Welcome back home, Gordon Beckham!

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