Braves likely to designate Carlos Quentin for assignment - MLB

Outfielder Carlos Quentin was one of several players the Braves acquired in Friday evening’s surprise trade with the Padres involving Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton, Jr. Quentin, however, isn’t likely to hang around for long. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says the Braves are likely to designate the oft-injured veteran for assignment.

Quentin, 32, will earn $8 million for the 2015 season before becoming eligible for free agency. Heyman notes that Quentin was only included in the trade to balance out the money involved.

Quentin has only played in 132 games over the last two seasons due to recurring problems with both knees. He had surgery in September 2013 to remove loose bodies in his right knee, but it was his left knee which ended his season in late July last year. When he’s healthy, he hits well — he has a career .831 OPS — but he’s played in 100-plus games only three times in his nine-year career.

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Roger Clemens will be an analyst for ESPN when the defending World Series champion Houston Astros host the Chicago White Sox on opening day.

Clemens made four appearances on last year’s KayRod Cast with Michael Kay and Alex Rodriguez. He will be stepping in on March 30 for David Cone, who will be doing the New York Yankees opener against the San Francisco Giants on YES Network.

“Roger has been sort of a friend of ours for the last year, so to speak, he’s in. He’s been engaged, knowledgeable and really present,” said ESPN Vice President of Production Phil Orlins. “You know, whatever past may be, he’s still tremendously engaged and he really brought that every time he was with us.”

Clemens was a seven-time Cy Young winner but his career after baseball has been tainted by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use. He is a Houston native and pitched for the Astros for three seasons.

Orlins said that with the rules changes and pitch clock, it is important to have a pitcher in the booth with Karl Ravech and Eduardo Perez.

“We don’t feel like we have to have the dynamic of Eduardo with a pitcher, but we certainly think that works. Throw in the added factor of rule changes and it is better to have a batter-pitcher perspective,” Orlins said.

Orlins did not say if this would open the door for future opportunities for Clemens as an ESPN analyst.