Few teams in MLB history have enjoyed the type of success the Atlanta Braves experienced during the 1990s, winning 14 consecutive National League East titles behind manager Bobby Cox and the decade's best trio of staring pitchers. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz may all one day find themselves in Cooperstown, but for much of the Braves 14-year run, they all shared duties in one big league rotation.
While the Oakland A's engineered their own rendition of the "big three" several years later with Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder--their collective careers were far from comparison to the resumes of Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz--all of whom retired with more than 200 wins.
With the bad taste of a historic collapse fresh on Atlanta's mind going into 2012, the Braves took their first step towards cleaning the slate by dealing starting pitcher Derek Lowe to Cleveland for a minor league arm.
Lowe struggled down the stretch in 2011 for Atlanta, joining other starters like Jair Jurrjens and Tim Hudson who were unable to replicate their first-half success.
Jurrjens and Hudson will likely retain rotation spots in 2012 along with Tommy Hanson and Mike Minor, but Atlanta has three young pitchers on the horizon that have been standouts in their minor league system and were all given their first taste of the big leagues in 2011.
The most heralded of the three is Juilo Teheran, ranked as the fourth best prospect in the minor leagues by MLB.com. Teheran led the Atlanta organization in 2011 with 15 wins (15-3), a 2.55 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 144 2/3 innings before a September call-up to the big leagues.
Making three starts for Atlanta in the last month of the season, Teheran wasn't nearly as effective at the major league level, finishing with a 5.03 ERA in 19 2/3 innings pitched.
While his debut wasn't a replica of the lights-out success Teheran has experienced in the minors, he was called up at the end of a season in which he had already amassed 140 innings pitched and may have had a tired arm.
Atlanta likely would have preferred to keep Teheran in the minors until 2012, but their late-season slide forced him into action for the Braves who were trying anything to cling to a diminishing division lead.
Their gamble didn't pay off with a postseason berth, but they were able to get a glimpse of Teheran and the possible foundation of their future rotation. Going into 2012, Teheran will have a chance to win the vacant rotation spot left by Derek Lowe and will likely be the man to do so.
Teheran has shot up prospect boards with an attractive 15-3 win-loss record, but Randall Delgado, another Atlanta pitching prospect called-up in September, flew under the prospect radar last season and pithced better than Teheran at the big league level in a brief September stint.
Delgado started a total of seven games for Atlanta in 2011, posting an ERA of 2.83 in 35 innings pitched. He earned the promotion to Atlanta after going 7-7 with a 3.88 ERA for Gwinnett (AAA), striking out 135 batters in 139 innings pitched.
While most have Teheran much higher on prospect lists, Delgado will have the chance to win the rotation spot over Teheran for the Braves in 2012, considering his strong showing in September last season.
Oddly enough, Delgado doesn't appear at all in MLB.com's Top 50 prospects despite having posted strong minor league numbers the past three seasons. Delgado has struck out 438 batters in 424 innings pitched, giving him the best strikout ratio of any Atlanta pitching prospect per nine innings.
That ranking could change, especially if Delgado wins the job over Teheran and continues his success at the major league level. It's also conceivable that Atlanta could use both in the rotation in 2012 if they feel they are ready.
Another young arm in the picture is Aroldys Vizcaino, also called up by Atlanta at the end of the 2011 season to help in the bullpen. Ranked as the 46th-best prospect in the minors by MLB.com, Vizcaino pitched in 17 games for the Braves out of the bullpen in 2011.
Projected as a starter in the future, Vizcaino is a year or two away from having a spot in the rotation but could be used in the meantime by Atlanta in the bullpen if needed.
With Craig Kimbrel, Johnny Venters and Eric O'Flahrety forming one of the best late-inning bullpen combinations in the game, the Braves may be better served letting Vizcaino develop longer in the minors while their current starting pitchers finish out their careers and/or contracts.
A year or two down the road, Atlanta could have Teheran, Delgado and Vizcaino all in the big league rotation--what could be the newest rendition of the "big three" if they can all live up to their billing.
Throw in Tommy Hanson, Mike Minor, Brandon Beachy and a healthy Jair Jurrjens, there is little doubt the Braves have the makings of a formidable rotation that could be intact for years to come.
With arguably the best bullpen in the bigs already, couple with back-to-back Rookie of the Year candidates in Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, Atlanta has a young nucleus of superstars in the making who could trail blaze their own division streak down the road.
Projected Atlanta Pitching Rotation: 2015
Starters:
1. Tommy Hanson
2. Julio Teheran
3. Randall Delgado
4. Mike Minor
5. Arodys Vizcaino
Bullpen:
Closer: Craig Kimbrel
Set-Up: Johnny Venters
Middle Relief: Eric O' Flaherty, Kris Medlen,Tim Hudson, Brandon Beachy
With Teheran, Delgado and Vizcaino all close to being a part of the Braves rotation, look for Atlanta to dangle starting pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Tim Hudson in trade talks while also listening to offers on Mike Minor and Brandon Beachy. The Braves reportedly turned down a trade with the Royals that would have sent Jurrjens and Martin Prado to Kansas City for outfield prospect Will Meyers--but talks stalled when the Royals did not want to include centerfielder Lorenzo Cain in the deal. That trade is all but dead now that Kansas City has traded starting centerfielder Melky Cabrera to the Giants, opening the position for Cain for next season and beyond. With plenty of teams still looking for another starting pitcher this offseason, Atlanta will have plenty of opportunities to look for another deal involving Jurrjens, and still may be able to hold onto the versitile Prado.
The Marlins, Cubs, and Red Sox are just a few teams in the market for pitching that have money to spend. With such a promising crop of pitchers on the horizon, it would make sense for Atlanta to clear some space in a crowded rotation while improving their roster in other areas.
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