Braves Can McDowell

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After eleven seasons spanning three managers, Roger McDowell will no longer be the pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves. For a franchise that rarely sees turnover in the coaching staff, the last several months have been a change-of-pace. The in-season firing of Fredi Gonzalez, the very real chance that the interim manager Brian Snitker won't be in charge in 2017, and now McDowell's dismissal might point to one thing - John Coppolella is willing to change up the team a bit more than the last two general managers the Braves had.

McDowell replaced Leo Mazzone in 2006 after the latter left for Baltimore. Three years ago, McDowell nearly left the Braves following the 2013 season, but former general manager Frank Wren gave McDowell a boost in pay along with a long-term contract (for coaches) to keep him away from the Phillies. While with the Braves, McDowell pieced together bullpens with castoffs like Eric O'Flaherty, David Carpenter, and more recently - Jim Johnson, who cited his comfortability with McDowell as one of his reasons to forego free agency and reup with the Braves.

One criticism related to McDowell was a similar one lobbed at Mazzone - he didn't relate well with young starters and they rarely seemed to blossomed under his tutelage. Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson both saw their careers slide into mediocrity after All-Star worthy beginnings. Others like Kyle Davies and Jo-Jo Reyes never developed. Another criticism of McDowell was found in the belief that his pitchers too often went under the knife, a stark change from the Mazzone years. When on the mound, righties Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy - along with southpaw Mike Minor - could be excellent. However, they were frequently on an operating table rather than throwing strikes.

Both criticisms are a bit lacking in my mind. Young pitchers flame out all the time. I'm sure McDowell did struggle to reach certain prospects, but on the other hand, he got his fair share out of Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, Craig Kimbrel, Jonny Venters, and some of the aforementioned oft-injured pitchers. Furthermore, considering the rate of pitcher injuries - especially those that result in Tommy John surgery - is skyrocketing, can we really look at McDowell and blame him for that?

McDowell won't be without a job for too long. He's had too much success with the Braves, including a 2007 year where he pieced together a pitching staff that included Chuck James, Buddy Carlyle , Oscar Villarreal, Tyler Yates, Chad Paronto, and the previously mentioned Davies and Reyes and the Braves still finished third in the league in ERA. It was the first-of-seven years in which the Braves finished in the Top 5 in the National League in ERA, including a 3.18 ERA in 2013 to pace the league.

This dismissal means two things. One, the Braves do want a new voice to lead a very young pitching staff. Johnson is the only pitcher on the Braves roster who is definitely going to be on next year's team and is over the age of 30. Sixteen different pitchers took the ball for the Braves this year who were in their Age-25 year or younger. Pitchers like Sean Newcomb and Lucas Sims are a good spring camp away from entering the picture. Whether McDowell did have issues with reaching younger pitchers or not, the Braves definitely want the guy in charge of their young pitchers to have an exemplary record with young guns.

The other thing this firing immediately makes you think of - the Braves might be moving away from Brian Snitker as next year's manager and will be giving the next Braves manager a chance to build his own staff. That could be Bud Black, though I am not very excited by that idea. There is a good chance McDowell is just the tip of the ice berg and long-running coaches like Eddie Perez and Terry Pendleton will also be headed out.

I don't necessarily disagree with letting McDowell go. I think he was very good at his job and the fact that this 2016 team wasn't at the bottom of the league in ERA despite starting 16 different pitchers is impressive (four NL teams finished with an ERA worse than the Braves). Still, I am a firm believer in giving a manager the leeway to bring his guys in and build the coaching staff how he sees fit. Letting him go now simply allows McDowell even more time to secure employment for 2017 - which is actually a pretty good parting gift when you think about it.

Fare thee well, Second Spitter. May you land with an American League team and enjoy your time there.

The Braves Need a Manager Befitting Of Their General Manager

In a recent blurb from ESPN's Jim Bowden, the former general manager cites a source which suggests that former Padres' skipper Bud Black has emerged as the early favorite to become the Braves' manager in 2017.

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(Crop) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Now, the next Braves manager probably won't matter all that much. Baseball teams, especially at the major league level, don't need Casey Stengel to be successful. Bob Brenly was an atrocious manager and won a ring. It's mostly about the players, their development, and their performance at the end of the day. I'm not saying that some managers aren't better than others - only that the difference is too often insignificant. It's akin to lineup optimization. Does it matter? Absolutely, but it's not really the big deal we make it.

