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This offseason has been surprising—and perhaps somewhat painful—for the Atlanta Braves, who, as part of a somewhat unexpected rebuilding effort spearheaded by a new front office, traded away a trio of their most popular, polarizing players.

Another word that could be used to accurately describe the Braves winter? Justified.

As in, new president of baseball operations John Hart and Co. were justified in the decision to take this route, even considering Atlanta began the offseason with enough talent on the roster to make a rebound campaign a reasonable hope.

After all, this is the Atlanta Braves, a franchise that has been one of the most consistent in baseball, capturing 14 straight NL East titles from 1991 to 2005 and posting five consecutive winning seasons from 2009 to 2013 prior to last year’s second-half collapse (27-40) that led to a 79-83 mark.

After that kind of sustained success, pushing the restart button doesn’t come easy.

But that’s what Hart has done—that’s what he needed to do—after taking over for former general manager Frank Wren. And there are a number of reasons why.

First and foremost, Wren had left the Braves farm system lacking in both quality and quantity after years of mediocre, uninspiring drafts.

“We had a tough year, and I know there was a lot of speculation about us going into this winter,” Hart said, according to Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We had the 29th-ranked farm system in baseball. We had some bad contracts.”

As Keith Law of ESPN writes of Atlanta’s system, now the sixth-best in baseball:

They were a bottom-5 system when the offseason started, but six trades later, they’ve built up a stash of prospects that makes up for five years of execrable drafts and very little production from their Latin American efforts. Ten of their top 12 prospects have appeared on at least one of my past three top-100 rankings, including six this year.

To get there, Hart had to bite the bullet by swapping young outfielders Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and Evan Gattis, each of whom was a homegrown product or a popular player—or both.

But the 25-year-old Heyward, whom the Braves drafted 14th overall in 2007, and the 27-year-old Upton, who hit 56 homers in two seasons in Atlanta after being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks, were entering their final year under contract.

With both stars set to become free agents in line for nine-figure paydays, there was no way the Braves could afford to bring back both—let alone even one. Especially not after spending a lot last winter to lock up other young talent, like first baseman Freddie Freeman, closer Craig Kimbrel, shortstop Andrelton Simmons and righty Julio Teheran.

In return for Heyward, who was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals, and Upton, who is now a San Diego Padre, Atlanta landed young, team-controlled, high-upside talent: big league righty Shelby Miller, as well as a slew of prospects—righty Tyrell Jenkins, lefty Max Fried, infielders Jace Peterson and Dustin Peterson and outfielder Mallex Smith.

And in dealing Gattis—the man, the myth, the legend affectionately known as El Oso Blanco—to the Houston Astros, the Braves cashed in at peak value, getting two very good prospects in right-hander Mike Foltynewicz and third baseman Rio Ruiz for a powerful but offensively flawed, defensively limited, injury-prone player who already is 28 years old.

In short, Hart made the Braves younger and cheaper with each of these moves, which also was the right choice given the state of the NL East, a division Atlanta used to dominate but that instead was flag-planted by the Washington Nationals last year and very well could be again.

After winning the East by (count ’em) 17 games over the Braves and New York Mets, the Nationals went out and signed right-hander Max Scherzer for $210 million, one of the game’s very best starting pitchers, making arguably the sport’s best rotation even better.

With the Mets and Miami Marlins also on the upswing, armed with enough young talent to have a chance to make a run at a wild-card spot this year, that would have left little room for the Braves to make any headway in 2015.

“Look, we weren’t going to be favored even if we kept everybody and added two pitchers,” Hart said via Paul Newberry in The Augusta Chronicle. “But I think the future is significantly brighter because of what we were able to do this winter.”

And Atlanta would have been even worse in 2016 without Heyward and Upton. So Atlanta traded them while it still could—while they still had value—and managed to pull in promising returns in the form of youngsters who can develop and grow and blossom between now and, oh, 2017.

That, of course, is when SunTrust Park, the Braves’ new stadium in Cobb County, is slated to open.

So in fact, all of this activity has the team aimed at once again being a contender by the time the address changes. At least, that’s how this could shake out, in theory.

After a busy—and rather unexpected—offseason, the Braves are going to look a lot different in 2015 than they did in 2014.

While that might hurt a bit next year, if they make good on their returns and time everything right, the decision will look smart—and the pain will be gone—by 2017.

Statistics are accurate through the 2014 season and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11.

