Peter Moylan to Takashi Saito to Billy Wagner. That was the way the Braves brass hoped the seventh, eighth and ninth innings would go for Atlanta this season. Over the off-season the bullpen was overhauled with Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez leaving and Saito and Wagner arriving. Wagner entered the season with 385 career saves and thus far has eleven, moving him to fifth all-time on the career saves list. The recipe hasn't exactly gone according to plan though, and perhaps that is a good thing, as the future of the Braves bullpen has busted out earlier than expected. Two names in particular have made huge contributions to the Braves pen, and both look like they'll be working late innings in Atlanta for a long time.
Jonny Venters came out of spring training looking quite impressive but was sent to Class AAA Gwinnett to receive regular work in the starting rotation. Injuries to the starting rotation and some reshuffling of the pitching staff led Venters to get called up to take Kris Medlen's role as long reliever. Venters said that early on, following the path of Medlen was a pretty good life to have. "He's a great guy to follow. We played together in Mississippi and he was a great starter. The rotation here is really good and he had to go to the bullpen."
The front of the pen in long relief is where Venters started, but recently Venters has recorded his first career save and served as the main set-up man against the Dodgers in the team’s recent west coast swing. Said Venters of his new role in the bullpen, "I've always been a starter, but I like the bullpen." And Venters is certainly old school for being such a young pitcher. Venters wants to do whatever will help the team. "Whatever they feel like I can do, that's what I'll do."
Venters says that the transition from starter to reliever wasn't a tough one. "I've definitely gotten more used to it than when I first got here." He is quick to credit Wagner, Moylan and the rest of the bullpen for some of his success. "This is my first time really pitching out of the bullpen and they've kind of watched me and helped me learn how to get loose, how to throw before the game, and everything. They've all really helped me a lot. Everyday I learn something new."
If Venters continues to learn and improve under the tutelage of pitching coach Roger McDowell and Wagner, then he could be scary good before long. on a recent Braves radio broadcast, Don Sutton said that if Venters was a stock on the New York exchange, "you'd want to buy now."
The other name that people were whispering all through spring training and openly comparing to Wagner was Craig Kimbrel. The righty Kimbrel seems like an exact mirror opposite of the southpaw Wagner, with only one inch and a 12-pack of pounds separating their exact appearances. Kimbrel throws seemingly the same filthy stuff that Wagner can deliver and Kimbrel also ratchets up the velocity from his smaller frame just like Wagner does. Unlike Venters though, Kimbrel knows his future is "definitely" in the bullpen, perhaps even as the next closer. "I'm a bullpen guy. I want to be a closer one day, hopefully. In college I started, but [the] bullpen is definitely the way to go."
Despite some early struggles, Kimbrel is back with the club and is getting some great advice from the current closer. "Everyday he's got something to say to me for me to work on. He's really been very helpful." Kimbrel picked up his first career win earlier this season and is with his second tour of duty with the club.
Kimbrel appears to have gotten over some of those struggles and he knows that in order to stick around, he'll have to continue to work hard. "I'm working on a lot of stuff, and I've just got to go out there and pitch to my abilities."
How does the current closer feel about these young arms? Wagner said that during spring training he looked around and realized just how much young talent the Braves organization truly boasts. "In a couple years you're looking at Kimbrel, you've got great arms with Jonny Venters. There are a lot of young kids who've got fantastic futures ahead of them. All they need is the experience of going out there."
Wagner is currently the one called on in the ninth inning when the game needs saving, but he also realizes that his role is to serve as a bridge to the future, which is these young arms. "I'm glad I'm able to be here and see these kids, see how to help them adjust to this and maybe what to think and help calm them down at times."
For now Wagner can keep adding to his saves total, but after Wagner retires following the season, the Braves can feel comfortable handing the ball to either of these two young guns.
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