Braves release Freddy Garcia / Sign Aaron Harang
- Thread starter TXBravesFan
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keithlaw
Playing the Waiting Game
erik bedard perhaps?
jpx7
Very Flirtatious, but Doubts What Love Is.
Yea, I'm sure his price-tag hurt him in terms of the Braves' roster calculus, but I think the decision was based as much on performance potential as it was on fiduciary constraints—a likelihood reflected in O'Brien's note on the dismissal:
There's a salient distinction between being able to afford something and thinking something is worth something.
Millwood1Hitter
Anytime Now Frankie...
Cliff Lee is coming to Atlanta!
PurpleBrave
On BBA's Top 100 Prospects List
Jeez, you'd think John Smoltz was just cut
stpeteirish
Called Up to the Major Leagues
and Floyd's ahead of schedule. 1.25 mill too much to pay for 2-3 starts.
stpeteirish
Called Up to the Major Leagues
I don't get this, could Schlosser have been that impressive? He was the top guy on Mississippi's staff last year.
keithlaw
Playing the Waiting Game
He didn't need to be impressive at all. Just less unimpressive than Garcia
jpx7
Very Flirtatious, but Doubts What Love Is.
Does Bowman elaborate?
From what I've read, Wren et al simply did not expect Garcia to perform at a level that would justify a $1.25-million guarantee. If that's gist of Wren's "explanation" then it makes a lot of sense to me.
Tapate50
Well-known member
DOB did comment that whoever he went to go see was unimpressive and not mentionworthy. HoRam fits that bill.
50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
And yet Varvaro's limited stat line is better than Gearrin's over the past three seasons. I don't cotton much to either Varvaro or Gearrin, but this impression that Gearrin is somehow the second coming of Dan Quissenberry is a bit ridiculous.
I agree with purplebrave. My only caveat is that a win in April equals a win in August, so if Garcia's experience could net a couple of wins early, they would count in the standings. However, the season goes well beyond April and, while one can't prove the negative, there's nothing that leads me to believe he'd get better as the season wears on and Hale, Schlosser, or someone else might.
I think Wren is going to watch the waiver wire closely, especially for a bullpen arm or two. But this rending of clothing and gnashing of teeth over Garcia is kind of amusing.
Dalyn
Fredi Gonzalez Supporter
Exactly. Don't see the problem with this one.
jpx7
Very Flirtatious, but Doubts What Love Is.
Now the Braves will have a month or so to evaluate first-hand both Hale's and Schlosser's abilities to start at the major-league level, and even longer to evaluate whichever one they leave in the rotation as fifth-starter until Floyd is ready.
While there is some risk over the first several weeks of the season, with respect to 2014 regular-season record—and I think such risk is probably overstated, since the alternative of giving Garcia starts also carried ample risk—this key evaluation period could be huge in planning for the 2015 rotation and beyond (when the likely departures of Santana and Floyd, and the uncertainty respective to the recoveries and contract-retention of Medlen and Beachy, will present Wren with a lot of difficult decisions). Meanwhile, if either Hale or Schlosser—or both—pitches very well, suddenly the Braves have more attractive pieces for mid-season tweaks; and whether they do pitch well or they don't, each pitcher will have gained experience in case subsequent injuries force the Braves to call upon them again, either this year or next.
All for the low, low price of not paying Freddy Garcia a guaranteed $1.25-million.
Really, in my mind, the more angles from which you view Garcia's release, the more sense it makes.
Dalyn
Fredi Gonzalez Supporter
Signing him is what didn't make sense.
Dalyn
Fredi Gonzalez Supporter
Agreed. But no different than if you swapped Garcia for Schlosser (just more expensive).