As the Cleveland Indians reminded us last year, a good bullpen is the foundation of a successful team. This season’s Atlanta Braves bullpen is hoping to be better. The combination of young arms and seasoned vets foreshadows a good dynamic. In the spirit of March, we will look at the the bullpen’s make-up in NCAA Tournament fashion.
Atlanta Braves Position Preview: Bullpen
WHO WILL MAKE IT
Like conference winners or the top 25 teams, this season’s bullpen has a couple players who will make it for sure. Luckily, the locks are the end-of-game arms.
Holding down the seventh will be Mauricio Cabrera. Cabrera dazzled last season with his triple-digit fastball, routinely hitting 104 mph. Though Cabrera doesn’t rack up a ton of strikeouts, it’s hard to catch up to and put good wood on his heater. Cabrera also throws a good curve and will sometimes show a changeup. It’s easy to see why the Braves like the 23-year-old; they may be grooming him to be the next star closer.
Next is Arodys Vizcaino. Last season, Vizcaino started off as the closer, but injuries and inconsistencies lost him the job. This season, Viz will be tabbed in the eighth inning setup role. Though 2016 had some bumps in the road for the 26-year-old Dominican, Viz showed what he is capable of in 2015. He amassed nine saves, an ERA of 1.60, 9.9 K/9, and a 3-1 record. Vizcaino primarily features a plus fastball and slider, but has dabbled with a sinker (in 2015) and a rarely-used changeup. Though last year wasn’t Vizcaino’s best, his strikeout rate was high. If he can return that and perform as he did in 2015, he will be lockdown out of the ‘pen.
Slated an the closer to open the season will be long time veteran Jim Johnson. Johnson’s Atlanta career has been interesting. Jim was one of the first players to be brought in during the beginning stages of the Braves rebuild. He pitched well in the first half of 2015. Johnson was then traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the deal that brought the horror experiment that was Hector Olivera to Atlanta. In LA, Johnson did not perform and was granted his free agency release, which let him re-sign with Atlanta.
Last season saw Johnson return to form for the Braves. He reclaimed his closing role and pitched well enough to keep it heading into this season. The 33-year-old features a fastball-curve-change trifecta, and will stick to it this season. If Johnson can replicate his 2016 numbers, his job will not be in doubt at any point this season.
Details on the selection of RHP Armando Rivero in today's Rule Five Draft: pic.twitter.com/KVq4uRNLty
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) December 8, 2016
The last sure-thing in the pen is Rule 5 draftee Armando Rivero. He was selected by the Braves with the 5th overall pick in the MLB Rule 5 Draft from the Chicago Cubs. Per Rule 5 draft rules, Rivero must stay on the active 25-man roster all season long, or be offered back to the Cubs for half of what he was signed for. If Vizcaino, Cabrera, and Johnson are the equivalent of top-25 teams getting in the tournament, Rivero won his conference.
That said, Armando is a very good bullpen piece. His K/9 sits at nearly 14, and his left on base percentage (LOB) is phenomenal. He doesn’t walk many people and he doesn’t allow many earned runs. Rivero will throw a fastball, slider and changeup, and has very good command of all three pitches.
The one setback for Armando is the shoulder discomfort that began plaguing him this offseason. According to manager Brian Snitker, it doesn’t look as if it will be a problem. It’s somewhat of a mystery how the 29-year-old Cuban will fair at the major league level. Judging by his minor league numbers, Rivero should be a great addition.
#Braves reliever Armando Rivero has been bothered by shoulder soreness, Snitker said it's not believed to be anything significant.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) March 4, 2017
FIRST FOUR IN
Like in the NCAA tournament, there are always teams on the bubble. The Atlanta Braves bullpen is no different.
First in, we have Josh Collmenter. Last season saw him in a pitching utility role. He started a few games and tossed a few relief outings. He will stat this season in the long reliever role. In 2016, Josh ditched the straight fastball and relied solely on his cutter as his go to pitch. He also mixes in a heavy dose of changeup, with a touch of a curve. The long reliever role suits Collmenter well.
The lefty specialist this season will be Paco Rodriguez. Though Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the past two seasons, Paco looks healthy and ready to go. Rodriguez isn’t the type of pitcher that will blow batters away with his speed. His success comes from his assortment of off-speed and breaking stuff. He features a two-seam fastball, slider, curve, and change. His primary pitch is the curve, which he throws 35% of the time. If Tommy John doesn’t set him back, look for Paco to make a big impact this season.
Akeel Morris is one of the few bullpen only arms Atlanta has required during this rebuild. Coming to Atlanta by way of a Kelly Johnson trade last June, Morris has been nothing short of solid in his time as a pro. The 24-year-old Virgin Islander has a four-pitch arsenal consisting of a straight fastball, two-seamer, slider, and changeup. Morris doesn’t need more than some polishing to become a noted major league bullpen piece.
The last in to start this season in the ‘pen is Chaz Roe. Though he has had a rough spring, that’s typical for Roe. The vet has a career Spring Training ERA of 6.86. Many guys start slow in spring. Roe’s regular season numbers are much better. A career 4.06 era isn’t great, but 2016 saw improvement. Roe induces a lot of ground balls. His two-seamer, slider, and curve will be his go to pitches, though he will mix in a straight fastball once in a while. Roe brings more than talent to this ‘pen; he brings leadership and experience.
NEXT IN
Over the past few seasons, the Braves bullpen has been sort of a revolving door. Though this season looks to be more stable, one can expect to see a few guys move up and down throughout the season.
Luke Jackson came to Atlanta this offseason via a trade with the Rangers. He relies on a plus fastball to go along with a curveball, changeup, and a new slider. Just 25, Jackson will be up sooner rather than later.
Ian Krol was last year’s lefty specialist. He performed well enough, but the mystery of what Rodriguez can do may mean Triple-A relocation for Krol. Barring injury, he will be in a major league bullpen at some point this season. The question is when.
FIRST OUT
Unfortunately, as in tournament play, there are some guys who just won’t make. Unless the Braves run into serious injury problems or terrible performances, these players won’t make impacts this season.
Eric O’Flaherty was one a top left-handed reliever. He and Jonny Venters were the perfect setup tandem for Craig Kimbrel. Over the past couple seasons, Eric has fallen on hard times. His ERA has risen and he has struggled with command. Though we have seen flashes of the former stud, the fact that he is third behind Rodriguez and Krol is hardly a positive.
John Danks was brought to Atlanta via free agency this offseason. He was awarded a non-roster invite to Spring Training. Danks has experience as both a starter and a bullpen piece. Being left-handed, for once, is working against him. If he gets his shot and performs well, look for Danks to be flipped, as many vet signees have been in the past.
OTHER BULLPEN MOVES
There are a couple players that we saw last season who have a chance of spending some time in the ‘pen for the Braves. Joel De La Cruz, Blaine Boyer, and Sam Freeman may all get opportunities.
In a time when Copollela and company are leaving no stone unturned, trying to lock down every bullpen piece is nearly impossible. Those looking to find comfort in one particular area may find it in the pen. One thing is certain: the bullpen should be much improved from the last two seasons.
Main Photo:
