By Jordan Long
This past season the Atlanta Braves went 97-65, winning the National League East Division by 4 games. Their postseason run didn’t last, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in game 5 of the Division Series 13-1. They are looking to make a deeper run in 2020. The Braves decided they needed a veteran pitcher, agreeing to a contract with Cole Hamels.
Hamels spent last year in the North Side of Chicago with the Cubs. He didn’t have his best year going 7-7, the lowest wins in his career for a full MLB season. His ERA was 3.81.
Hamels biggest problem was home runs and walks. Batters were waiting for a pitch they could smack over the wall, giving up 17. Hamels had a difficult time locating his pitches. He was throwing them low or outside the strike zone. Hitters were patient and earned walks which equaled traffic on the base paths. The Cubs decided to move on from Hamels and let him test free agency. The Braves signed him to a 1-year $18 million contract.
The Braves wanted a veteran arm in the starting rotation this offseason. Their starting pitchers combined ERA in the regular season was 4.20, 12th in all of baseball. In the playoffs, starters couldn’t stay in games. They allowed hits and walks which equaled runners on base adding to their deficit. The starting rotation ERA for the Braves in the Division Series loss was 4.43.
Hamels can be a 3rd or 4th pitcher in the rotation. In the regular season, his career record is 163-121 with an ERA of 3.42. Hamels has pitched in 17 playoff games. In those appearances, his record is 7-6 with an ERA of 3.41. The Braves are taking a risk. $18 million is a large contract for 1 year. They hope to have the Hamels from 2016 when he won 15 games for the Texas Rangers. Atlanta can’t have the Hamels from 2019 because if that pitcher shows up, he will struggle to find his pitching location. This could cost the Braves games in 2020.
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