Hiring Black is an acceptable move for a franchise looking for stability. It's also a boring and inconsistent move for the John Coppolella Braves. One of the great things about Coppy is that he thinks outside-the-box. He's willing to try new things, move around pieces, and blend new-age/sabermetric principles with traditional accepted ones. He's the Joe Maddon of general managers and he should have a Joe Maddon of managers leading the club he puts together.

Unfortunately, Maddon has a job and it's a pretty nice one so he the only way he'll come to Suntrust Park is as a visitor. That doesn't mean the Braves should settle on a by-the-numbers pick like Black. If you can't have Maddon, why not hire his understudy? Dave Martinez, who ended his playing career with the Braves, has interviewed for a number of managerial positions, but failed to secure a job as the guy so far. It's shocking for Maddon, who says "he's absolutely ready. Some team’s going to get lucky." Why not the Braves?

Martinez has been Maddon's right-hand man since 2008 and followed Maddon to Chicago after the Rays passed on Martinez as Maddon's replacement. That was despite being endorsed by Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, and Alex Cobb among others. In fact, it seems like everyone who has been around the 52 year-old is shocked that he hasn't gotten a chance to lead a club already. Martinez is a student of the game and takes care of a lot of the things typically thought of managerial duties, which leaves Maddon free to focus on more pressing issues. The former outfielder knows all of the stats and knows how to communicate them to the players.

Of course, the Braves could eventually settle on Brian Snitker. He was at the helm of a team that went 59-65 after Fredi Gonzalez's dismissal following a 9-28 start. The Braves were especially strong in the second half. The problem with Snitker is that he's more of a placeholder. He keeps his head down, supports his players, and won't amaze with you with any sort of strategy. The offense's play under Snitker is more a product of veterans like A.J. Pierzynski, Gordon Beckham, Erick Aybar, and Jeff Francoeur receiving less plate appearances in the second half. Plus, Freddie Freeman posting MVP-type numbers while Matt Kemp had a big last two months with Atlanta certainly made the offense more dynamic. I just don't see Snitker as a long-term fixture.

Nor do I see the guys the Braves could have gone with before deciding on Snitker as options. Bo Porter has experience, though it wasn't too memorable. Eddie Perez has the sentimental vote, but I haven't read much from him that makes me think he'll bring something unique to the job. Terry Pendleton coached under a third Braves manager during his move to the dugout and with good reason - nobody else has been willing to give him a position with increased responsibilities.

The Braves will also look at Ron Washington and two-time pennant-winning manager has some pluses, though his very public problems could make that a less-than-likely pick.

At the end of the day, I want someone capable of bringing a fresh perspective to the dugout. The Braves followed the book before and were saddled with Gonzalez, a thoroughly unsatisfying manager. While managers are over-scrutinized and given way too much credit for success (subsequently, way too much blame for poor play), the Braves shouldn't play it safe with this choice. Instead, give their creative general manager a creative manager who learned under the best. You won't get a much better option this offseason than Martinez.

Braves Monday Roundup - Teheran, Carlyle, and more

(A small note to start. For regular readers, I am changing up things and dropping the 5 for Monday concept at atlantabraves.about.com. Rather, I will use Mondays to touch on something of significance or interest at that blog and move some every week tidbits (trivia, birthdays) over here.)

Before we start, here are my shameless plugs (articles I've written over the last week).
AtlantaBraves.About.com
- Julio Teheran's Turnaround - Investigating what has been different about Julio Teheran since the terrible beginning of the year.
- Should the Braves Ax Fredi Gonzalez? - It's everywhere and Fredi Gonzalez's job security seems to fall with each embarrassing loss. Should Atlanta make the move?
- Saturday Stats Pack - This week, I focus on Aaron Blair's struggles to get a dubya to begin his career, the lack of power, and how Atlanta position players rank in WAR.
- 5 Steps Toward a Better 2016 Braves Ballclub - Quick and easy changes for the Braves such as batting Freddie Freeman second, starting Tyler Flowers, and optimizing Ender Inciarte's defensive capabilities.

Walk-Off Walk
- Transaction Tuesday - Braves move around top prospects Dansby Swanson and Ozzie Albies while continuing to use the Danville roster as a taxi squad.
- Minor League Saturday Stats Pack - #WilliansWatch is over, Rio Ruiz is getting respect from Triple-A pitchers, and a pair of Braves pitchers dual to have the most innings without giving up a homer.
- Random Prospect Sunday - This week, I focused on Luke Dykstra. With a father like Lenny Dykstra, it can't be easy for Luke to blaze his own trail.