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The MLB offseason figures to be a busy one for many teams across the league, and we can expect to see many familiar faces in new places once the dust settles.

Some notable transactions have already come to fruition, most recently a one-year deal for A.J. Burnett with the Pittsburgh Pirates. With a healthy amount of coveted players sitting on the free-agent market or rumored to be involved in trade talks, there will be no shortage of gossip floating around the Web any time soon.

A few pieces of information regarding some of the league’s well-known players have recently surfaced from trusted sources across the Internet. Here’s a look at the latest and greatest rumors as a frenzied offseason continues.

Jon Lester Latest

Lester really stepped up during his short time with the Oakland Athletics last season. Through 11 starts with the club, he allowed 66 hits, 20 earned runs and 16 walks while striking out 71 for a 6-4 record and a 2.35 ERA. He also tallied one complete-game shutout over that span.

That late-season success has piqued the interest of several clubs, via Peter Gammons:

Although, two stand out above the rest as very intriguing options.

According to Jeffery Flanagan of Fox Sports, the Kansas City Royals had discussions with the southpaw’s agents. This is interesting considering Lester pitched against the Royals in the American League Wild Card Game, going 7.1 innings and allowing eight hits and six runs for a 7.36 ERA.

The Royals have a phenomenal bullpen but could use some depth in their starting rotation, making Lester a nice fit.

Perhaps more interesting is discussions between Lester’s camp and his former team, the Boston Red Sox. The left-hander was traded to Oakland after spending the better part of nine seasons with Boston, and now it appears as though they want him back.

According to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com, the interest is expected to be real, and he gives some insight into what the team could be offering:

By now, both sides have a pretty good idea what it will take to get a deal done. Agent Seth Levinson would not be wasting Lester’s time, nor his own, with this meeting unless he had received a direct signal, from Cherington or, just as likely, Lucchino, that the Sox are prepared to make an offer that will not insult the intelligence of the parties involved.

That means an offer of at least five years, more likely six. Anything below $120 million is probably a nonstarter.

We probably shouldn’t expect a deal of this magnitude to be completed once the meeting ends; however, we should have a great idea of just how good the changes are of these parties hammering out a deal.

Jason Heyward Latest

There’s a strong possibility the Atlanta Braves will look to deal Heyward during the offseason. The 25-year-old outfielder is entering the final year of his contract, and there’s a chance Atlanta may not be able to ink him to a long-term deal.

According to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Constitution-Journal, the Braves are looking to add pitching, and if they do enter a rebuilding phase, a trade could be expected:

Whatever the eventual stated goal is, it became pretty clear to me the past few days that the Braves are likely to trade at least one of their corner outfielders, Jason Heyward and Justin Upton, both of whom are eligible for free agency a year from now and can probably expect to command long-term contracts worth at least a combined  $35 million annually and perhaps closer to $40 million annually.

If Atlanta does look to trade Heyward, which team is a likely suitor?

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports did tweet that several teams have already called about the outfielder:

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the St. Louis Cardinals “are said to like Heyward.”

St. Louis will be looking to improve its lineup, and Heyward would be a valuable addition. The outfielder tallied 74 runs, 155 hits, 26 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 58 RBI, 20 stolen bases and batted .271 last season. He’s a do-it-all player on offense.

Heyward has really improved his fielding as well over recent years. He only recorded one error last season and was responsible for nine assists and two double plays while maintaining a .997 fielding percentage.

Justin Masterson Latest

Masterson spent the better part of six seasons with the Cleveland Indians until he was dealt to the Cardinals last season. He appeared in nine games for St. Louis, starting six, and didn’t produce as efficiently as expected, totaling a 7.04 ERA during that span.

Interestingly enough, the Indians could be thinking about bringing the right-hander back to Cleveland, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hoynes put it simply, “Yes, the Indians have talked to Masterson about returning to Cleveland.”

If the Indians do offer the pitcher a deal, expect it to be a short one—perhaps just a year. After all, the team couldn’t have much confidence in Masterson after he slipped from its No. 1 starter to No. 5 in its rotation before being traded.

Bringing the pitcher back would most likely hinge on Cleveland thinking he can get back to the form he displayed in his All-Star 2013 season.

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The free-agent market is yet to develop, but it’s only a matter of time until the dominoes will start to fall. When they do, expect the trade market to take shape as well.

