Braves Actively Searching For Bullpen Help
By Fred Owens
May 25, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Tony Cingrani (52) throws against the Colorado Rockies in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. The Rockies won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Trades?
I cannot imagine Hart giving away any of the talent he worked so hard to get on someone as subject to vanish as a relief pitcher. So although the Brewers have Francisco Rodriguez and Jonathan Broxton, the Athletics have Tyler Clippard and almost any reliever in Cincinnati is probably available those teams have the hammer and the price is almost certain to make them non-starters. One option that might work would be to find a declining starter on a bad contract and take the contract then convert him to a reliever; someone like Matt Garza for example.
Internal Options
The Braves have exhausted almost all of the internal options. We have some players at Gwinnett that might get a shot, David Carpenter mark II is a possibility as are arms Ben wrote about on Monday and of course everyone read about Peter Moylan seeing if he could still bring the magic by rehabbing at Gwinnett.
Some have suggested moving Mike Foltynewicz to the bullpen. I’m a bit surprised that is even a topic of discussion. He has his issues most have to do with harnessing his stuff but he’s a quantum leap better this year after working in Roger McDowell’s program.
Moving an arm that throws an easy 97 after 7 innings is simply an bad idea. A bad, bad, bad, idea unless and until he proves he cannot start. I see no reason he cannot be a number two starter and those are worth so much more than relief pitchers.
That’s A Wrap
There are other names on the waiver wire but none that look any better than the guys we’ve been running out there. Remember that Hart’s plan is to compete this year, challenge next and contend in 2017 while creating a core of minor league players that fills the pipeline for the out years.
If this team was a pitcher away from a World Series winning possibilities I have no doubt Hart would write the check to get Cole Hamels. But this team isn’t one player away and two players wouldn’t be enough either; at least not two players that might be available.
It is possible to catch lightning in a bottle and scuttle, scurry, and dodge into the post season because the Marlins self destruct and David Wright doesn’t come back in New York and Hart would gladly take that. However he is trying to build something permanent to sustain success into multiple seasons. He may well find pitching that helps but he won’t destroy what he’s built so far to do it.