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Atlanta Braves Arodys Vizcaino Avoids Arbitration and Signs One-Year Deal

By Jeff Schafer

Jul 17, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Arodys Vizcaino (38) delivers a pitch to a Chicago Cubs batter in the eighth inning of their game at Turner Field. The Braves won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 17, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Arodys Vizcaino (38) delivers a pitch to a Chicago Cubs batter in the eighth inning of their game at Turner Field. The Braves won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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In recent years, the Atlanta Braves have had a long drawn out arbitration process with a couple of players.  This year, the Braves knocked them out early.  Yesterday, Chris Withrow signs his one-year contract and today Arodys Vizcaino signed on the dotted lines.

The 25-year-old has signed a one-year deal worth $897,500 to be an Atlanta Brave in the 2016 season, according to Braves beat writer Mark Bowman.

Vizcaino had a breakout season during he second half of the 2015 year.  He posted a 1.60 ERA, 1.188 WHIP with nine saves, 37 strikeouts compared to 13 walks and pitched in 36 games.

If you remember the name Vizcaino and you stopped watching the Braves halfway through last year, there’s probably a reason the name sounds familiar to you.  He was traded by the New York Yankees (the team that drafted him back in 2007) on December 22, 2009 to the Braves for Boone Logan and Javier Vazquez.  Also in that deal is where the Braves got Melky Cabrera and Mike Dunn.

Before the trade deadline in 2012, the Braves traded Vizcaino to the Chicago Cubs for Reed Johnson and Paul Maholm as well as cash.  Then, on November 16, 2014 the Cubs traded Vizcaino back to the Braves for second baseman Tommy La Stella.

Then, on April 2nd, he was slapped with an 80-game suspension from the MLB after testing positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance.

Oh yeah, did I mention he had Tommy John surgery prior to the 2012 season and missed both that season and 2013?  Well, that happened.

A promising, still young, reliever that throws very hard.  Now that the surgery and suspension is behind Vizcaino now he’s ready to make a huge splash in the MLB and Braves bullpen.

Now that he’s signed and ready to go, Vizcaino will look to stamp his name on the closer spot for the Braves. It won’t come easy though as 2015 closer Jason Grilli, who has been sidelined with an achilles injury, looks to return to the Braves by Spring Training.

We’ll see how it shapes out during Spring Training, but in any case Vizcaino will be a huge part in the Braves 2016 bullpen.

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