The Atlanta Braves front office clearly does not want a young and inexperienced starting rotation for the 2017 season. In 2016, the Braves utilized 15 different starting pitchers. Consequently, too many young players were expected to perform at the highest level too soon. Guys were being called up and sent down every week to and from the minor leagues. That strategy simply cannot continue if the Braves want to be successful this year. That’s why John Hart and John Coppolella acquired three veterans in Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, and Jaime Garcia.
Atlanta Braves Starting Rotation in 2017
Acquisitions
Colon, the ageless wonder, performs at the highest level. The 43-year-old journeyman provides depth and great experience for the Braves. He has averaged 183 innings pitched every year since 2011, which allows the young starters continual development in the minor leagues. At the same time, the bullpen receives more rest, staying effective deeper into the season.
Dickey is one of the few knuckleball pitchers remaining in MLB. There is less taxation on the arm while throwing a knuckleball compared to the traditional fastball. As a result, he can pitch further into a game and even the season. The best seasons in his career were with the New York Mets, a National League team. In the same way the NL helped Dickey before, coming to the Braves should help him recapture some of his Cy Young Award winning form back in 2012.
The Braves acquired Garcia via trade on December 1, 2016 from the St. Louis Cardinals. He has great experience from a winning organization and is only 30 years old. Garcia is a middle of the rotation type of player, assuming he stays healthy. Consequently, injuries are a concern with Garcia; however, he only has one year left on his contract for just $12 million. He owns a very respectable 3.57 ERA for his career, making this trade a high upside type of acquisition.
Benefits
The starting rotation for 2017 should consist of Julio Teheran, Colon, Dickey, Garcia, and Mike Foltynewicz. This mixture of seasoned veterans and young studs should allow the leadership and professionalism to flow for years to come. Accordingly, the expected rotation for next year could empower the Braves to compete on a nightly basis.
In addition, it allows young arms Aaron Blair and Matt Wisler to stay at Triple-A Gwinnett for another year to gain experience and confidence. Wisler began the 2016 season in Atlanta and struggled mightily. Blair came up in the middle of the season and was not ready, either. As a result, both got demoted to the minors during the season. Starting 2017 at Gwinnett will alleviate the stress and help them figure out what went wrong in Atlanta. In the same way, it will allow them to gain the valuable experience needed to thrive in the Major Leagues.
Ultimately, the job that Hart and Copolella have done just in the past two months solved rotational problems for years to come. The revamped rotation is a huge improvement from the past two years. These acquisitions grant the Braves the opportunity to focus on other areas of need heading into SunTrust Park for 2017 and beyond.
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