Who'll Kerry the Load?

Jason Michael Barker

Once upon a time...

...the mighty Atlanta Braves were concerned about their lack of a proven veteran closer following the total collapse of Mark Wohlers. They opted to go with unproven rookie Kerry Ligtenberg, who once pitched in an independent league, was once traded for a bag of balls, and (horror or horrors) was a scab back in the player's strike of 1994.

Although he pitched very well, there was still talk of the Braves trading for a closer around the July 31 trading deadline. Rumors were tossed about, containing names such as Randy Myers, Todd Jones, and Rick Aguilera. At the time, Ligtenberg had saved 14 of 16 with a 3.35 ERA.

The Braves showed good judgment in not trading for one of those veterans, who despite being classified as "closers" did not pitch as well last season as the man the Braves wound up sticking with. Ligtenberg did not disappoint down the stretch, saving 16 of 18 with a 1.54 ERA over the final two months of the season.

This spring, the job was all his. The Braves had their closer, as well as the luxury of trying to bring Wohlers along slowly, hoping all the while he would be able to regain his once dominant form, but not counting on, nor needing, anything from him.

Thursday, Ligtenberg underwent an MRI to see about pain he had experienced in his throwing elbow during an outing the previous day. The result? A partially torn medial collateral ligament. Here's the dilemma -- he might only be out four to six weeks, but he might also need season-ending surgery. Even if he doesn't need the surgery, there's no guarantee he'll be able to pitch at 100% this season.

The Braves now need a closer. Here's a brief look at a few of their options:

Todd Jones, Tigers
Jones was rumored to be heading to Atlanta last season, but wound up sticking around in Detroit. A Georgia native, Jones has made it clear he'd like to pitch closer to home if possible. The Tigers, meanwhile, would love to dump his salary and let young Matt Anderson, who throws up around 100 MPH, close games. Atlanta has enough mid-level pitching prospects that giving one up for Jones wouldn't be a huge loss, and they'd get their proven closer.

On the other hand, Jones didn't pitch all that well last season. Sure he saved 28 games, but his ERA was just a tad shy of five, and he allowed nearly 1.5 baserunners per inning to go along with a .347 opponents' on-base percentage. It's possible he could improve under a good manager and pitching coach, however.

Randy Myers, Padres
It's no secret that the Padres would love to unload Myers, who is scheduled to make over $12 million over the next two seasons, especially after having just signed Trevor Hoffman to a big four-year deal. Any deal would probably be contingent on the Padres eating a chunk of Myers salary, however. For their part, anything San Diego could get in return for the over-the-hill closer would be a bonus. Myers is 36, his strikeout rates have been declining, and he struggled last season, so he's probably not a very good solution for the Braves, even in the short-term.

John Rocker
Already in the Atlanta organization, Rocker, 24, is the front-runner for the job. A big, hard-throwing lefty, he split time between AAA and the majors last season, combining for 64 strikeouts, 32 walks and a 1.89 ERA in 57 innings, with 38 of those innings coming in Atlanta. A former starter, Rocker flourished last season after being moved to the bullpen.

Odalis Perez
Also already in the organization, Perez began last season as a starter at AA but was moved to relief upon a promotion to AAA. He finished the season with the big club, and impressed the Braves enough that he was on the post-season roster at the tender age of 20. He was also the youngest pitcher to appear in the majors last season. Also a lefty, he's smaller and doesn't throw as hard as Rocker, but has better control. It's not clear whether the Braves plan to use him as a starter or reliever at this point.

Outlook
Until Ligtenberg throws in four to six weeks, the club won't know if he needs surgery or not. I expect Rocker to be the closer until that time, at which point the Braves will probably make a trade if Ligtenberg is lost for the season. If he's able to pitch again, they'll probably stick with Rocker (unless he really struggles) and ease Ligtenberg back into the role. In the best-case scenario, Atlanta will end the season with two highly-regarded closers, then be able to trade one of them in the off-season. And given how teams value closers these days, they could get quite a bit in return.

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