The Atlanta Braves Ink Two Veteran Relievers to MiLB Deals

Now that John Hart has revamped his starting pitching with an abundance of youth in the minor leagues, he has turned to veterans to bulk up the bullpen. Talking Chop reports that the Atlanta Braves have signed both Jose Veras and Matt Capps to minor league deals. They have both been extended non-roster invites to spring training.

Veras was signed as an international free agent in 1998 by the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays at just 17-years of age. The 6-foot-6, 240 right hander bounced around the minors until latching on with the New York Yankees, with whom he would make his big league debut in 2006. He would float around the major leagues as a quality bullpen arm that was good for a few saves and more than a strikeout per inning.

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Veras finally got his big chance to be the full-time closer in 2013 for the Houston Astros. He excelled recording 19 saves in 22 chances with a 2.93 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 43 innings. That same season he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for depth as they made their run in the playoffs. He would appear in five uninspiring games (posting a 5.40 ERA) against the soon-to-be world champion Red Sox and hasn’t been the same since. He was awful as the Cubs closer in 2014, where he went 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA and two blown saves in just 12 outings before being released and finding his way back to Houston where he would blow three more save opportunities in just four chances.

Matt Capps, drafted by the Pirates in the seventh round of the 2002 draft, is a former All Star closer who pitched for the Pirates, Nationals and Twins. The 6-foot-2 right hander registered 42 saves in 2010 split between the Nationals and Twins and has been a reliable bullpen arm his entire career. Due to injuries, however, Capps has only made ten appearances since 2012. All have been with the Cleveland Indians minor league teams. Last season in just five innings of Rookie level ball, Capps allowed four runs before his season ended August 15th.

This is a prime landing spot for two former closers looking to recapture their past magic that made them bullpen staples for so long. The Braves traded away one of the best set-up men in baseball to the Yankees in David Carpenter and have brought in two very big veteran question marks to replace him. Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson both fell apart last season after consecutive strong years as closers. Johnson, even in his back-to-back years recording a combined 101 saves, always seemed to have the bases loaded and was pitching in and out of trouble (the year he had 50 saves he also blew nine, losing eight of them) and Grilli prospered from being on a Pirates’ team that won the most 1-run games in baseball. They are by no means locks in the Braves pen.

The problem that all four face is that all four veterans are righties. There is seemingly not enough room in the bullpen for that many aging right handed arms. It will be no easy task for either Capps or Veras, but with two highly questionable veterans also in the mix, it is not out of the question that one of the two make the Braves’ Opening Day roster behind a strong spring. The Braves continue to be a work in progress with many position battles already in the making. Can the elder statesman pull together and form a formidable bullpen in front of arguably the best closer in baseball in Craig Kimbrel? We will find out in just a few short weeks.

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