Front-of-the-rotation pitchers Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and James Shields headline this year’s crop of free-agent starters, while Pablo Sandoval and Cuban prospect Yasmany Tomas stand out among hitters in a class that’s thin on impact players.

With just a few franchise-caliber players on the market—players that a team would plan to build around—it wouldn’t be surprising if there were a flurry of trades made this offseason. After all, most teams can’t afford or will miss out on one of the few elite free agents in this year’s class.

With that said, here are three potential trade targets who could be game-changers for any franchise.

Jason Heyward, RF, Atlanta Braves

Heyward had a solid offensive season, batting .271/.351/.384 over 649 plate appearances, but his 11 home runs marked his lowest total since breaking into the major leagues in 2010. The 25-year-old also scored 74 runs and swiped 20 bags in 149 games, and he led all Braves players with a 5.1 fWAR.

Heyward’s WAR was largely tied to his Gold Glove defense in right field, as he led all qualified major leaguers at the position in both defensive runs saved (32) and ultimate zone rating (24.1), per FanGraphs.

The Braves approached Heyward back in 2013 about an extension worth less than the five-year, $75 million contract they recently gave to B.J. Upton, writes Mark Bowman of MLB.com. However, both parties haven’t discussed a potential extension since then.

After talking with Braves president of operations John Hart, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution doesn’t believe the Braves will try to extend Jason Heyward this offseason. Heyward is set to make $8.3 million after hitting a few incentives in his contract his past season, O’Brien tweets.

The trade market for Heyward will come down to whether teams believe he’s open to signing an extension before hitting the open market next winter. And if they’re willing to offer him an extension in the first place, then it’s fair to assume they also believe he can re-discover the power that produced 27 home runs in 2012, rather than the 25 he’s totaled over the last two seasons.

Even if that doesn’t happen, we’re still talking about a 25-year-old with a four-win floor moving forward. The fact that Heyward is a year away from free agency might hurt his overall trade value, but I’d still expect a team to give up two quality young players for the right fielder, with one possibly being a cost-controlled big leaguer.

Cole Hamels, LHP, Philadelphia Phillies

Hamels, who turns 31 in December, will make $96 million over the final four years of his contract, not including a $20 million vesting option for 2019. He also has a 20-team no-trade clause and nine-team block list in his contract, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. However, as of now, the only team known not to be included on either list is the Chicago Cubs, according to a tweet from ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Hamels has made at least 30 starts in seven consecutive seasons while eclipsing 200 innings all but once during that time frame. During his nine-year career with the Phillies, the left-hander has pitched to a 3.27 ERA (3.48 FIP), 8.53 K/9 and 2.26 BB/9 in 1,801.1 innings, good for a 34.4 fWAR.

Unsurprisingly, Philadelphia is asking for a flattering return on Hamels in the form of “at least three top prospects,” two of whom are capable of contributing in the major leagues, per Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.

That said, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is prepared to wait and see how the market for free agents Max Scherzer and Jon Lester unfolds before deciding whether to deal his ace left-hander, per Salisbury.

Cole is still a really valuable player for us. He’s going to help us win baseball games. As I’ve said before, we have him under contract and he kind of traverses the timeline and the goals that we, at least in our mind, have set. He can still be pitching for us when it’s time for us to be contending.

“He’s really kind of in the sweet spot and there is no reason to do anything with him because he’s going to be one of the best pitchers in baseball, we believe, over the next five years of his contract. There’s no pressure to move him, no necessity to do it and, frankly, I’m not dying to move him. If there is an opportunity that is going to make our organization better off then you have to consider it because we’re considering everything.

Hamels is the only trade candidate—unless the Marlins fail to extend slugger Giancarlo Stanton—worth the king’s ransom the Phillies are demanding. However, teams aren’t going to sell the farm, literally and figuratively, to get him this early in the offseason, which is why Amaro will patiently wait for Scherzer and/or Lester to come off the board.

Jordan Zimmermann, RHP, Washington Nationals

A strong case can be made that Jordan Zimmermann, not Stephen Strasburg, is the Washington Nationals’ ace.

Zimmermann, 28, went 14-5 with a 2.66 ERA (2.68 FIP), 8.20 K/9 and 1.31 BB/9 over 199.2 innings this past season, capping off his career-best season with a no-hitter on the final day of the regular season. The right-hander’s 5.2 fWAR ranked second among National League starting pitchers, trailing only Clayton Kershaw (7.2).