5 Stories You May Have Missed

Want More Fans MLB? Get Baseball in Front of the Next Generation
-Outfield Fly Rule's Micah Smith dives into a real problem for baseball - attracting new fans. One of baseball's biggest issues is getting the game in front of young viewers. As Smith says, "Blackouts, exclusive rights, late start times, these hurt the creation of new fans because they limit opportunities for sports-uncommitted youngsters to witness a fan-creating moment." Baseball is not only losing new and younger fans, it's losing the next Freddie Freeman or Aaron Blair as those guys are playing the much more appealing football and basketball. While baseball seems more interested in expansion, its these issues that will continue to plague the sport.

Four Pitchers Who Could Help the Dodgers' Rotation
-From Think Blue Planning Committee comes a fan generated list of four starters that could help their team. Julio Teheran made that list. While there is no smoke here (except that Teheran has been mentioned as a trade candidate off-and-on since last season), the Dodgers could be an intriguing option with a bevy of young pitching including Jose De Leon and Grant Holmes and interesting bats like outfielder Yusniel Diaz and catcher Austin Barnes. The Braves certainly don't need to move Teheran, but as the blog suggests, it's hard to see the Braves saying no "for the right package."

Atlanta Braves Play Chicken
-In a scathing review on the Braves and their practices, The American Spectator's John Calvin argues that the Braves should be bound by a competitive clause. He skewers Atlanta for essentially tanking, taking in massive amounts of revenue, and how their minor league teams have hurt the financial rating of the towns that now support their teams. It's an interesting view of the Braves and baseball in general.

Guest commentary: Economic development and the Atlanta Braves
-On the heels of the previous link comes this one from a local to the Naples, Florida area where Atlanta has tried to get permission to build a new spring training home. The article, which appeared in the Naples Daily News, shows just how building these stadiums - while great for the team and their fans - are not so great for the locals.

Braves, winless on replay challenges, add ex-pitcher Carlyle to help
-Let's turn the page to happier news. This week, the Braves announced that they were bringing back Buddy Carlyle - this time as replay assistant. You may remember that it was Horacio Ramirez who used to man the job, but Ramirez left to attempt to continue his baseball career. Atlanta did not immediately replace him and instead gave the added task to Rob Smith, the manager of baseball video operations. Results have not been so good on that so the Braves have now brought back Carlyle, who I previously wrote about because he was one of the few likable pitchers the Braves had in 2007.

Trivia Question
Two weeks ago, I asked, "Before 2015, when was the last time a Brave led the team in homeruns, but failed to hit 20?" @MP4 tweeted the correct answer - Bob Horner with 15 in the strike-shortened 1981. This week's question: Hunter Cervenka has now gone 14 appearances without giving up a run to begin his career. That is a new Braves record. Since 2000, what pitcher had the most scoreless games to begin his career? If you know the answer, send a tweet to @WalkOffWalk1.

Birthdays
-Happy birthday today to a trio of current farmhands and a former Brave as Ian Krol (25), Jace Peterson (26), and Aaron Harang (38) all get a year a year older. Tomorrow, May 10, will be current Brave Matt Tuiasosopo's 30th birthday and hopefully future Brave Lucas Sims' 22nd birthday. Wednesday is Kerry Ligtenberg's 44th birthday while Thursday sees Wes Helms turn 40 and the first Atlanta Braves hitter, Felipe Alou, turn 81. Moving to Saturday, El Presidente, Dennis Martinez, turns 62 and threw his last pitch as a major leaguer with the Braves in 1998. A teammate on that roster, John Smoltz, turns 49 on Sunday.

Picture of the Week

Al Bello/Getty Images

Thursday Throwback - David Ross

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

(For my take on Hector Olivera, click here.)

Backup catchers are sort of like backup quarterbacks. You might think spending money on one is a waste of resources until you need him to be there and produce. When that happens, you are happy that you had the foresight to get the best possible backup. For four years, David Ross fulfilled that role for the Atlanta Braves and they are still trying to replace him.

Born in March of 1977 in Bainbridge, Georgia, David Wade Ross later attended the aptly named Florida High School in Tallahassee. The Dodgers tried their luck with Ross in the 19th round of the '95 draft, but he passed and went to college - first at Auburn and then at Florida. It was at Auburn that he teamed up with center fielder and sometimes pitcher, Tim Hudson. Several years later, Hudson and Ross would again be teammates, but we'll get to that.

