Why Did The Atlanta Braves Sign Eric Stults?

On Thursday night, the Atlanta Braves signed there 242 pitcher for the 2015 fifth starter position.  The Braves signed veteran left-hander Eric Stults to a minor league contract that also includes an invitation to the Braves Spring Training.

Stults will battle for the Braves fifth starter position along with everyone and their mother.  Would you like a shot at the Braves rotation in the fifth spot?  Are you around 33-40 years old?  Veteran of the sport?  Looking for a job?  Well, you might want to give John Hart a call.

Most of the rotation for the 2015 Braves is evident – Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, Shelby Miller and Mike Minor.  The last spot, well, we’ll see quite the battle in Disney during Spring Training.

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The newest candidate will join

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, Mike Foltynewicz,

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In 2014, Stults went 8-17 with a 4.30 ERA in his 32 starts for the San Diego Padres.  In 2013, he went 11-13 with a 3.93 ERA.  Prior to that, he never pitched more than 15 starts or 100 innings in the major leagues.  He did go 8-3 with a 2.92 ERA in the 14 starts he made for the Padres during the 2012 season.

Stults was drafted by the LA Dodgers in 2002 in the 15th round out of Bethel College.  He made his debut on September 5, 2006 with the Dodgers.  He’s pitched for the Dodgers, Rockies, White Sox, Padres and the Hiroshima Carp in 2010 (Japan Central League).

He’s really never had a solid season in the majors or minors while acting as a starting pitcher.  A career 4.50 ERA and 1.476 WHIP in the minors and 4.12 ERA and 1.343 WHIP in the majors.

So why did the Braves sign him?

Off initial numbers, it’s tough to be excited about Stults being the Braves fifth starter but he could be this years Aaron Harang or Ben Sheets.  Braves President of Baseball Operations, Hart, is hoping to strike gold on a few of these veteran guys to A) have a good season and be able to use these guys down the stretch or B) have these guys turn their careers around and he can sell them before the trade deadline. (See the Braves 2015 relief pitchers)

According to Braves beat writer, Mark Bowman, the 35-year-old veteran and newly acquired Foltynewicz are the front runners for the fifth starter position.