Shae Simmons: Option at Closer for Braves in 2016?

Shae Simmons emerged as one of the best shutdown arms in the Atlanta Braves bullpen behind Craig Kimbrel in the 2014 regular season.

The Atlanta Braves drafted Shae Simmons in the 22nd round of the 2012 MLB Draft, after attending Southeast Missouri State University for four years. In 2014, Simmons earned an invite to Spring Training, but did not make the opening day roster. Though Shae Simmons began the 2014 season at Double A Mississippi, the young pitcher quickly rose through the ranks, debuting for the Atlanta Braves on May 30, 2014. In 21.2 innings in 2014, Shae Simmons recorded a 2.91 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP, 23 strikeouts and 11 walks.

Braves’ manager Fredi Gonzalez quickly gave Shae Simmons responsibility coming out of the bullpen, eventually becoming the setup man for Craig Kimbrel by midsummer. In Simmons’s first 20 appearances, he owned a 0.96 ERA, displaying his capability to become a dominant reliever for the ballclub.

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In late July 2014, the Braves placed Shae Simmons on the Disabled List with shoulder soreness. That was the last time that Simmons pitched for the Atlanta Braves. Following a rehabilitation assignment with AAA Gwinnett in August of 2014, the organization made the decision to shut Shae Simmons down for the rest of the year. In February of the 2015, an MRI revealed a torn UCL to Simmons’s arm, preventing the young reliever from pitching in the 2015 season.

Shae Simmons is expected to return in May of 2016 following Tommy John Surgery and to bolster an Atlanta Braves’ bullpen that ranked near the cellar of the league in 2015. Though his performance in 2014 is a small sample, Simmons showed flashes of dominance. Though his ERA ascended to 2.91 from 0.96 right before his trip to the DL, it’s reasonable to assume that his injuries were the primary culprit. Given Shae Simmons’s effectiveness before he was shut down, is he an option for the Atlanta Braves as a closer in 2016?

As previously mentioned, the Atlanta Braves bullpen suffered in 2015 — especially after Jason Grilli‘s Achilles tear in July and the trade that sent Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan to the Los Angeles Dodgers before the trade deadline. In 2015, the Braves’ bullpen ranked 29th out of 30 teams in the majors with a 4.69 ERA, giving up 253 earned runs in 485.2 innings. The Atlanta Braves also ranked 29th in the league in blown saves with 26. In a league where the value of effective relief pitching is at an all-time high, Simmons’s return helps solidify a deplorable relief corps going into next season.

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Now onto the question of whether Shae Simmons can contend for the closer role with the Atlanta Braves. Jason Grilli began the season as the club’s closer; and before his season-ending injury in Denver in early July, was on track for an All-Star appearance. The 38-year-old reliever revitalized his career in 2015 with the Braves, recording a 2.94 ERA and 24 saves in 26 opportunities. Grilli is on track to return by Spring Training, making him one of the top candidates to become closer in 2016.

After the Atlanta Braves traded Jim Johnson to the Los Angeles Dodgers in late July, former top prospect Arodys Vizcaino assumed the role of closer. Vizcaino performed exceptionally well in the role, though because of the Atlanta Braves offensive woes in the second half of the season, did not find many opportunities to close games. As the closer, Vizcaino recorded a 1.60 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 33.2 innings pitched, while also saving 9 games in 10 opportunities. Vizcaino possesses an electric fastball much like Simmons, and showed that he has the capability to effectively close games at the major league level.

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With Jason Grilli returning in Spring Training, and Arodys Vizcaino showing that he has the ability to shut-down opposing offenses, Shae Simmons most likely projects as middle reliever or 7th inning relief option behind Grilli and Vizcaino. Kansas City Royals’ relief pitcher Kelvin Herrerra is a good analogy for what role a healthy Shae Simmons will have on the 2016 Atlanta Braves. It will take time for Shae Simmons to fully regain his form following his TJ surgery, but with a healthy Shae Simmons in the Atlanta Braves bullpen, the state of the 2016 relief corps improves dramatically.

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