The Atlanta Braves made a lot of trades in the offseason because they reportedly wanted to purge big-money contracts so they would have more money to spend on top future free agent players when they move into their new stadium in 2017.
Among the strong players the Braves traded away were Craig Kimbrel, who I consider the top closer in the game, power hitting left fielder Justin Upton, power hitting right fielder Jason Heyward and power-hitting catcher Evan Gattis.
While I do not know how the trades will pan out for the Braves in the future, right-handed pitcher Shelby Miller, the player they received from t the St. Louis Cardinals in the Heyward trade and right handed pitcher Mike Foltynewicz, the player they received from the Houston Astros in the Gattis trade, have really been impressive on the mound so far.
Miller, who is just 24, is the Braves ace right. He boasts a 4-1 record with and outstanding 1.66 earned run average.
Foltynewicz, who features a 98 mile per hour fast ball, is also making his presence felt. The 6-foot-4-inch right-hander, who is just 23, struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings while defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 7-5 Wednesday in Atlanta.
Coupled with 25-year-old right-hander Julio Teheran, the Braves number one starter, Miller and Foltynewicz, give the Braves what I consider to be possibly one of the top young three-man pitching rotations in the major leagues,
While the Braves are missing the bats of Justin Upton, Jason Heyward and Evan Gattis in their lineup, they still have the reliable bats of first baseman Freddie Freeman and shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who is also one of the top fielding shortstops in the game.
While they cannot completely replace fire balling closer Craig Kimbrel, who is now with the San Diego Padres, they do have Jason Grilli, who was one of the top closers in the National League with the Pittsburgh Pirates for a number of years. Grilli has done a good job closing for the Braves so far.