Atlanta's ongoing bullpen carousel continues.
The Braves, owners of one of the worst relief corps in baseball during the season's first half, added veteran relievers Jason Frasor and Ross Detwiler before taking the field following the All-Star break.
Frasor and Detwiler were both picked up after being released by American League clubs. The team announced the Frasor signing early Friday afternoon.
Confirmed the Braves have reached an agreement with Ross Detwiler to a Major League deal. @Ken_Rosenthal had it first.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 17, 2015
Frasor and Detwiler are just the latest arms added to the Braves' bullpen rotation, but with the franchise expected to be busy on the trade market in the coming weeks the two newcomers could serve as veteran insurance. Atlanta's effective closer, Jason Grilli, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against the Rockies on July 11 while his replacement, Jim Johnson, is considered one of the team's key veteran trade pieces.
If Johnson is moved before the deadline, Atlanta would lose its top two relievers within a matter of weeks.
The right-handed Frasor, 37, posted quality numbers with the Royals this season, owning a 1.54 ERA in 23 1/3 innings pitched. While his peripheral numbers tell a different story (4.02 FIP, 5.79 walks per nine innings), the journeyman has posted a sub-4.00 ERA in six of his past seven seasons.
Detwiler, the 29-year-old southpaw, is a familiar name in Atlanta. He posted a 3.82 ERA in seven seasons with the Nationals before being traded to the Texas Rangers during the offseason. He struggled mightily in the AL, posting a career-worst 7.12 ERA in 43 innings, but a return to the National League should be welcome news for the left-hander.
Braves relievers posted a 4.40 ERA before the All-Star break, the second-worst mark in the majors behind the Rockies bullpen.
Even before the Frasor and Detwiler additions, Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez has used 24 different relievers in 89 games.
