With Braves rumors that the Atlanta Braves may consider moving Julio Teheran this offseason, what could the team get if they moved Teheran, and who could be interested?
The Atlanta Braves have a significant amount of pitching depth, which allows them to consider trading some of their pitchers. Could Braves rumors around Julio Teheran mean the end of their longest-tenured hurler’s time in Atlanta?
Building to the majors
Before we discuss where he could go and what he could bring back, perhaps it’s best to remind ourselves of Braves fans the level of prospect that Julio Teheran was, just to realize the future of the pitching prospects in the system and what a feasible future could be.
Julio was originally signed out of Colombia for $850,000, the largest bonus any pitcher on the international market received in 2007. The Braves believed enough into him to send him right to advanced rookie Danville to make his pro debut. He did struggle there, but in a return to the level in 2009, Teheran excelled with Danville and Rome, finishing with a combined 3.65 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 18/67 BB/K ratio over 81 1/3 innings. That had Teheran showing up on national prospect lists, ranking #51 overall on Baseball America’s top 100 going into the 2010 season and #33 on Baseball Prospectus’ list.
At age 19 in 2010, he worked his way all the way to AA, and he excelled, combining to toss 142 2/3 innings, with a 2.59 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 40/159 BB/K ratio. That rocketed Teheran to the top of prospect lists, ranking him #5 with BA and #5 with BP.
Teheran then had a huge year with Gwinnett in 2011 at age 20, going 15-3 over 144 2/3 innings with a 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 48/122 BB/K. He did struggle to a 5.03 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and had a 8/10 BB/K ratio over 19 2/3 innings with the Braves at the major league level late in the year. He maintained his #5 rating with BA and BP, and in their first top 100, MLB Pipeline had him #4 overall.
While many assumed Teheran would open the 2012 season in Atlanta, he was sent to AAA, and he struggled, with many assuming it was due to a lack of motivation. He posted a 5.08 ERA and 1.44 WHIP over 131 innings with Gwinnett. He was still ranked #44 by BA, #31 by Pipeline, and #52 by BP after his rough year as he was still just 21.
Teheran did take over a starting spot in 2013 with the Atlanta Braves. He won 14 games in 2013, which remains tied for a career-high for Teheran.
Since taking a starting role with the Braves, Teheran has made at least 30 starts every season and tossed at least 175 innings in every season. Home runs have been a struggle for him, but overall, he’s had a 3.61 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over those six seasons, averaging 193 innings with a 61/168 BB/K ratio.
So, where does that rank among pitchers over the last six seasons?