Atlanta Braves Trade Two Inconsistent Relievers For Another Inconsistent Reliever

The Atlanta Braves traded Arodys Vizcaino and Jessie Biddle for fellow inconsistent reliever Anthony Swarzak. Swarzak does little to improve the pen or help a team struggling with giving up walks.

The Atlanta Braves desperately needed to make a move to improve their failing bullpen. The team traded injured closer Arodys Vizcaino and DFA’ed reliever Jessie Biddle to the Seattle Mariners for Anthony Swarzak.

Getting anything in return for Vizcaino and Biddle is impressive considering their lack of value and ability to contribute consistently at the Major League level.

On the other hand the reliever the Braves got in return doesn’t seem to improve the team considering his struggles. Swarzak has completed 13.2 innings so far this season with an ERA over five and eight walks given up.

He does have three saves on the season, however, to go along with three saves he has blown. Overall this is a boring trade that doesn’t help or hurt the Braves it is just another shuffling of the pen hoping something falls into place.

Swarzak could bounce back and provide some help to the Atlanta pen but certainly not as a high leverage reliever.

Atlanta’s continued lack of aggressiveness fixing their bullpen may be their undoing considering they are continuing to fall behind the Phillies in the NL East division race. Winning their division once again will only be possible if they make moves to improve the pitching staff.

Both the rotation and bullpen have plenty of question marks the team will need to address if they want to hang in their division race.

Waiting until the trade deadline may not be an option unless the pen were to make surprising and drastic improvements. Swarzak will join the Braves during their series against the Giants hoping to help put out the dumpster fire that the Braves bullpen has been.