Braves Actively Searching For Bullpen Help

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez (33) takes starting pitcher Julio Teheran (49) out of the game. He’s made way too many of these trips. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Braves fans know bullpen is a disaster. After the collapses in Arizona and San Francisco John Hart is looking to for an upgrade.

Help Wanted Bullpen

Beleaguered, inconsistent, unreliable and other not so family friendly adjectives have regularly been attached to the Braves bullpen this season. The numbers are pretty depressing. They currently have

• An ERA (4.71), HR/9 (1.25) and an fWAR –0.7, 30th in MLB
• A 4.29 BB/9 rate making them 29th in MLB
• A 71.6% LOB rate making them 26th in MLB
• A 8.05 K/9 – 21st in MLB

The most dependable arms out there have been closer Jason Grilli and lefty Luis Avilan. Jim Johnson seemed to have turned the corner and was pitching well but today his sinker didn’t sink and he had a rough outing.

Their 17 saves in 25 opportunities gives them a 68% save rate (tied 19th in MLB)  Remember that a blown occurs when a reliever comes in and blows a lead even if it isn’t in the ninth inning.  That’s why those numbers don’t add up to the chances Grilli and Johnson have had.

As I said it’s depressing and that feeling is starting to spread to the players who have gone out and given the team an early lead or scratched their way back into a game only to see their work wasted.

Players  need to know the front office is attempting to change that by doing something other than shuttle players back and forth to Gwinnett.   After Wednesday’s game David O’Brien said Hart and company were doing just that; or at least trying to do something.

That fits in with  the John Hart plan I wrote about earlier in the week.  He won’t expend precious resources he worked so hard to get last off season and mortgage the future in order to shore up the bullpen for a shot at a one game Wild Card play in slot.

Someone commented the Braves should just go get some mediocre pitchers and turn them ins bullpen arms. A great idea but there’s a problem, there aren’t many of those mediocre starers or experienced bullpen arms just laying around and teams that have them ask a high price. It is after all a seller’s market.