Zimmermann has a 3.00 ERA in 122 starts over the past four seasons, and he’s now made exactly 32 starts in three consecutive years. Meanwhile, the right-hander dominated the San Francisco Giants in Game 2 of the NLDS this year, allowing just one run on three hits in 8.2 innings.

Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post thinks the Nationals should prioritize working out a long-term contract extension with Zimmermann during the offseason. However, the two sides aren’t engaged in discussions at the moment, tweets James Wagner of the Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Kilgore also notes that any deal the Nats offer Zimmermann will likely be the richest in franchise history, topping the seven-year, $126 million contract given to Jayson Werth prior to the 2011 season.

Zimmermann, a two-time All-Star, will make $16.5 million in 2015 and hit the open market after the season, so any team interesting in trading for the right-hander will need to believe it can lock him up with a long-term contract.

According to CSN Washington’s Mark Zuckerman, the Nationals would only trade Zimmermann if they received “a boatload in return,” which he describes as “at least three really good, young, big-league-ready players.”

A trade involving Zimmermann seems unlikely, especially with one year remaining on his contract and Washington poised to contend in 2015. However, that could change if the Phillies decide to move Cole Hamels, which in turn would define the going exchange rate for an ace-caliber pitcher.

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After a winter of lavish spending on homegrown, ascending talents, the Atlanta Braves have locked up their young core—Freddie Freeman, Andrelton Simmons, Craig Kimbrel and Julio Teheran—for years, ensuring the quartet will help guide the franchise into a new stadium in 2017.

Technically, 24-year-old Jason Heyward belongs in that group. Amid the wave of lucrative, long-term pacts handed out by Braves general manager Frank Wren, Heyward‘s name popped up on the transaction log on the same day news broke about Freeman’s franchise-changing deal.

Yet Heyward, potentially the most talented player on the roster, wasn’t guaranteed anything beyond the 2015 season. Atlanta was wise to buy out his remaining arbitration years, but the talented right fielder is careening toward an inevitable date with free agency. 

Clearly, Atlanta altered its business model this winter. After years of sporting payroll figures less than $100 million, the Braves locked up the core of a team that will soon become expensive. Despite that spending, Heyward wasn’t showered with the riches of his teammates. 

Why?

It depends what answer is more suitable to your opinion of Heyward as a player, both in the present and future. 

The easy answer: Heyward, despite the highest pedigree of any former top prospect on the roster, hasn’t yet proven to be worthy of a major commitment.  

The harder and more likely answer: Heyward‘s price tag, based on talent and production thus far in the majors, is too much for Atlanta’s ownership to handle.

Let’s start with the easy explanation for Heyward‘s unimpressive two-year, $13.3 million deal.

Despite immense talent, Heyward hasn’t yet become a dominant, game-changing force for the Braves or anything close to a perennial NL MVP candidate. That sentiment is backed up by counting stats.

Since 2010, Heyward has played in 100-plus big league games in each season. His big frame and natural swing seem custom built for power. Yet Heyward has only one campaign of 20-plus home runs thus far for Atlanta’s lineup.

Last year, Heyward drove in just 38 runs. That figure, while surprising on the surface, is an even more head-scratching statistic when looking at names above him on the RBI leader list: Jeff Keppinger, Darwin Barney and Daniel Descalso. 

Atlanta’s right fielder isn’t just producing less RBI than middle-of-the-order sluggers—he’s driving in less runs than replacement-level hitters. 

When Heyward emerged on the scene in 2010—launching a home run in his first major league at-bat—the sky seemed limitless for Atlanta’s new star. During that rookie season, he backed it up with a .393 on-base percentage and 131 OPS+, good enough to garner a second-place finish in the NL Rookie of the Year vote. 

Coupled with consecutive top-five prospect rankings by Baseball America, Heyward was expected to become an instant star. Since the 2010 season ended, Braves fans and Atlanta’s front office have been caught holding their collective breath for that star to arrive.

Although he hasn’t blossomed into baseball’s best player, the reason for Heyward‘s uncertain future has little to do with what he hasn’t done. Instead, it’s about the rare company he’s in among on-base machines and young, productive outfielders throughout baseball history.

Over the last few years, executives have spent lavishly on top-of-the-order hitters.  

Prior to the 2011 season, Carl Crawford signed a seven-year, $142 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. At the time, his career OBP was .337.

