Jason Grilli’s role had already been reduced after his early-season struggles, and Tuesday the Braves moved on when they traded the veteran reliever to the Blue Jays for a minor league pitcher.
Grilli, 39, was dealt to the Blue Jays in exchange for Sean Ratcliffe, 21, a right-handed reliever who’s not pitched above the low Single-A level. The Braves sought to open another spot in their bullpen for a young reliever such as Shae Simmons, who’s expected back soon after a 16-month rehab from Tommy John elbow surgery.
“We want to go with young pitching,” Braves general manager John Coppolella said. “What we’ve tried to do in a year like this is try to find out what we have with the young arms that we have here. We’re going to get Jim Johnson back (from the disabled list) on Friday. We’re going to get Shae Simmons back shortly thereafter, and it was a chance for us to find a good home for Jason and keep trying to add in young arms that are home-grown through our Braves farm system.”
Ratcliffe is a native Canadian selected in the 18th round of the 2013 draft out of an Ontario high school. After parts of two unimpressive seasons in rookie ball, he had a 3.60 ERA in 22 appearances (one start) at low-A Vancouver in 2015, with 30 strikeouts, 16 walks and one homer allowed in 40 innings.
He has been in the Blue Jays’ extended spring training program this season and will start out in the Braves’ extended spring training before a possible assignment with l0w-A Rome.
“He’s 21 years old, he’s 6-4, has a good arm, and we had seen him two weeks back — our scouts that saw him thought he could help the Braves organization,” Coppolella said.
Grilli is making $3.5 million in the second season of a two-year, $8 million contract that includes a $3 million for 2017 with a $250,000 buyout. It’s believed the Braves will be responsible for his salary this season except a prorated portion of the major league minimum, which works out to less than $350,000.
The Blue Jays would have to pay only that amount plus the buyout if they decided not to exercise the option.
After his 2015 season ended with a ruptured Achilles in July, Grilli had a 5.29 ERA in 21 appearances this season, with 23 strikeouts and 13 walks in 17 innings. His 1.706 WHIP (walks-plus-hits per inning pitched) would be the highest in a full season, and his ERA his highest since a 5.32 in 2008 with Colorado and Texas.
He began the season as a setup man and secondary closer, but Grilli was moved to a lesser role after struggling in the first weeks of the season.
“I’ve been used a little more differently than I have hoped,” Grilli said Tuesday, before learning he had been traded. “I mean you never want to lose your position to injury. I can see what is going on here and the rebuild process. I’m okay (with it).
“There are certain things, like when you are in the bullpen, you want to be at the back end of it. I want to pitch significant innings. But thumping my chest and wearing a title, that is up to the manager. I have always taken the ball whether it is the beginning of the game, middle of game or end of game. I am not one of those guys at are about me. I want to win.”
Grilli had season-ending surgery after rupturing his left Achilles July 11 game at Colorado. He vowed to return for spring training, despite the fact that rehab for such an injury typically takes longer than seven months for an athlete, particularly one his age.
He made it back in time for reporting day this spring, albeit a couple of weeks behind other pitchers. Grilli debuted midway through Grapefruit League schedule and pitched well enough in limited spring-training appearances to convince Braves officials that he warranted a spot on the opening-day roster.
“I think I would’ve liked to have gotten out of the blocks a little bit earlier in spring training,” he said Tuesday before the trade.
A first-round pick — fourth overall — by San Francisco in 1997, Grilli was an top starting-pitcher prospect with the Giants, Marlins, White Sox and Tigers before injuries took their toll and he eventually moved to a bullpen role for his first full season in the majors with Detroit in 2006.
After racking up 90 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings in 2012, Grilli got his first chance to be a full-time closer in 2013 and posted 33 saves with a 2.70 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 50 innings for the Pirates.
He signed agreed to a deal to become the Braves setup man and backup closer in December 2014, after finishing with a 4.00 ERA and 12 saves in 62 appearances with the Pirates and Angels in 2014.
When the Braves traded Craig Kimbrel the day before 2015 opening day, Grilli moved into the closer role and performed admirably, posting a 2.94 ERA with 24 saves in 36 appearances before his getting hurt the weekend before the All-Star break.
