At first glance, the difficulties for the Atlanta Braves' rotation are pretty clear. Three of their better arms are hurt at the moment, and they are relying on some...suboptimal options to cover innings in the meantime. For that reason, fans have understandably been clamoring for Atlanta to give some of their younger arms a chance over guys like Martin Perez or Jose Suarez. For the moment, it looks like the Braves' ignoring of those calls was very wise.
The puzzle the Braves have had to solve is how to preserve as much pitching depth as possible while also fielding a team that can win ballgames. Perez is older, and his stuff is definitely lacking, but the guy is a veteran with tons of experience that Atlanta would like to keep around if at all possible. When the team needed some roster space to bolster the bullpen, Alex Anthopoulos wagered that Perez's seven-figure deal would keep teams from scooping him up off waivers, and the Braves designated Perez for assignment.
The Braves' gamble did work out. Perez did clear waivers and, after pondering his options briefly in free agency, he came back on a minor league deal, thereby bypassing the need to hold him in the minors for 15 days had he been sent directly to Gwinnett. Perez and Suarez then combined to shut the Phillies out on Friday night, and all was well in the world.
It was a savvy move to make to be sure, but it isn't likely to work again, given how Perez is pitching.
Braves made a smart move with Martin Perez, but the rest of the league won't fall for that trick twice
Part of the rest of the league's reluctance toward Perez stems from his age, uneven recent performance, and the fact that he is making $3.5 million this season. During the early part of the season, teams are more likely to see whether their current pitching backup plans work, rather than taking on more payroll for a questionable vet.
Things are different now. Everyone now knows that the Braves were trying to do exactly what they did with Perez. The odds that the Braves would even be able to get Perez through waivers at all now that he has continued to pitch well are very small. Even if they manage to get him through waivers, you can bet that other teams with pitching shortages at the moment will be more willing to up their offers for Perez as a free agent, especially those who would be more than happy to make the Braves' lives difficult.
What that means going forward is a difficult question to answer. Atlanta's plans with Didier Fuentes remain a mystery, although we should get SOME clarity this weekend when his start day in the minors rolls around. Braves fans may want to have their cake and eat it, too, by having Fuentes called up and keeping Perez around. Unfortunately, that might not be on the table next time.
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