Before the 2012 season, Jose Reyes bolted New York for a six-year, $106 million deal with the Miami Marlins. Upon his arrival, Reyes’ career OBP stood at .341.

This winter, the New York Yankees awarded Jacoby Ellsbury a seven-year, $152 million pact to ignite the lineup. Since debuting in 2007, the former Red Sox outfielder has posted a .350 OBP.

Heyward enters 2014 with a career on-base percentage of .352, better than Crawford, Reyes or Ellsbury at the time of their contracts.

Last season, Atlanta moved Heyward into the leadoff spot for 30 games. During that time, the then 23-year-old reached base over 40 percent of the time. Heading into 2014, Fredi Gonzalez envisions Heyward reprising that role, per David O’Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

“If you had to start the season tomorrow, I think you would run him out there,” Gonzalez said. 

If he does, his career OBP could soon dwarf the outputs of Crawford, Reyes and Ellsbury.

Of course, Heyward‘s excellence isn’t just rooted in one statistic or contained to a specific skill set. When his age-22 season yielded 27 home runs, the young left-handed hitter placed himself in rare company among young outfield stars.

Over the course of baseball history, only 12 outfielders have reached the following criteria through their respective age-23 seasons: 2,000 plate appearances, 70 home runs and a .350 OBP. As the following chart illustrates, baseball’s best outfielders began their careers looking very similar to Heyward.

If this information is available to us, it’s certainly available to Atlanta’s front office and Heyward‘s representation.

When Heyward‘s name comes up, uncertainty and unfulfilled promise are often cited. When the Braves chose to leave their right fielder out of their long-term planning this winter, those narratives were at the forefront.

Sometimes, the easy answer isn’t the right answer.

It’s fair to say that Heyward hasn’t reached his potential. But it’s also eye-opening to consider what he’s done before that day arrives. 

When the Braves chose to re-sign the bulk of their core, Heyward wasn’t left out on purpose. Instead, it was an admission that this player may cost too much to retain.

Agree? Disagree? 

Comment, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk about all things baseball. 

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted. All contract figures courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Arbitration numbers and projections courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors. Roster projections courtesy of MLB Depth Charts.

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The Atlanta Braves had a difficult offseason. Star catcher Brian McCann and veteran pitcher Tim Hudson both left Atlanta and instead of replacing those players, the Braves stood pat.

Fans were restless.

But on Tuesday, the Braves and general manager Frank Wren reportedly reached multi-year contract agreements with first baseman Freddie Freeman and outfielder Jason Heyward, per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.  

Freeman’s contract is believed to be for eight years and $135 million. Heyward’s agreement was a two-year deal for $13.3 million.

The Braves were scheduled to have arbitration hearings for both players soon, but instead chose to lock up, arguably, the team’s two most valuable players. 

So instead of using the savings acquired from the departures of McCann and Hudson to chase overpriced free agents, Wren chose to invest in his young core. Atlanta is currently stuck with two bad long-term contracts in Dan Uggla and B.J. Upton, so the payroll-conscious Braves must be frugal with their finances.

Both Freeman and Heyward are 24 years old and viewed as rising stars around the league. Freeman, in his third full season in 2013, set career highs in average (.319) and RBI (109). He also hit 23 home runs. He plays Gold Glove quality defense at first base, too.

So why did Heyward only get a two-year deal? 

His lengthy injury history likely played a part in him just getting the two years. Heyward, with four full seasons under his belt, has had at least one stint on the disabled list in three of those years. 

The 6’5″, 240-pound Heyward moved to the leadoff spot last summer and thrived in the role. The Braves’ offense improved dramatically with Heyward atop the batting order. Manager Fredi Gonzalez moved Heyward to the top of the order on July 27 and he hit .325 from that point on, according to Eric Single of MLB.com. 

Heyward is an outstanding defensive player, too. 

Depending on how the next year or two goes, Wren could look to give Heyward a lengthy extension.

Now that Freeman and Heyward are in the fold for at the least the next two years, who should the Braves lock up next?

Many would think that closer Craig Kimbrel would be the logical choice. He, like Freeman and Heyward, is arbitration eligible. However, unlike those two, Kimbrel asked for $9 million in his first arbitration-eligible year. The Braves countered with $6.55 million.

Kimbrel is the best closer in baseball and it’s not even close. But can a team like Atlanta afford to give a relief pitcher $9 million or more per year? Highly unlikely. 

