Atlanta Braves Wildcard Scott Kazmir Could Provide Surprising Value
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Braves acquired a wildcard in the trading of Matt Kemp bringing Scott Kazmir to Atlanta. Kazmir is coming off of an injury marred season that leaves many questions as to what to expect.
When the Atlanta Braves dealt Matt Kemp little was said about one of the many pieces that the Braves received back in the deal, in Scott Kazmir. Kazmir is coming off of a season where he failed to stay on the field leaving many questions about his health and value.
Even the Braves when asked about Kazmir made it known that there were no expectations for the pitcher and that he would have to come into Spring Training and prove that he was healthy.
Kazmir is a thirty-four year old veteran who now must go into the Braves camp and compete against their treasure trove of young arms.
Winning a spot in the rotation may be a challenge but Kazmir is more than capable of winning a spot when he is healthy. With a career 4.01 ERA and over 100 wins under his belt Kazmir could surprise a lot of Braves fans this season.
With reliance more on movement and fooling hitters at this point in his career Kazmir showed an impressive ability to fool hitters in 2015 and was productive again in 2016.
Kazmir could be a much needed addition to the Braves bullpen or rotation. If he can prove himself healthy it would be surprising if he weren’t given a shot in the rotation.
If the Braves were to fall from contention as expected Kazmir could become a valuable deadline trade chip.
Scott Kazmir is a talented veteran that fans shouldn’t overlook as we head into Spring Training play. Braves pitchers and catchers reported today as baseball is finally set to get back underway.