Atlanta Braves May Resign Eric O’Flaherty

May 8, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Eric O

The Atlanta Braves are in talks with left-hander relief pitcher Eric O’Flaherty, and there’s a good chance that he ends up back in a Braves jersey, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Braves gave O’Flaherty a pretty large contact after last season ($4,320,000) and expected him to do well out of the bullpen in 2013 but Tommy John surgery limited the talented lefty.  O’Flaherty had only 18 innings pitched in his age-28 season this past year.

Eric could be ready to pitch by May but probably more like June.  Since joining the Braves in 2009, O’Flaherty has a 1.99 ERA in 249 1/3 innings of work.

Frank Wren said on Tuesday he had “good conversations” with the representative for Braves free-agent reliever Eric O’Flaherty.

The Nationals are among the other teams pursuing O’Flaherty, but it sounds like Washington may have found their left handed relief pitcher in Matt Thornton. (still rumors)

“He’s progressing well with his Tommy John (rehab),” Gonzalez said.  “I’ve got my fingers crossed that we can do something, because he’s a big part of our organization and our bullpen.”