In fact, 2014 could be Kimbrel’s last year in a Braves’ uniform. Only teams with unlimited budgets such as the Dodgers, Yankees or Red Sox can afford the luxury of paying a closer that type of money. 

That leads us to shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Simmons isn’t even arbitration eligible until 2015, but is already a cornerstone player. The Braves could look to lock up the dynamic young shortstop and buy out his arbitration years much like they did with McCann in 2007. 

Young players are usually receptive to such deals as they can avoid the arbitration process and get more money up front.

Simmons is already the game’s top defensive shortstop. And at 6’2″, 170 pounds, is still developing as a hitter. He hit just .248 in 2013, his first full season, but did tally 17 home runs. He won the Gold Glove and finished 14th in the voting for National League MVP. 

The deals given to Heyward and Freeman should offer hope to Braves’ fans wanting more. Atlanta locked up two terrific young homegrown players and can now continue to build the team around them.

Wren must do everything possible to keep his young roster intact. Uggla and Upton are set to make a combined $28 million in 2014 alone, according to Rotoworld. If at least one of those two bounce back after a miserable 2013, the Braves should contend for another N.L. East title. 

*All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference 

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Jason Heyward has yet to live up to the lofty expectations bestowed upon him as a rookie in 2010, but the Atlanta Braves ensured that he will continue to develop in their organization by signing the young outfielder to a two-year contract in an effort to avoid arbitration, according to SportsCenter on Twitter:

Although financial terms have yet to be officially released, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com is reporting that Heyward will receive $6.65 million per season:

Mark Bowman, who is a Braves beat writer for MLB.com, shares a few additional contract details:

Heyward is coming off a difficult 2013 campaign in which he missed 58 games due to injury. He hit just .254 with 14 home runs and 38 RBI, both of which were career lows.

He was unable to build upon his career-best season in 2012 in which he hit .269 with 27 homers and 82 RBI. Heyward also swiped 21 bags and captured his first Gold Glove Award, which demonstrated his versatility as a five-tool player.

Heyward is just 24 years of age, so the possibility remains that he has yet to reach his full potential through four MLB seasons. The Braves are banking on that, and general manager Frank Wren believes that securing Heyward for the next two years is a key maneuver, according to MLB.com.   

“Jason is an important part of our organization and we’re glad that we were able to agree on a multi-year contract,” Wren said.

Heyward also spoke about the deal (via Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan):

Going to arbitration wouldn’t have been ideal for either side considering the fact that Heyward has been injured and unable to progress as quickly as anticipated. Jesse Spector of Sporting News labeled the would-be hearing as “dumb”:

Despite the fact that the Braves won the NL East and had the second-best record in the National League last season, much of the talk heading into 2014 is focused on the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals.

The Braves have become somewhat of an afterthought; however, they boast one of the league’s best pitching rotations, and their lineup has the potential to get much better.

A lot of that hinges on Heyward, who is in need of a breakout season to silence his critics.

The Braves are banking on Heyward coming through, but they have yet to make a long-term financial commitment. Heyward can get the ball rolling in that regard by blossoming in 2014, though.

Few players in Major League Baseball possess physical tools comparable to Heyward‘s, and it will be interesting to see if they allow him to reach the next level. If Heyward doesn’t improve markedly, then the Braves will have a very difficult decision on their hands after the 2015 season.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

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In baseball terms, “file and trial” is a way of describing teams willing to go through the arbitration-hearing process with their young, ascending talents. With salary numbers exchanged, the real fun begins for the players still without a final salary for the 2014 MLB season.

As the season approaches, the following players have one more hurdle to clear before workouts, exhibition games and preparation for the 2014 season can commence: a battle for salary against their employers.

Over the years, arbitration wars have turned ugly, souring the relationship between team, agent and player.

The following stars are all on the path to arbitration hearings. When the dust settles, salary will be determined for 2014, but an uncertain future could present itself along the way.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted. All contract figures courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Arbitration numbers and projections courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors.

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When the Atlanta Braves took Brian McCann off the DL, they needed to clear a spot on the roster to make room for him. They decided to send infielder Tyler Pastornicky to the minors. I don’t understand why no one is talking about this move. While Tyler makes his way back to Gwinnett, let’s take a look at the stellar time he spent in Atlanta.

