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Atlanta Braves free agent profile: Joe Kelly

By Benjamin Chase

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 06: Pitcher Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the third inning of Game Two of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on October 6, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 06: Pitcher Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the third inning of Game Two of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on October 6, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
MILWAUKEE, WI – JULY 11: Joe Kelly #58 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on July 11, 2014 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images) /

The Atlanta Braves are looking for a veteran bullpen arm to stabilize their bullpen. Could a postseason relief hero be the right fit?

The Atlanta Braves are working the relief pitcher market this season in search of a veteran arm to help stabilize their relief corps. After an impressive showing in the postseason, could Joe Kelly end up being the right fit for the Braves?

Player Profile

The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Kelly out of the University of California-Riverside in the 3rd round of the 2009 draft. They opened him in the New York-Penn League, where he posted a 4.75 ERA over 30 1/3 innings, mostly out of the bullpen, with an 11/30 BB/K ratio.

Kelly bumped up to Quad Cities in the Midwest League in 2010, throwing 103 1/3 innings, with a 4.62 ERA, a 1.43 ERA, and a 45/92 BB/K ratio. Kelly pitched in 26 games, starting 18 of them.

His seeming breakout came in 2011, as Kelly posted a 2.60 ERA in the first half in the Florida State League. Even after struggling with a promotion to AA, Kelly tallied a 3.68 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 59/113 BB/K over 132 innings. After a 2.86 ERA over 12 starts with AAA Memphis to open the 2012 season, Kelly was up to the big leagues.

He spent the majority of the 2012 season in the rotation, pitching 24 games, 16 of them starts, for the Cardinals that season. He threw 107 innings with a 3.53 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and a 36/75 BB/K ratio over 107 innings.

Kelly worked as a swingman for the 2013 Cardinals, going 10-5 over 37 games, 15 starts, pitching 124 innings with a 2.69 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and a 44/79 BB/K ratio.

Kelly was put into the rotation in 2014 and started fairly well, with a 4.37 ERA, and 1.46 WHIP over his first 7 starts of the season before he was part of a trade to the Boston Red Sox in order to get the contract of Allen Craig out of St. Louis and to acquire John Lackey.

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