Ross had transferred to Florida for playing time and it led to him getting picked again by the Dodgers in '98, this time in the 7th round. Expected to be a power hitter behind the plate with advanced defensive skills, Ross began his minor league career in style with a .309/.412/.487 slash with Yakima in Short-Season A-ball after he was drafted. Two years later, a return trip to Florida with the Jacksonville Suns gave Ross his second .800 OPS season. He continued the good run with a .297/.384/.519 triple slash the following season with Las Vegas. His solid game got him to the majors in mid-summer of '02 and again in September. He would notably replace Paul Lo Duca in a 19-1 blistering the Dodgers gave the Diamondbacks. Long-time Cub Mark Grace took the ball to pitch the ninth and Ross put the cherry on the top with a first-pitch homerun. It was his first of what is currently 96 homeruns.

Ross missed much of 2003 before settling in as a backup in '04, though the results were terrible (.170/.253/.291). After failing to beat out Paul Bako for the backup job the next spring, Ross was sent to the Pirates. You might have forgotten he played for the Pirates - I know I did. He struggled with Pittsburgh. A late move to San Diego helped his season stats, but he still finished the year with a .671 OPS. Ross was nearing 30 and looked like a journeyman and not a particularly good one at that.

For the second consecutive spring, Ross was squeezed out of the opening day roster - this time by Rob Bowen - and the Padres dealt Ross to the Reds. It was in Cincinnati that Ross found a little stability. In his first year, he took advantage of the Great American Ball Park's generous dimensions to hit a career-best 21 homeruns with a .932 OPS. His follow-up campaign would see the power sustained (17 homeruns), but he simply could not get on base enough (.271 OBP). He would get a third year with the Reds and the results were a mixed bag. He improved his on-base ability, but his power nearly disappeared. The Reds moved on, releasing Ross that August. He briefly caught on with the Red Sox and would even play a game in the postseason.

That offseason, Atlanta was looking for stability behind Brian McCann. They had gone through Corky Miller, Clint Sammons, and Brayan Pena for two seasons. Pena was the only one to provide any element of offense, but the Braves didn't seem convinced he was a capable enough receiver. McCann had played 145 games, which is still his career-high, and by the end of the year, he continued to produce though he lacked the power he had showed so impressively earlier in the season. Ross would help the Braves in a number of ways. The Braves had gifted Todd Pratt to McCann in the latter's first full season of '06, but the still young-McCann could benefit from a guy who had seen much the game had to offer in Ross. Plus, Ross was seen as a leader for a staff that began the year with 23 year-old Jair Jurrjens and later added 22 year-old Tommy Hanson. While little was expected from his bat, the prevailing assumption was that Ross would be able to contribute a few taters and not be a complete zero at the plate like Miller and Sammons.

Year 1 went about as good as the Braves could have hoped. Ross triple slashed .273/.380/.508 with 7 HR. His pairing with McCann was brilliant and the drop-off was nearly non-existent. His leadership was also present for both McCann and the pitchers he worked with. In the second year of a two-year contract, he continued to excel for the Braves, slashing .289/.392/.479 with 13 doubles, the second-best total for any season of his career. He would go on to appear twice that postseason as a defensive replacement. One of his biggest knocks of his first two seasons came in the fifth inning of the August 31, 2010 game against the visiting Mets. The Braves had began the inning down 2-1, but a two-run double by Jason Heyward and a run-scoring single by Alex Gonzalez had put the Braves on top. A batter after Gonzalez, Ross chased Jon Niese with a Grand Slam to deep left.

After bringing back Ross on a second two-year deal, the Braves catching situation remained the best in baseball in 2011. Ross never matched his production from the first two seasons, but he slashed .263/.333/.428 in 171 PA - a stellar effort from a backup. He picked up his second two-homer game as a Brave on April 26 and on July 2, he smacked his second Grand Slam as a Brave, providing the edge against Jake Arrieta and the Orioles 5-4. On July 27, he tied a 1-0 game with an RBI single against Paul Maholm and the Pirates in the sixth and four innings later, hit a walk-off single to win the game. A year later, he remained sturdy with a .256/.321/.449 slash. While the season would go down as the year Ross started over a hurting and struggling McCann in the ill-fated Wild Card Game, I think 2012 should be all about August 8 in Philadelphia. It was on that night, as the Braves cruised to a ho-hum 12-6 win, that Ross reached first base with two outs on an error. On the second pitch to next hitter, Paul Janish, Ross stole second. In his eleventh year in the majors, Ross has finally stole his first base.

