Mailbag: Future Rotation Options?

Written by Colin on February 29, 2008 – 8:49 am

Eric wrote the BravesBlast mailbag and asked a question about the future of the rotation.

Being that we have two old guys (Glavine and Smoltz), Mike Hampton who is heading into the last year of his contract and has serious health risks….What are the chances that our young arms like Jair, Chuck James, Morton, Reyes, etc will be able to carry our rotation of the future? Hoping that Tim Hudson will be around to hold down the 1 slot.

Great question, Eric. Our rotation may be dangerous this year and maybe even some of the guys last into next year, but your question is very valid - John Smoltz even said in November that “You can’t have a whole staff of old farts.”  So what will the rotation of the future look like?

Tim Hudson is signed at least through 2009 with an option for 2010, so we’ve got him here for another year or two, at least.  He likes it here and has been shown in the past to be open to contract extensions during the year, which is good.

Let’s break it down and look at the players and the consensus scouting reports.

Jair Jurrjens - Not only does Jurrjens come into spring training as one of the top prospects for this year’s rotation, he has promise for the future, too.  He throws strikes, keeps the ball low, and I’ve seen projections that he could be a future #2 starter.  He’s the Braves’ top pitching prospect according to multiple sources.

Jo-Jo Reyes - Jo-Jo doesn’t crack any top prospect lists, but that’s probably because he’s already played in the big leagues some last year.  It was a bit rocky, but Frank Wren remains confident in Reyes and his stuff - and scouting estimates are that his raw talent is on the same level as or slightly better than Jurrjens.  He needs a bit more development, but we’ll probably see him a bit in years to come.

Chuck James - James has been dealing with some rotator cuff issues that I think are somewhat related to his unorthodox delivery.  That said, James will likely benefit from another year making a run at the rotation (Cox seems to like him for the fifth rotation spot, if he’s healthy), as well as being around Tom Glavine - who has had very positive effects on young left-handers before.  If James has recurring health issues, there are some concerns, but he has potential to eat up innings in the future.

Julio Teheran - This kid won’t be in the big leagues for a while now, but he’s listed as the second best pitching prospect in the organization.  He has a mid-90s fastball, a high 70s late biting curve, and a nice changeup.  Three solid pitches, signed very recently as the top international pitching prospect, and a future so bright he’s probably wearing sunglasses all the time.  Oh, and he’s only 16.

Cole Rohrbough - The six foot three, 220 pound southpaw is entering his second year in the Braves’ farm system.  His control is apparently impeccable and he had great stuff in college, 10-3 in 17 games with a 1.34 ERA.  He’s only at Myrtle Beach now, but give him 2-3 years and I think we’ll see him crack the major league level.

Anthony Lerew - Lerew pitched a couple games at the big league level last year before sitting our the remainder of the season with Tommy John surgery.  We may see him in 2009 in a starting role, but some sources pin him as an ideal reliever.  Not sure yet what to expect here, but we wish him the best during his recovery.

Jeff Locke - Locke is still pitching at Danville right now, so he’s a ways off - but he was 7-1 with a 2.66 ERA last year.  Low to mid 90’s fastball, inconsistent breaking stuff, and apparently very good confidence on the mound.  Pair that with good control and I think we’ll see him capable at the big league level in the next few years.  Oh, he was also the top prospect out of the northeast in 2006.

There you have it, Eric - a brief overview of the starting rotation of the future.  Baseball America published their expected starting rotation in 2011 as follows: Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, Cole Rohrbough, Jeff Locke, and Jo-Jo Reyes.  I think that’s a fair assumption, and that’s without our young Julio Tehran.  Familiarize yourself with these guys - we’ll keep everyone updated on their progress through the minors.  If at any point we need more pitching, look for us to move some of our outfielders - we have tons of top OF prospects other teams will be interested in.

Smoltz and Glavine may be nearing retirement, but it’s far from the end of Braves pitching dominance.  The future is very bright.


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