In the past few days, the Braves have parted ways with three players that were vying for spots in the bullpen.
The ball started rolling when Angel Perdomo was traded to the Angels for cash considerations and a player to be named later. Many thought he had a chance of making the Opening Day roster, performing pretty well over eight Spring Training appearances, his first action since undergoing Tommy John surgery. However, the Braves didn’t see enough to warrant keeping him, and today, they also decided to release Jake Diekman and return Rule 5 Draft selection Anderson Pilar to the Miami Marlins.
Diekman has a decent track record over 13 years in the majors, owning a 3.91 ERA and 3.78 FIP with an 11.4 K/9, but he’s 38-years-old and didn’t show quite enough to convince the Braves to keep him. Pilar was an intriguing arm that boasts a 2.86 ERA over eight minor-league seasons. The stuff can play at the major-league level, which he flashed at times throughout Spring Training, but the 27-year-old will have to wait a little longer before he makes his MLB debut.
With those decisions, the Braves bullpen picture has become a lot more clear. It should look something like this to begin the season if there are no more moves.
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- Raisel Iglesias
- Pierce Johnson
- Aaron Bummer
- Daysbel Hernandez
- Dylan Lee
- Hector Neris
- Enyel De Los Santos
- Ian Anderson/AJ Smith-Shawver
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The Braves recently signed Craig Kimbrel, but he will need to ramp up activities before he’s ready to contribute. That could give Atlanta some time to use a six-man rotation to begin the season, as they start with seven games in seven days on the road against the Padres and Dodgers. By the time that’s over, they might be willing to make a decision on Ian Anderson’s standing with the organization, and guys like Spencer Strider and Craig Kimbrel will be nearing a return.
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Photographer: Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire
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