But sure, let's focus on that Wild Card Game. McCann's shoulder was shot and he needed offseason surgery to rectify the situation. The two catchers shared a good deal of time in September rather than there being a clear distinction between the two. It was McCann's worst season - well, until he became a Yankee. Over his final 19 games, McCann had hit just .209 with a .260 OBP and .328 slugging. So, it was not too surprising that Ross played ahead of McCann - yet it still seemed like it was. Ross stepped in and gave the Braves a boost, though. He singled twice and homered over four at-bats. And Fredi Gonzalez's decision probably would have been lauded had the umpires not changed what the meaning of the infield fly rule was. I'm half-kidding, of course.

The Braves had gotten away with paying Ross just $1.625M for the final two years of his Braves' run. Over his four years with Atlanta, he had slashed .269/.353/.463. He deserved a pay raise and the Braves couldn't match what he was worth on the open market. That was not a problem for the Boston Red Sox, who inked Ross to a $3.1M average salary. His season got off to a miserable as he hit the DL in mid-June with concussion issues. When he returned, he was able to regain his place as Jon Lester's personal catcher, which became important in keeping him in the mix for the playoffs. He began to steal time beyond Lester's starts from Jarrod Saltalamacchia and in Game 5 of the World Series, he picked up a go-ahead RBI double off Adam Wainwright that helped the Red Sox win and inch closer to a World Series title. Two days later, with Ross behind the plate, the Red Sox beat the Cards 6-1, giving Ross his first World Series ring.

After another year with Boston that included some miserable results, Ross again hit free agency and joined the Cubs. His first year there was miserable at the plate, though his value in the clubhouse and behind the plate still impressed many. He even pitched two games - and did really well (2 ING, 6 batters up, 6 batters down). He returns for a farewell tour this year that has attracted a great deal of attention, which is a testament to Ross the person moreso than Ross the player.

For four years, the Braves had the best catching situation in baseball with an All-Star and a capable backup. The years since have shown how rare that is to put together. With his career nearly up, one has to wonder what's next after 2016. With how well-liked he is and how his leadership is lauded, hard not to see a coaching future for Ross. Maybe that could be a pathway back to Atlanta. Just spitballing.

Rossy gets some air as Chipper Jones sends a ball through the air against the Phillies on 9/2/12.
Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Recent Thursday Throwbacks...
Ryan Langerhans (2002-2003, 2005-07)
Special - Rafael Furcal's Near-Signing (2008)
Marquis Grissom (1995-96)
...or view ALL of them.

Minor League Saturday Stats Pack

Each Saturday, I try to focus on a collection of interesting minor league stats that caught my eye to serve as a companion to the major league version of this series at my other site, atlantabraves.about.com. This week is difficult because I only have two games to post about for each team, but I will not let that stop me from bringing the knowledge.

Gwinnett - 5 walks

It didn't take long for Mike Foltynewicz to drive a manager crazy this season. Folty, who pitched 86.2 innings for Atlanta last year, walked five in just four innings during his first start of the 2016 season. After looking like a possible favorite to break camp this spring with the Braves, Folty remains plagued by his inability to throw enough effective strikes. Only 24, that certainly can change, but walking a handful of the 18 batters faced won't inspire much in terms of confidence.

Mississippi - Two Starts, 17 strikeouts

You can't blame the Pensacola Blue Wahoos if they feel a little shell-shocked to start the season. On Thursday, right-hander Lucas Sims took the mound for his tenth overall start at the AA level and the almost-22 year-old struck out 9 over five dominant innings. The next night, it was new Brave Chris Ellis's turn and the former Angels' third rounder struck out eight over six scoreless innings. Ellis, who started 15 games in the Double-A Texas League last year, was more dominant than Sims as he didn't walk a batter. Mississippi lost the opener 3-1, but won the game for Ellis 2-0.

Carolina - 5 errors

Keith Curcio has had a dynamite beginning of the year with an organizational-best five hits in 9 PA, but he also has an error this year and four other Mudcats, including the other two starting outfielders, join him in giving Carolina League hitters free bases. The 'Cats have pitched terribly over the first two games, but the defense certainly hasn't helped them.

