Shreve

[nsacpi]

With Russell's recent struggles, the need for a second lefty in the pen has become increasingly apparent.

I didn't understand the decision to send Shreve down while keeping Juan Jaime on the major league roster. With the passage of time and circumstances, the decision has become even less defensible. I'm hoping the team brings Shreve back. It won't solve all of our problems, but the guy can help this team.

Since getting sent to AAA he has pitched in four games. Of the 14 batters faced he has struck out six and walked zero while giving up four hits. Small sample to be sure. But consistent with the larger sample of good work he turned in while pitching in AA. His short major league stint was good too, with an xFIP under 3 and ERA under 2.

[depley]

unfortunately Russels problems with left handed hitters was obvious before the braves wasted the time trading for him. I never understood that trade THEN sending down Shreve when I thought the whole point was to add a left hander in the pen, not replace. I sometimes wonder what Wren thinks, it seems to me he sometimes does something just to do something but then the opportunity "might" have come up to unload the disaster that is called BJ Upton and doesn't

[bravesnumberone]

Bonifacio was clearly the better part of the deal for the simple reason it got Schafer off the team and BJ out of leadoff. But I'm also baffled at how given left-handed relief pitching was viewed as our No. 1 priority at the deadline, we not only acquired one who can't get lefties out, but we sent the other one we had down.

It's just incompetence.

[57Brave]

Short term obvious, yes.
His 2013-11 record says otherwise. Bowman pointed this out the other day. Surprised me too
Think his word was "justifiable"

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/russeja02.shtml?redir

[nsacpi]

Short term obvious, yes.
His 2013-11 record says otherwise. Bowman pointed this out the other day. Surprised me too
Think his word was "justifiable"

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/russeja02.shtml?redir

Yeah. Over small samples, a player's platoon splits can be misleading. Russell's career marks are a better indication of his true platoon tendencies and a better predictor of what he is going to do going forward.

For me the issue with Russell has to do more with his general effectiveness or lack thereof than his platoon tendencies. The lefty I wanted was Tony Sipp, who has a lower career xFIP than Russell and a much lower one in 2014.

[57Brave]

To be clear, he is/was nothing more than a throw-in in the Bonafacio deal here . Hoping no one expects the second coming of Billy Wagner here.
Fredi's use of him and Wren acquiring him to me are in the words of Mark Bowman "justifiable"

[nsacpi]

To be clear, he is/was nothing more than a throw-in in the Bonafacio deal here . Hoping no one expects the second coming of Billy Wagner here.
Fredi's use of him and Wren acquiring him to me are in the words of Mark Bowman "justifiable"

Agreed. Although I wouldn't say Russell was just a throw-in, the main appeal of this trade was that it brought both Bonifacio and a lefty.

[bravesnumberone]

And, that was the stated biggest need of the team...to get a lefty to beef up the presence of lefties in our bullpen...even though we turned right around and sent the other one down.

[57Brave]

Maybe Braves pitching coaches up and down the organization can see what happened over the off season and get him back on track. Ala Frediie Garcia last year.