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Grading The Deal: Braves Sign Glavine

Authored by Douglas Benton - 19th November, 2007 - 4:39 pm

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It has been two years that the Braves have missed the playoffs, and the biggest reason is a lack of pitching depth. With the bullpen problems of two years ago for the most part filled, new General Manager Frank Wren had to go about solidifying the rotation this winter. He took a good first step in doing so by signing Tom Glavine to a one-year contract on Monday.

Glavine, 41, returns to Atlanta after five seasons with the Mets which saw him win 61 games, including his 300th last season. The advantages to having Glavine on the roster in 2008 are for his on-field production and his mentoring of the young lefties in the system.

On the field, while he wasn’t spectacular in New York, he was consistent. He made anywhere between 32 and 34 starts in each of his five seasons and was .500 or better in his last three years. His stuff is still crisp and while he won’t log a lot of innings, he can still work through an order and not extend innings by walks. His walk totals the last three years are his three lowest marks since 1989.

For the Braves last year, the major problem was they didn’t know if they would get seven shutout innings or two innings of seven run ball from their starters three through five.

Manager Bobby Cox can now pencil in Glavine at No.3 behind John Smoltz and Tim Hudson and fill the remaining two spots with any of the following: Chuck James, Jo-Jo Reyes, Jair Jurrjens and Mike Hampton if he is healthy.

With Glavine providing a veteran arm and a lefty option, Glavine can also mentor James and Reyes, both lefties who struggled with control and consistency last year. Both Reyes and James have similar stuff to Glavine, and this is the make or break year for James in his career.

At $8 million for one year and no attachments, the Braves pick up a player worth the money who could bring them back to the playoffs in an open National League East with questions abound for the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets.

Grading the Deal: A-

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