Atlanta Braves Need A Lefty And Offense
By Fred Owens
Bullpen Mistakes Highlight Atlanta Braves Need For A Lefty and Offense
In Friday night’s game against the Cardinals, skipper Fredi Gonzalez lefty Wisler in to face a LH pinch hitter then started the next inning by bringing in his only lefty who also ended up facing a pinch hitter. Both decisions resulted in home runs and stemmed from the failure of the front office to sign good lefty reliever and Fredi Gonzalez continuing to mishandle his bullpen.
"“It’s a luxury to have two left-handers and we don’t have that [second] guy right now,” Gonzalez said."
As happens often, Gonzalez is wrong. In today’s game having at least two lefties in the bullpen – or one plus a righty with reverse split – isn’t a luxury it’s a necessity. This winter the Braves Big Johns seemed to sign every worn out and rehabbing reliever they saw but in what appears to have been false economy they passed on available arms who weren’t in that category.
Next: The Quest For Relief