Atlanta Braves look for 5th starter in rotation
Atlanta Braves are looking for a fifth starter in the rotation, and they have three players contending for the spot. Mike Minor, Brandon Beachy and Rodrigo Lopez are the three players to make it to the pitch for the position, and they will need to prove
their usefulness in the spring training period as Manager Fredi Gonzalez will be taking critical decisions before the regular season comes into play.
Fredi comes in as the Braves’ new Manager following Bobby Cox’s retirement. The new Head will be asked to make good calls this season, as some of the roster problems need to be curtailed before they begin to hurt the strategy in the team. Gonzalez has a
history of working with rookies in the rotation, and he’s proven that with his management experience with the Florida Marlins.
"I'm comfortable to go with rookies," said Gonzalez. "We'll see what happens in Spring Training. Rodrigo gives us a little backup, but we're looking for the young guys to come through. It should be a good competition."
Minor happens to be the likely candidate in the mix, given his 8 game appearances last year. The player won 3 games with his role in the rotation out of his first 4 games. He conceded no defeats and produced a performance that posted an earning runs average
of 3.91; however, that all changed when he fell to two defeats in the next two games, posting an earning runs average of 9.37.
The problem has been the hitters’ ability to leave the curveballs, Mike pitches. In the Major Leagues, the game is a bit faster as dimensions change erratically.
"I need to have three pitches working to get Major League hitters out and that's what I'll be working on in Spring Training," Minor said. "I have to be able to throw my curveball for strikes. Hitters in September were taking the curve, because they knew
it was going to end up out of the strike zone."
Beachy, who is another candidate, is an undrafted signing who led the Minor Leagues, last year with a 1.73 earning runs average. He started 3 games for the Braves last year, pitching in with a 3.00 earning runs average.
The last man to fit into the rotation would be Lopez, who has played 200 innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The player gave up 37 homers last year, which topped the list in the Major Leagues. The 35-year-old veteran could come in, if he proves his merit
in the spring training.
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