The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
GM to young arms: Get better
Three veterans to join mix in rotation after 2016 staff struggled.
When the Braves OXON HILL, MD. — signed a pair of over-40 former Cy Young Award winners to oneyear contracts last month, then followed the R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon additions by trading for Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia and his $12 million salary, there was a familiar refrain from a segment of Braves fans and other observers.
It more or less went: “Let the kids play.”
To their thinking, the strategic decision to add three veterans to a rotation that returns All-Star Julio Teheran effectively leaves just one opening for Mike Foltynewicz and all the other young Braves pitchers (not to mention re-signed swing man Josh Collmenter) to compete for.
Maybe some critics wouldn’t have minded adding one veteran, but adding three with a combined $32 million in salaries for 2017 — an amount that virtually assures they stay in the rotation at least until July, barring injury or absolutely horrendous performance — made some think the Braves had turned their backs too quickly on the likes of Matt Wisler, Aaron Blair and other young pitchers who struggled in 2016. Further, they felt the Braves had deviated
from the rebuilding plan.
Well, top Braves officials disagree. They think the three veterans can only help the young pitchers, both by giving them more time to develop and perhaps lighting a fire beneath some of them, reminding them that no one is entitled to a spot and that they will have to compete.
More important, the Braves got Colon, Dickey and Garcia because they saw how a stumbling starting rotation and repeated starts of five innings or less overtaxed the bullpen last year and undermined the offense’s dramatically improved performance in the second half.
The Braves went 50-47 in their last 97 games and won 20 of their final 30 games despite the rotation’s struggles. Team officials determined that improving that area could put the Braves in position to compete from Day 1 in their first season at SunTrust Park in 2017.
“We’re moving to the new (park) and we made this decision,” Braves president of baseball operations John Hart said, “and I’m sure there’s been a lot of banter about this: Are we better by pitching these guys, don’t stand in their way, give them another chance? Or letting them go develop and be pitcher six, seven, eight (among starters), as we’re going to need pitchers as we go? And develop a finishing pitch. Develop a little better command, tighten their mechanics down, get a little mentally tougher. We opted for that. Let them finish their development.
“I don’t know who’s going to win the fifth job, whether it’s Folty or Wisler or Blair or whoever. Somebody’s going to get hurt. These guys are going to get opportunity. And it’s going to give us a chance to add what we thought was of greater value, to let these guys get finished off. And at the same time, (it will) provide our everyday club with a chance to get through six innings five straight nights if we can, without having to jump in (the bullpen) in the second inning and all of a sudden, we’re (dipping into) Triple-A and maneuvering all over the place.”
General manager John Coppolella said those position players who performed so well for much of last season deserved better than to see so many productive performances go unrewarded. And so did fans.
“We owe it to our players and our fans to put better teams on the field when we can,” he said. “Competition is good. It’s not a bad thing. The cream is going to rise to the top. If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.”
As for the notion that some feelings might be hurt among pitchers getting squeezed out, Coppolella fairly scoffed.
“If you don’t like it, get better,” he said. “There’s been a lot of opportunities handed out here. There’s been a lot of pitchers pitching where, frankly, I’m — I don’t want to say embarrassed for the Braves franchise — but where a gold-standard franchise like the Braves should be a lot better . ...
“If you feel like you’ve been slighted, or you haven’t gotten a chance, or you’re mad that we brought in somebody better, pitch better. Get better. We don’t owe anybody anything. The best pitchers are going to pitch for us. And if you don’t like it, get better.”
Hart added that those pitchers will also see a herd of elite Braves pitching prospects coming up behind them in another two or three years, if not sooner.