The regular season is quickly approaching for the Atlanta Braves, and there are some tough decisions ahead. Atlanta will need to solidify its rotation and decide which relievers will complete the bullpen for Opening Day.
We all know the bullpen will look completely different by the end of the season but the team has to start somewhere. There has been a brewing competition in North Port for those final bullpen spots. Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, and Raisel Iglesias will need some help.
Braves insider Mark Bowman reported that Pierce Johnson is likely to begin the season as the main high-leverage setup man. Bummer and Lee are great options from the left side but they haven't been in enough high-leverage spots to know how they'd fair.
Daysbel Hernández has gotten a few chances over the last couple of years to show what he can do and he's got the stuff to be a great late-inning option. Bowman believes five spots are spoken for, including the names mentioned above. That leaves three spots left and there are a few options to consider.
Atlanta's beat writer pointed to LHP Angel Perdomo, RHP Anderson Pilar, RHP Buck Farmer, RHP Enyel De Los Santos, RHP Hector Neris, and LHP Jake Diekman as the likely choices for the remaining spots.
Veteran relievers may have a leg up on the competition in Braves' bullpen battle
The veterans are the ones to keep an eye on here. Farmer, Diekman, and Neris all have MLB experience, which will be a key selling point to place them on the roster. We've covered the value Farmer and Diekman could bring earlier this spring but Neris was added as a non-roster invitee last week.
Farmer has proven he still has the ability to pitch well with a 2.25 ERA over four spring appearances. He's walked two batters with six strikeouts during that stretch. The Georgia-native is excited to join his hometown team after an impressive 2024 with the Reds where he had a 3.04 ERA over 71 innings.
Diekman has a chance but his addition will depend on how many southpaws Atlanta wants to carry in the bullpen. He would get the bid over Perdomo strictly on experience alone. Perdomo hasn't exactly wowed anyone this spring and he's out of options so unless something changes drastically, Diekman makes the most sense. The veteran lefty has walked one batter and struck out five over 4.1 innings this spring.
Braves fans will be familiar with Neris from his time with the Phillies. His fastball velocity isn't what it used to be as it averaged just 92.9 mph in 2024. He wasn't all that good during his time with the Astros and Cubs last year as indicated by his 4.10 ERA over 59.1 innings.
However, that experience combined with the fact that he is two seasons removed from a season in which he pitched to a 1.71 ERA over 68.1 innings gives him a leg up on the competition. Bowman also mentioned Neris' great clubhouse presence as a plus for being added to the roster.
Héctor Neris, Filthy Splitters. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/9LMRMzpTbj
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 11, 2024
He surely could return to his previous form and be a great pick-up for the Braves. Despite his fastball velocity being in the low 90s, his chase and strikeout rates remain above average. He couples that fastball with a splitter, sinker, and slider. Neris' biggest issue last season was allowing too many walks and homers.
It's doubtful Neris would see high leverage innings in the 8th or 9th innings despite having closer experience. His stuff plays better for the middle innings and low-leverage situations. The Dominican-born pitcher hasn't appeared in any innings this spring yet, but Atlanta will want to get a look at him soon so they can make their final decisions on the bullpen.