Braves release Freddy Garcia / Sign Aaron Harang

[Braves1976]

What exactly makes Harang better than Garcia?

Well, Harang is better at giving up a .300 plus average and an OPS well over .800 vs every NL East team. Garcia doesn't even have that potential because he has actually been decent vs some NL East teams (and last year at his best vs the Nats in fact).

Maybe we can add Loe again to be our fourth starter, he is a veteran too.

[zitothebrave]

Not sure I get cutting Garcia, but Harang is better. JMO

Last 2 years Freddie has been total butt. combined 0.6 fWAR. Harang same time frame was 2.0.

That said both are trending very very down. both are just off their arguable worst season ever so neither is likely very good. Harang though is potentially better as an innings eater and as maybe a better overall pitcher too.

[jpx7]

I'm excited at the possibility of some really sharp Chip Caray plays-on-words involving Aaron Harang's name.

/silver lining

I'll be haranging on Chip's every word.

[zitothebrave]

I'll be haranging on Chip's every word.

I'm feeling harangsty that he may miss some good one.

[Carp]

Harang? He was terrible last year for Seattle of all teams. Meh.

But was suprisingly good with the Mets of all teams.....

[jcc03004]

I hope not varvaro has been horrible

[jcc03004]

I don't know harang is throwing 93 this spring last year it was 89 we need harang to be league average so that once everyone is back especially Floyd wood can go back to the pen to limit his innings

[jcc03004]

What until recently harang was a pretty servicable pitcher it's not like we are throwing dan kolb out there come on

[Braves1976]

I don't know harang is throwing 93 this spring last year it was 89

Harang wasn't throwing that hard starting, that was out of the bullpen. He was hitting 90-91 starting according to Wren and we're talking about a tiny sample size too.

[AUTiger7222]

Harang wasn't throwing that hard starting, that was out of the bullpen. He was hitting 90-91 starting according to Wren and we're talking about a tiny sample size too.

Garcia's top speed is about 86 right now. I know it's not all about velocity but there's a pretty big difference between 86 and 91.

[AUTiger7222]

BTW, the Brewers who he is likely to face first have the third most homers of any team against him (24 total as a team). Of course Harang gives up a lot of homers and the Brewers play in a homer friendly park. So I'd look for more of the same to come. They also hit .293 against him with a .814 OPS as a team. Does anyone not hit Harang to an OPS under .800? LOL...

Considering he pitched for the Reds for a number of years and the Reds play the Brewers a lot it's not surprising.

[GovClintonTyree]

Garcia's top speed is about 86 right now. I know it's not all about velocity but there's a pretty big difference between 86 and 91.

The real question is how Freddy got anybody out last year.

Harang should be better. If he's regained a few mph on his fastball, that's a pretty good sign. He was a nice pitcher for a while, albeit with a touch of gopheritis.

Schlosser has to be a better option than Hale at this point.

Santana, Floyd and Minor make all of this a tempest in a teapot. If this were the middle of the season, these would be spot starts, nothing more.

[Knucksie]

No real reaction to these moves. Garcia received an irrational amount of dislike. Besides the Game 4, he had an ERA under 2.00 for 6 starts down the stretch last season, if memory serves. Who cares about what it takes to get outs? For $1.25MM, this was a small price to pay for some added insurance, esp. after opening up the bank vaults for those LT contracts for "the core."

Harang was useful a few years back. This must be one of those attempts to capture lightning in a bottle, which worked so effectively during the Leo era. Most everybody seems to like McDowell, but he hasn't been quite as adept as these reclamation projects.

[nsacpi]

Thinking about this a little more, I don't think there is much difference between Harang and Garcia in terms of how they woul do as starters. As a starter I slightly prefer Garcia. But looking down the road and assuming one of them ends up most of the season in the pen, I begin to see the case for Harang. As a reliever he will be able to dial it up a couple mph, and I think he has a better chance of success in the pen than Garcia.

[The Chosen One]

Hopefully harang doesn't channel the ghost of Adam Bernero.

[stpeteirish]

This is a pitcher that had a 5.26 ERA and gave up 16 HRs in 89 innings in Safeco last year! That right, in the comfy confines of Safeco. If you can't pitch half ways decent there you don't deserve to be on a MLB pitching staff.

But look at Freddy's numbers with Baltimore. They're basing this move on now they've looked this spring, at least Harang can throw hard when he needs to, Freddy can't anymore. I hope it quicly becomes a moot point with Minor and Floyd filling up the rotation. They both are nothing but short term solutions.

[sturg33]

Harang was bad last year... but previously was solid...

2012: 180 innings; 3.6 ERA (4.1 FIP)
2011: 170 innings; 3.6 ERA (4.1 FIP)

Hell, even last year with the Mets he wasn't bad (extremely small sample) - 23 IP; 3.5 ERA, 10K/9.

[clvclv]

That and the fact he has been the organization's Pitcher of the Year each of the last two seasons. Guy has answered every challenge and as a side-armer, he probably won't ever need TJ surgery.

Moylan???

Saw mention that he was going to need it sometime last week - not sure if he's had it yet.

[The Chosen One]

Also saw Moylan was expecting a second TJ... I remember his first appearance for us it was 2006 on TBS at Shea Stadium. Struck out a guy and they used pitch trax to show the movement on his pitches.

[zitothebrave]

Also saw Moylan was expecting a second TJ... I remember his first appearance for us it was 2006 on TBS at Shea Stadium. Struck out a guy and they used pitch trax to show the movement on his pitches.

Moylan has wonky shoulders, it's not shocking.