Atlanta Braves Pitching 2012

 Some of my thoughts on Braves pitching strategy for 2012...


Keep JJ and let his contract run. We could get him in FA anyway; I don't think he has the flash to get the media hyped up enough about him ever, so I say keep him and try to sign an extension after next year. - He is so dynamic with all his different fastballs, and he can pitch a bad game and still give us a chance to win - we need a strong veteran to anchor the rotation; I'm just worried that he doesn't handle the hottest months so well, and we can't ask him to go 8 innings every start in the first half of the season.. you can see the effects of wear and heat on him right now.. his control is slipping just a bit.. either way; we need him over the course of a season to go out and give us a chance to win everytime he's up

Tommy Hanson - Given, he looks like our ace over the next five years, but he has got to come into games with a better grasp on what he wants to do.. he doesn't seem confident in his approach to games, and he is unsure of his pitches in early innings.. his tedious delivery builds too much stress on him, especially out of the stretch, and he will have to calm that down if he ever wants to pitch to his potential in august

Tehran - no question we need him day 1 next year.. He has the flash, but I'm worried about that curveball of his.. he's all fastballs, but I dont think he gets much action on any of them, just fools batters with fluctuating speed. he is going to need to tighten up the curve, cause if his fastball command is off.. he will be forced to throw it for a strike when behind in the count, and I'm worried he'll leave a couple of meaty pitches hanging over the plate

Medlen - if he comes back to full strength, I can't help but want to see him in the rotation - that changeup is incredible - he can place his fastball and run it up into mid 90s if necessary, and good curve and slider to go along --- lots of upside with medlen..  he is the second most complete pitcher behind JJ - but he might not be able to start a full season ever.. so I could see him working middle relief the first half of the season, and really come in big the second half of the season when we need more long relief efforts and make the spot start

Beachy - I'm not too high on beachy.. his stuff all just seems pretty ordinary, but he can execute.. I just think that the bats in the division will start to learn his tendencies with more time in the bigs, and he wont ever have that un-hittable, two-strike pitch to sit batters down, especially the third time through the order..  just seems like he wont even be able to lean on pure ability to get batters out - maybe I'm wrong, but I'd deal him in the off season while the value is there, and try to secure a good young shortstop

Hudson - keep him till he can go no more

Lowe - I actually like Lowe, and his ability to pitch in tight games.. problem is he is overeager to keep his pitch count low when pitching with the lead, and he risks leaving to many balls a bit too high in the zone in 4-6th innings, just trying to hum along-- he just wont accept that he does actually start wearing out, and he can't have the low and away pitch is missing just enough middle in to lead off guys (especially righties when the pitch drrifts too far in)in the 4th,5th, and 6th innings - as a result, the following batters get ahead in the count cause he'll over compensate outside to make sure he doesnt give up two doubles in a row.. but I like the man overall, and think that he wont be lax with lead off guys in the playoffs, no matter how big the lead-- at the end of the day, the dude is eating up too much salary, and I think he could still do well for an american league club where his mentality when there aren't as many holes in the opposing lineup (and where he never will need to swing a bat, wearing himself out)

Minor - just dont know anything about him really

Viscaino - from what I'm reading - I'd hate to not have him in the rotation, but hate it even worse to see him pitch no innings for us - we can't have youth up and down - we need some maturity in there to make sure we down get swept eve, so i think the rotation will look pretty straight forward as this...

Hanson
JJ
Hudson
Tehran
Beachy (even though i think we should move him, I don't think we will) -- good news is, if he or anyone starts slipping, we've got plenty of arms in waiting
  --- I would rather see Medlen stepping in the 5th spot, assuming he can return to form, putting Vizcaino in the pen.. I think Vizcaino should get some spot starts in the first half of the season, so he will be a long reliever who seldom pitches in the first half with a few scattered starts, and a well utilized long reliever if medlen isn't filling that role.. it could go so many different ways for this 5th spot, but the only real way beachy moves out of the rotation is in a trade.. he wouldn't work out of the bullpen, and we'd be dumb to strangle his trade value there