He was unable to win the backup infielder position in Spring Training. Braves management preferred the light-hitting Ramiro Pena instead. Even though Pastornicky spent time with Atlanta last year at shortstop and second base, he had to go back to Triple A. He promptly went down and hit .338, but the Braves didn’t have room for him to come up.

When Jason Heyward suddenly had an emergency appendectomy, he hit the DL and the Braves brought Pastornicky back up. Fans were enthused that this slugger was on his way back. Surely he would have a chip on his shoulder and continue his hot streak in the majors.

Pastornicky‘s 2013 stat line is quite memorable. He made appearances in six games, starting in one and coming in late as a defensive replacement in another. It will be tough to top his long one game hitting streak that ended near the end of April.

I’m sure we all remember the big plays Pastornicky made. Like that time he played second base against Detroit and delivered a big hit. It was a double in the second inning. Even though it was his only hit, he was left stranded and the Braves lost 8-3, Braves fans can’t forget that screaming liner down the right field line.

He even racked up one put out and two assists at second base. He took the team lead in defense, making no errors. Andrelton Simmons hopefully learned a lot from Pastornicky while they were in the clubhouse together.

The man many in Atlanta affectionately refer to as “Rev” should be turning heads soon in Gwinnett. Hopefully he’ll be on his way back to the bigs before we know it.

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The Atlanta Braves (16-9) have all but wrapped up the first month of the 2013 season.

Highs include a 10-game winning streak and a sweep of the National League East preseason favorite, Washington Nationals. The low point came over the weekend as the Detroit Tigers swept the Braves.The tough series with the Tigers knocked a few players’ grades down a letter.

Here’s a look at the April edition of every player’s’ grade in 2013.

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Braves right fielder Jason Heyward underwent appendectomy surgery on Monday night, and as a result the Braves will need to find a short-term replacement in their lineup.

The timetable for his return is unknown as of now, but he shouldn’t be out more than a couple weeks at the most. Matt Holliday and Adam Dunn both underwent appendectomies in 2011, with Holliday missing nine games and Dunn missing seven (h/t CBSSports), so that gives at least some idea of a potential time frame for his return.

The Braves have won despite Heyward in the early going, as he’s hitting just .121/.261/.259 with two home runs and five RBI, so replacing his production won’t be hard.

The team is not likely to sign anyone or try to swing a trade, but they do have a handful of in-house options to chose from in the short-term. So here is a look at some potential replacements for Heyward, at least over the next couple weeks. 

Reed Johnson

Johnson was acquired from the Cubs along with Paul Maholm at the deadline last season, and the Braves re-signed him to a one-year, $1.75 million deal this season with an 2014 option to be their fourth outfielder.

He’s just 2-for-16 with six strikeouts, but the veteran has proven capable of stepping in as an everyday player and putting up decent numbers throughout his career. 

With an .825 career OPS against left-handed pitching, compared to .702 against right-handers, Johnson will at the very least likely get the starts against southpaws until Heyward returns.

Jordan Schafer

A former top prospect for the Braves, Schafer was dealt to the Astros back in 2011 as part of the package to acquire Michael Bourn. 

He rejoined the Braves this offseason when he was selected off waivers, as the team picked him back up as an insurance policy in center field prior to signing B.J. Upton.

The 26-year-old has great wheels, and he’s off to a terrific start in 2013, going 4-for-9 with a pair of steals in limited action.

A left-handed hitter, he could make up the other half of what could actually be a productive platoon with Johnson until Heyward returns.

Jose Constanza

The 29-year-old Constanza has seen big league action each of the past two seasons, hitting .281/.332/.341 and swiping 12 bases over 185 at-bats.

He’s on the 40-man roster and seems like the most likely candidate for a call-up should Heyward wind up on the disabled list.

The 5’9″ spark plug is currently hitting .250/.292/.279 with four RBI in 68 at-bats for Triple-A Gwinnett, and while he may not be the most exciting option, he has proven a capable stand-in when Heyward dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness in the past.

Joe Terdoslavich

A corner infielder who has transitioned to the outfield this season, the 24-year-old Terdoslavich entered the season as the team’s No. 18 ranked prospect, according to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook.

He hit .395/.400/.558 over 43 at-bats in spring training, and he’s off to a hot start in Triple-A where he’s hitting .312/.333/.597 with three home runs and 13 RBI in 77 at-bats.

He’s not currently on the 40-man roster, so the team would have to make a move to open up a spot for him, but he may be the best in-house option the team has from a potential production standpoint.

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