Braves purchase the contracts of three players
Avilan, Chapman and Hoover added to 40-man roster
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves announced today that they have purchased the contracts of minor-league right-handed pitchers Jaye Chapman and J.J. Hoover, and minor-league left-handed pitcher Luis Avilan, adding them all to the 40-man roster.
Chapman, 24, appeared in a total of 52 games (one start) between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett during the 2011 season. He posted a combined 3-3 record with a 2.50 ERA and four saves, while striking out 77 batters in 68.1 innings pitched. His 52 appearances ranked tied for first in the Braves organization, while he ranked seventh in opponents’ batting average (.164) and was eighth among relievers in ERA. Twice in 2011 Chapman was honored by the Braves organization as the pitcher of the month, in April while with Mississippi and in July while with Gwinnett. In six minor-league seasons, he owns a 14-16 record with a 4.03 ERA and 21 saves while logging 335 strikeouts in 317.1 innings pitched. Chapman was drafted by the Braves in 2005 (16th round).
Hoover, 24, split time between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett, going 3-6 with a 2.64 ERA in 43 combined appearances (14 starts) last season. In 12 appearances (two starts) with Gwinnett, Hoover held Triple-A hitters to .174 opponents’ batting average, and in 31 games (12 starts) with Mississippi, opponents’ batted .206. Hoover, a Double-A All-Star selection, logged 117 strikeouts on the season, sixth-most among Braves minor league hurlers, and his 43 appearances ranked seventh. Over four minor league seasons, Hoover is 25-19 in 99 appearances (61 starts) with a 3.14 ERA and has posted 425 strikeouts in 401 innings pitched. Hoover was selected by the Braves in 10th round of the 2008 June free agent draft.
Avilan, a Venezuelan native, went 4-8 with one save in 36 appearances, including 23 appearances out of the bullpen, for the Double-A Mississippi Braves in 2011. He posted a 4.57 ERA on the season, including a 3.67 ERA at home and a 3.95 ERA after the All-Star break. As a starter, Avilan owned a 3-4 record with a 3.82 ERA, and in 23 relief appearances, he went 1-4 with a 5.92 ERA and one save. Avilan, 22, was signed by the Braves as a non-drafted free agent on August 22, 2005, and owns an 18-24 record with a 3.45 ERA in 127 appearances (41 starts) over six minor league seasons.
The Braves 40-man roster now has 36 active players.