LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Braves will comb the waiver wire and consider any trade possibilities in search of a left-handed reliever after optioning Ian Krol to Triple-A Gwinnett following a disappointing performance this spring.
Krol, who had a 12.71 ERA and .321 opponents’ average in seven Grapefruit League appearances, was one of four spring-training roster cuts Saturday by the Braves, who optioned right-hander Ryan Weber to Gwinnett and reassigned utilityman Reid Brignac and catcher Willians Astudillo to minor league camp.
There are 36 players left on the camp roster.
The Braves came to spring training pleased to have more lefty relief options than they’d had in recent years, but the half-dozen have been whittled to one: Alex Torres. He’s been solid this spring, but none of the others impressed enough for the Braves to have enough confidence in them to keep them on the spring roster.
Krol, who came from Detroit as part of a November trade for center fielder Cameron Maybin, has allowed nine hits, eight earned runs, four walks and a hit batter in 5 2/3 innings this spring.
“I think he’s one of those guys who just needs to get some innings and some reps, and we were running out of innings up here,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “And he’s ours (staying in the organization). He’s 30 miles away (in Gwinnett), and if he pitches well and we need him, he’ll be one of the guys we can call on.”
Krol joined lefties Matt Marksberry, Hunter Cervenka, Andrew McKirahan, the other lefties previously optioned or reassigned to minor league camp. Another former lefty option, Evan Rutzckyj, was a Rule 5 Draft pick and ended up being sent back to the Yankees after issuing five walks in three innings of work.
Unless the Braves decide to bring back one of those already sent down — perhaps Cervenka, who’s allowed only two hits and one walk in four innings over five appearances — then the Braves will either enter the season with one lefty in the bullpen or add one from outside the organization.
Among those known to be available are Neal Cotts, who was released this week by the Astros.
Since being sent to the minors March 14, Cervenka has been brought over to pitch in two Grapefruit League games and allowed no hits or walks with two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings in those appearances.
“He’s pitched well when he’s come up,” Gonzalez said. “We’ll keep running him out here and see what happens. We’ve still got seven days left, seven games left, and a lot of things can happen.”
Some have wondered if the Braves might consider starting prospect Manny Banuelos for the bullpen, but they’re more inclined to keep Banuelos on the regular schedule of a starter given his history of elbow problems, including September surgery to remove bone spurs and Tommy John surgery three years before.
Krol, 24, came with minor league lefty Gabe Speier from the Tigers in the Maybin trade. Speier was then traded for the third time in 12 months when he was included with Shelby Miller in the December blockbuster deal that brought Ender Inciarte, Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair from Arizona.
In 110 appearances over parts of three seasons with the Nationals and Tigers, Krol had a 4.91 ERA and 1.580 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched), with 76 strikeouts and 38 walks in 88 innings.
Krol generally was effective against lefties in his first two seasons but not in 2015, when they hit .326 with a .442 OBP against him.
