OXON HILL, Md. – When the Braves signed a pair of over-40 former Cy Young Award winners to one-year contracts last month, then followed those R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon signings 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.”
Those folks didn’t like the strategic decision to add three veterans to the rotation that returns All-Star Julio Teheran, effectively leaving 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, and that the Braves deviated from the rebuilding plan.
Well, top Braves officials would disagree. To the contrary, they think the three veterans on one-year contracts can only help the young pitchers, both by giving them more time to develop and perhaps lighting a fire beneath some of them and reminding them that no one is entitled to a spot, that they will have to compete.
More importantly, they got Colon, Dickey and Garcia because they saw how a stumbling starting rotation and repeated starts of five innings or fewer over-taxed the bullpen and undermined the dramatically improved performance by the Braves offense in the second half last season.
The Braves went 50-47 in their last 97 games and won 20 of their final 30 games despite the starting rotation’s struggles, and 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 (SunTrust 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 (young) 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 (latter). 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 (young) guys get finished off. And at the same time provide our everyday club with a chance to get through six innings five straight nights if we can, without having to jump in in the second inning and all of a sudden we’re (dipping into) Triple-A and maneuvering all over the place.”
Braves 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, explaining the decision to beef up the rotation with one-year veterans in 2017 as the younger pitchers continue to develop. “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 young pitchers getting squeezed out of the rotation, Coppolella fairly scoffed at that.
“As far as the way our pitchers feel, this may not be (politically correct), but 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 way 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 have gotten a chance, or you’re mad that we brought 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 if they look over their shoulders, 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.
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