Hired guns: Free agents bolster revamped Braves starting rotation

Bartolo Colon has spent plenty of time in major league clubhouses through the years.

Two decades ago, the right-hander from the Dominican Republic made his splash with Cleveland, entering the big leagues as that team was at the top of the AL. His journey has made several stops since: Montreal, the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Angels, Boston, back to the White Sox, the New York Yankees, Oakland and the New York Mets.

After going 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA last season with the Mets, Colon, who turns 44 on May 24, believes he still has what it takes to pitch at the highest level. So does Atlanta Braves management, which signed him in November to a one-year, $12.5 million contract and have him slotted in the No. 2 spot in the rotation.

“As a veteran, you always have to take time when the younger players come ask you questions, really take time to give them the best advice possible,” Colon said. “Try to guide them as much as you can, especially with regards to maintaining a long career in baseball.”

Colon finds himself in the role of mentor, a clubhouse presence who will help guide a roster full of younger players. He might also wind up as trade bait, a player who might be dealt in late July to help another team’s stretch run as the Braves’ younger pitchers mature.

A Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz rerun? Colon might just fill the Alexander role. But he isn’t alone in handling those responsibilities.

Following the midseason change from Fredi Gonzalez to Brian Snitker last year, the Braves’ pitching staff is in transition. But Snitker is hoping to find some stability with the veteran presence.

This year’s starting rotation for the Braves includes three players who joined the roster during the offseason. Only one starter, Julio Teheran, is back from last year’s season-opening rotation, and he will be making his fourth straight opening day start Monday when the Braves travel to New York to take on the Mets.

“He earned (the ace role) last year,” said Snitker of Teheran. “He’s our guy.”

R.A. Dickey finds himself in a position similar to Colon. Signed in November to a one-year, $8 million contract with a club option for 2018, the 42-year-old Dickey is entering his 15th major league season.

Like Colon, the knuckleball-throwing Dickey has made quite a few moves through the years, pitching for Texas, Seattle, Minnesota, the Mets and Toronto. He went 10-15 last season with a 4.46 ERA, with his 126 strikeouts marking the seventh straight season he has topped 100.

Dickey, who is slotted in the No. 4 spot in the rotation, is the scheduled starter for the Braves’ April 14 home opener should the rotation hold up through the first two weeks.

“We offer a lot. We’ve got a lot of experience,” Dickey said of the rotation. “I think what could be fun is the array of different styles. For us, as for any rotation, it’s going to be about getting good games and staying healthy. That’s what we’re going to be centered on as a group. If we can go deep into games, give our team a chance to win, quality starts, innings pitched, things like that are very important over the course of a season.

“You’re going to have your hiccups, you’re going to have your clunkers. But it’s how quickly you can turn the page from that and put a good outing on the board. That’s part of growing up in the league.”

Garcia, 30, gives the Braves a younger arm in the No. 3 spot. He joined the Braves in the offseason via trade following eight seasons with St. Louis, where he with 62-45 with a 3.57 ERA and 723 strikeouts. His only sub-.500 season was last year, where he went 10-13 with a 4.67 ERA.

Rounding out the rotation is Mike Foltynewicz, a former Houston first-round draft pick who joined the Braves’ starting rotation during the 2016 season and wound up 9-5 with a 4.31 ERA and 111 strikeouts.

With Kolby Allard and Sean Newcomb on MLB.com’s top 10 left-handed pitching prospects list and the likes of Mike Soroka, Ian Anderson and Max Fried (another lefty) also high on the charts, it’s likely that this 2017 starting rotation won’t stay intact the entire season. But it’s a rotation Snitker wants to build off of, one that he believes will give the team some quality innings.

“Right now, our plan is to stay in order, then look at it further,” Snitker said. “With these guys, giving them extra days isn’t going to hurt them. We can adjust as we go, but right now I think that’s going to be the plan.”

This story was originally published March 31, 2017 at 5:43 PM with the headline "Hired guns: Free agents bolster revamped Braves starting rotation."