Braves Restocking the Bullpen: Jason Grilli is Signed
Bullpen Bolstering Continues
In a move that’s certain to get the chatter going again, the Atlanta Braves have reached an agreement with yet another former closer. Jason Grilli is ours for both the 2015-2016 seasons, with a club option for 2017.
Ken Rosenthal had the first word on this, though it comes a couple of weeks after “interest” had been expressed in the 38-year-old right-hander. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports followed up with the terms, which guarantee Grilli $8 million – likely $4m per season.
[ UPDATE on the Specifics – thanks to the Fireboss: $4.5m in 2015, $3.5m in 2016. The option is $3m with a 250K buyout. ]
At first blush, those terms sound both a little pricey and a year too long. Appears to me that the Braves definitely wanted him – and likely beat off some mild competition to do so.
About @GrillCheese49
Yes, that’s his twitter handle. Jason broke in with the Marlins in 2000, staying with them for 2 seasons. Tommy John surgery put him on the shelf in 2002, and he rehabbed himself back in 2003 with AAA Albuquerque.
After that season, he became a Rule 5 Draft pickup of the Chicago White Sox. He made it through that season, but was then DFA’d and the Tigers picked him up.
At this point, his performance was adequate, though hardly spectacular. There were additional stints with the Rangers and Indians – the latter all too briefly thanks to a torn quadriceps muscle, which cost him the 2010 season. After being briefly with the Phillies, he ultimately landed with the Pirates in the middle of the 2011 season and then something changed.
From 2011-2013, Grilli started getting hitters out at a much improved rate: posting ERA numbers of 2.48, 2.91, and 2.70. He started poorly in 2014, though, and Pittsburgh shipped him to the Angels, where he recovered his mojo a bit and pitched to a 3.48 ERA for the remainder of the year.
This is certainly the profile of a journeyman.
Grilli does has 50 lifetime saves, most of these coming in 2013 (33) with the Pirates.
Grilli throws mostly a fastball/slider combination (~65%/30%). His velocity has stayed consistently in the 92-93.5 mph range throughout his career.
As that twitter handle suggests, Grilli has worn jersey number 49 – in honor of his father, Steve Grilli – as often as possible. Right now that number belongs to Julio Teheran. He wore #39 with the Pirates and Angels – that number seems to be available, as the last to don that was Jonny Venters.
So Why Do the Braves Need Him?
Jason Grilli (39). Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
There’s a couple of reasons, but I will go ahead and squelch one thing right here and now: the acquisitions of Jim Johnson and now Grilli are not any indication that Hart has any intention of moving Craig Kimbrel. He’s not going anywhere. Period.
What is happening is that the bullpen is being loaded up with experienced talent to support David Carpenter and “the kids” behind him.
Note that in recent days, the Braves have traded away Jordan Walden (Cardinals) and Anthony Varvaro (Red Sox). The innings they were taking will most likely be handled by Grilli and Johnson.
So why didn’t we just hold on to those guys we lost? St. Louis evidently wanted Walden in the Heyward trade; the Red Sox saw a cheap pickup in Varvaro, who was either caught in a roster shuffle or was actually targeted by Boston… unclear as to which is really the case.
In the meantime, I suppose you also would have to argue that in case things go badly for the Braves in 2015 that they’re stocking up on experienced bullpen guys that could always be flipped to “contenders.” At the same time – on paper at least – if the Braves do run into problems, the bullpen is probably not going to be pointed to as a contributor: it’s looking pretty solid.
Clubhouse Leadership
There’s another reason that Grilli could have been targeted by Atlanta – his clubhouse presence.
Read this from ovathletics.com in 2013:
"Not only is he a role player on the field, but he also plays a separate role in the clubhouse. He is one of the leaders on the team and he sometimes does it in a lighter fashion. Grilli is a big Star Wars fan, so his locker currently holds a full Chewbacca costume that he was able to get via Russell Martin. Another addition Grilli and co. has added to the Clubhouse is an actual shark tank that currently holds a few small sharks (miniature sharks, not the large, 5-foot long version). He says these things help morale in the clubhouse, “The more distractions, the better, but in a good way. It’s all in fun and I just can’t believe everyone has taken in to it.”"
This is just one example, but clearly this “been there/done that” guy can provide something needed for the staff – especially a young group in the bullpen. Jim Johnson, which clearly having the experience, doesn’t seem to quite have that kind of reputation, but Grilli certainly does.
That makes two players acquired this off-season – Grilli and Nick Markakis – with solid reputations among their former teammates. That certainly can’t hurt among a team that seemed starved for active leaders and role models in 2014.
Welcome aboard, Jason: hopefully Braves’ fans will find that things do go better with grilled cheese.