Relief Wanted: Finding Help for the Atlanta Braves Bullpen

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Newcomb’s promising campaign indicates a bright future for the southpaw. Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images. /

As we approach the All-Star break, here are some possible options as the Atlanta Braves (50-35) scour the Trade Market for relief pitching help.

Sometimes, perception is reality. That is never more apparent than watching your home team’s relief core blow a lead late in the game, or even worse, walk slowly to the dugout while the other team bounces on home plate. There are fewer fanbases more hypersensitive to this scenario than the Atlanta Braves right now.

Especially given how the Braves bullpen struggled so badly during the NLDS last year against the Los Angeles Dodgers, ultimately leading to their elimination from the postseason. Sprinkle on the bacon bits of stumbling out of the gate, walking anyone with a bat and a pulse through the month of April, and now the rage is reaching epic proportions.

But first, let’s take a deep breath, and a sobering look at reality, thanks to our friends at Fangraphs :

Overall, the Atlanta Braves rank 4th best in MLB in reliever ERA, just behind the Rays, Indians, and Astros.
Sean Newcomb has emerged as a straight up elite reliever, sporting a 1.75 ERA, and most importantly, only walking 4 batters in 25.2 Innings, and of course Luke Jackson’s ascension from obscurity to the Closer role (though he has cooled off lately).
They’re allowing roughly 4 walks per 9 innings, which sounds bad (and kinda is, ranks 20th in MLB), but is a lot better than the 5 walks per 9 they allowed through May 15th.

So yeah, there’s still some work to be done, and that’s where the trade market comes in. While the deadline is still a ways off, there are already teams that are flirting with “sell mode”, and might be ready to ship the most tradable commodity in baseball, relief pitching, in return for prospects, or more. Here are a couple of those options:

(Photo by Stephen Hopson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The San Francisco Giants:

The Giants are equipped with one of the most effective bullpens in all of baseball, (10th in WAR) and yet the absolute worst rotations (last in WAR), and there’s not exactly a lot of help waiting in the wings either, with the farm system ranked as the worst in baseball according to Prospect Digest. This would naturally make the Atlanta Braves an ideal trading partner, seeing as they boast one of the most productive systems, which is particularly heavy on pitching.

What it Might Take…

For someone like Will Smith, the crown jewel of the group, you might have to enter Ender Inciarte into discussions, given the Giants dragging outfield group, and he would make sense as a glove-first player in that expansive outfield. You can count on a prospect needing to go out as well, and for them, I’d put Kolby Allard at the top of that list.

The Cleveland Indians

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The Tribe just might be one of the most watched teams as the trading deadline approaches. Now 8 games behind the run factory in Minnesota, tough decisions could be on the horizon for a team with Brad Hand, the most sought after closer on the trade market, and many brand name pitchers like Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber, and Carlos Carrasco.

What it Might Take…

This one isn’t as easy as the Giants since they have a decent farm system and plenty of strong pitching. To get Brad Hand, Donaldson isn’t really a fit on a 1-year deal, so maybe this is another possible Inciarte destination? Given Hand’s proven track record, one could imagine that Kyle Wright or Ian Anderson would be in the discussion, though I don’t know how willing they would be to move him. Look at someone like the injured Danny Salazar from the Indians to sneak in on a deal and possibly pay dividends later down the line.

The Detroit Tigers

There’s a whole lot of “yuck” on this roster, led by a bullpen sporting a 4.96 ERA, and an anemic lineup that holds the MLB worst mark of a 75 wRC+. So why even look here? The same reason you still go to Wal-Mart, even though Target is a block closer: Because it’s cheap. Shane Greene is the most talked about trade chip, but keep an eye on Joe Jimenez, who is striking out 13 batters per 9 innings, and despite his hefty 5.12 ERA at the moment, some of his peripherals tell a different story (including an inflated HR/Fly Ball percentage, and lower FIP and a lower xFIP by almost a full run)

What it Might Take…

This one wouldn’t be too painful. One could see a mid-level prospect like a Tucker Davidson, or maybe this might be a good opportunity to punt on Luiz Gohara?

Next. Brewers taking a chance on Drew Smyly. dark

The trading deadline still looms a good distance away, and anything can happen between now and then, but as the playoff picture becomes clearer as the season moves on, all signs continue to point to the Atlanta Braves adding the quality reliever that can take them over the top.

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