The Colorado Rockies have acquired right-handed relief pitchers David Hale and Gus Schlosser from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for catchers Jose Briceno and Chris O’Dowd, the team announced via their Twitter page.
This most recent trade by the Braves further creates a rumble throughout the bullpen, which has continued to experience a major shakeup this offseason. So far this offseason, the Braves have shipped off relievers Jordan Walden, David Carpenter, Chasen Shreve, Anthony Varvaro, David Hale and Gus Schlosser, while bringing in Michael Kohn, Josh Outman, Jason Grilli and Arodys Vizcaino. The only remaining relievers left in the Braves’ bullpen from the 2014 season are Craig Kimbrel, James Russell, Luis Avilan and Shae Simmons.
Hale, a Marietta, Georgia native, pitched in 45 major-league games last season for the Braves, including six starts, managed a 4-5 record, along with a 3.30 ERA, 110 ERA+, 4.35 FIP and a 4.5 K/9 in 87 and 1/3 innings pitched. The 27-year-old right-hander could slot in as a middle reliever in the Rockies’ bullpen, possibly as the seventh-inning guy, in front of left-hander Boone Logan and right-handed closer LaTroy Hawkins, who told MLB Network in December that the 2015 season will be his last season.
Schlosser, 26 a Sarasota, Florida native, was originally non-tendered, then re-signed, by the Braves before eventually being shipped off to Colorado today. The 26-year-old right-hander pitched in fifteen games out of the bullpen for the Braves’ big league squad, pitching to a 0-1 record, along with a 7.64 ERA, 49 ERA+, 4.89 FIP and a 4.1 K/9 in 17 and 2/3 innings pitched out of the bullpen in his first major-league season. He will report to big league spring training as a non-roster invitee next month.
Briceno, a 22-year-old Venezulean native, played all of the 2014 campaign with the Braves’ Single-A affiliate at Asheville, hitting .283/.336/.476 with 12 home runs and 50 runs batted in over 350 plate appearances in 84 games played. Ranked by Baseball America as the Rockies’ 29th best prospect before the 2014 season, and he is better known as an offensive catcher, as his defensive skills are not fully developed, as of yet.
O’Dowd, a 24-year-old Aurora, Colorado native, is the son of Dan O’Dowd, the Rockies’ former general manager, spent the 2014 campaign with the Rockies’ High-A affiliate at Modesto and their Double-A affiliate at Tulsa. Not really considered as a prospect, he slashed .271/.335/.385 with five home runs and 48 runs batted in over 471 plate appearances in 113 games played during the 2014 season.
Leave a Reply