Rome - 10 innings, 15 strikeouts

Much like Mississippi, it's been quite the start for the Rome staff - which is as ballyhooed as any staff in minor league baseball. First, it was 18 year-old Mike Soroka, who despite being one of league's youngest players, shut down the opposition on opening day over four innings for 7 K's next to just one walk. The next night, it was Patrick Weigel, who picked up six strikeouts in six innings. Rome would go on to win both games by outscoring the opposition 16-2. The South Atlantic League might be ready to throw up the white flag when they remember that the top two pitching prospects with Rome, Max Fried and Touki Toussaint, still haven't taken the mound.

Thanks for reading this week's Saturday Stats Pack. I'm sure next week will give me much more to blog about. Remember that you can check out the major league portion of this series by clicking this link. Some of the topics include losing streaks to begin the year, Drew Stubbs on the base-paths, Daniel Winkler's historic beginning, Fredi Gonzalez's win-loss record, and the strange lack of doubles to begin the season.

Braves Add Alex Torres

Is it fair to Alex Torres that all we know about him is that he wears a big hat/helmet? Is it fair to Alex Torres that his nickname, according to Baseball-Reference, is Dark Helmet? Is it fair to...holy crap, it's a koozie for his hat!

Tom Szczerbowski | Getty Images Sport

By now, you probably have heard that the Braves have added Torres on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Torres signed out of Venezuela in 2005 and made his debut the following year in the Angels organization. He remained a starting option for the Angels and was part of the package used by the team to acquire Scott Kazmir near the end of 2009. Torres would make his debut with the Rays in 2011 with a quartet of games out of the pen, though he was used for long stints rather than specialist outings since he continued to be a starting option.

After a 2012 spent entirely in the minors, Torres would finally get to the majors for good in 2013. He was a trusty reliever for Joe Madden that season and pitched 58 innings in 39 games with 62 K's and 19 unintentional walks. Torres was also lights out in the playoffs. Though he would not pitch in June 13th's game against the Royals, the game had a monumental impact on Torres after watching teammate and friend Alex Cobb get nailed in the face by a batted ball. This would inspire his willingness to experiment with hat options that attempted to give pitchers safer alternatives than a simple hat while pitching on the mound.

Despite his solid work in 2013, Torres was sent to the Padres a month before spring training in 2014 in a package that sent Brad Boxberger to the Rays. In 70 games with the Padres, Torres was moved to the specialist role. His K numbers were pretty good, but he walked a lot of batters (32 unintentional passes in 54 innings). The following spring, he was once again on the move as the Mets picked him up. He spent some time in AAA and though he had a 3.19 ERA in the major, Torres again walked too many batters. He was DFA'd after the Mets acquired Eric O'Flaherty and Torres would not appear again for the Mets before becoming a minor league free agent after the season.

So, what did the Braves actually acquire here? Torres is a rare reliever in that he throws five pitches, though you'll see a steady diet of his fourseam fastball and changeup over his sinker, slider, and rarely used curveball. The velocity was down a half-tick in 2015 and it looked like he tried to take a lot off his slider (3 mph difference), which only flattened it out. Looking at his release point, he dropped down a lot there.

With increasing walks, we can look at his Zone% and there is a significant drop since his Rays' days (46% to 40%). That will be the first thing for Roger McDowell and company to work on. His release points on nearly all of his pitches have trended down, telling me that he's dropping his arm angle. It's given him more downward movement on his changeup and subsequently, his changeup remains his best pitch.

Clearly, Torres won't stick around long if he doesn't improve his numbers against lefties. He's actually been better historically against righthanders (.178/.285/.281), but when he was a trusty arm for the Rays, he was also stellar against lefties (.173/.241/.225).

Ultimately, the Braves need to understand that Torres is not a typical LOOGY. Pigeonholing him into that title may be part of the problem he has dealt with since he was traded from the Rays. When he was at his best, he was a full-inning reliever. In 2013, of his 39 games, 22 included at least four outs (compared to five that had less than three). In the 109 games since, he has only had 18 instances where he has picked up at least four outs. Fredi Gonzalez isn't keen on using lefties that way unless Bobby Cox did it first (yes, you Jonny Venters). It might be the best route with Torres, though.

Considering the price tag, Atlanta gave up nothing. They did gain a player with three years of team control who, I believe, has an option left. They also add a project who, if used properly and helped to fix arm angle concerns, could be a useful part of the bullpen. Basically, your standard smart signing with nice upside.