Bullpen options..

[blueagleace1]

It's no secret that our bullpen has umm kinda struggled.. OK they have sucked and been downright embarrassing. It's also no secret that with a halfway decent bullpen, this Braves team -yes the same one many experts and many on here said would be one of the worst teams in baseball and might even lose 100 games- would be in first place in the underperforming NL East. I guess the good thing about this is the fact that bullpens in general are the easiest and cheapest to fix -in terms of both payroll and talent- without giving up all the assets in your farm system. With there being no viable solutions in AAA and not wanting to put Wisler/Banuelos in the bullpen who are some names that you'd like to see possibly acquired that could help us? Now, as much of a surprise as this team is, we all know that the front office isn't going to -nor should they- trade away assets that Hart and Co. did such a great job of acquiring this past offseason for bullpen help. So without mortgaging the future, who would you like to see acquired that would A.) not cost much to acquire or B.) is controlled for multiple years? I'll start...


Braves trade:

RHP Jason Hursh



Rockies Trade:

RHP John Axford (Free Agent 2017)
LHP Rex Brothers (Free Agent 2018)


I think that with all of the pitching we've acquired from the offseason trades, the ones already in our system and the numerous ones we just drafted to go along with Hursh's lack of development it makes him expendable. Axford has shown signs of regaining the form that made him one of the better closers in baseball during his days with Milwaukee and he would give us another late inning arm to go along with Grilli and Johnson plus he'd be under club control thru 2017. Brothers would give us another LH arm to pair with Avilan and would probably be the superior option among the two. If Roger can get him back to form from when he was having all his success with the Rockies (he was their closer of the future) he would be a nice arm to have for 2.5 seasons. Some might say Hursh is an overpay, and he may be, but with both guys having more than this season of control, I think it would be worth it.

[Krovahn]

It's no secret that our bullpen has umm kinda struggled.. OK they have sucked and been downright embarrassing. It's also no secret that with a halfway decent bullpen, this Braves team -yes the same one many experts and many on here said would be one of the worst teams in baseball and might even lose 100 games- would be in first place in the underperforming NL East. I guess the good thing about this is the fact that bullpens in general are the easiest and cheapest to fix -in terms of both payroll and talent- without giving up all the assets in your farm system. With there being no viable solutions in AAA and not wanting to put Wisler/Banuelos in the bullpen who are some names that you'd like to see possibly acquired that could help us? Now, as much of a surprise as this team is, we all know that the front office isn't going to -nor should they- trade away assets that Hart and Co. did such a great job of acquiring this past offseason for bullpen help. So without mortgaging the future, who would you like to see acquired that would A.) not cost much to acquire or B.) is controlled for multiple years? I'll start...


Braves trade:

RHP Jason Hursh



Rockies Trade:

RHP John Axford (Free Agent 2017)
LHP Rex Brothers (Free Agent 2018)


I think that with all of the pitching we've acquired from the offseason trades, the ones already in our system and the numerous ones we just drafted to go along with Hursh's lack of development it makes him expendable. Axford has shown signs of regaining the form that made him one of the better closers in baseball during his days with Milwaukee and he would give us another late inning arm to go along with Grilli and Johnson plus he'd be under club control thru 2017. Brothers would give us another LH arm to pair with Avilan and would probably be the superior option among the two. If Roger can get him back to form from when he was having all his success with the Rockies (he was their closer of the future) he would be a nice arm to have for 2.5 seasons. Some might say Hursh is an overpay, and he may be, but with both guys having more than this season of control, I think it would be worth it.

Ryan Weber and David Carpenter are both in AAA, pitching extremely well this year, and are viable solutions in my book. We shouldn't explore a trade at this point in the season for the pen when we are 'rebuilding', especially with two great viable options in the minors.

[Russ2dollas]

Is rather try hursh in the pen. Thought that was his spot since draft day

[buck75]

Is rather try hursh in the pen. Thought that was his spot since draft day

Seems like a very good possibility

[nsacpi]

Greg Smith has pitched well in AAA. I'd give him a look.

[blueagleace1]

Thanks for everyone's opinion so far! All valid points for sure!

[GovClintonTyree]

Greg Smith has pitched well in AAA. I'd give him a look.

Sure, OK. As long as their names aren't "Cunniff," "Masset" or "Eveland".

[Chico]

The Royals have a stacked pen and a need for a 2B better than Omar and a major league ready SP. I don't know about their farm system, but there could be a mutual beneficial trade there somewhere.