Finally! Jo-Jo Reyes' 17-game losing streak is finally over, because the Braves are replacing him in the starting rotation with rookie Kris Medlen. Reyes will apparently move to the Braves bullpen, likely replacing James Parr or some as yet unknown player who is going on the DL. We'll see if Jo-Jo can have more luck in the pen, a likely scenario considering his troubles usually come later in games the second or third time through the order.
Kris Medlen gets the call to the majors over the more highly touted Tommy Hanson, but don't let that fool you, Medlen has matched or bested Hanson all year. The 5-foot 10-inch right-hander from California is an impressive 5-and-0 this season with a 0.96 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP. In 37.1 innings pitched he has given up 10 walks and collected 44 strikeouts while only allowing 19 hits and no homeruns.
The Braves gave Reyes every chance to prove himself and seem determined to keep in the majors for some reason. We'll have to see how a demotion to the bullpen affects his confidence.
Congratulations to Kris Medlen!
1 recs | 64 comments
Kongratulations Kris!
This is goddamned exciting. I saw him pitch a couple of times in Spring Training this year live, and I was consistently impressed.
Theres alot of interesting story lines here that the rest of the comments will cover, but I just have this to add:
I’m putting a fresh bottle of whiskey on ice for tuesday, can’t wait to see how the kid steps up.
Sid Bream's Moustache - May 15, 2009
Also we need some prop bets...
Does Chipper let him keep the flat bill, or make the rook bend it?
Sid Bream's Moustache - May 15, 2009
Chipper damn well better! I love the flat bill.
timmy3 - May 15, 2009
Jo-Jo could be good in the bullpen
He has the stuff, but doesn’t appear to be able to use it over six innings. Maybe if he only needs to get three outs he’ll do better.
filmgeek83 - May 15, 2009
+1
VictorW - May 15, 2009
+1
I’ve always thought of him as a good bullpen option. I have zero faith in him as a starter, but maybe he can put his stuff to use better in the pen.
soup du jour - May 15, 2009
Here’s hoping.
Smoltz's Beard - May 15, 2009
I think we’ve said multiple times that he could be a pretty good LOOGY…. here’s hoping he can pull it off in the pen.
cmdpsu15 - May 15, 2009
Really Jo-Jo could continue the losing streak in the bullpen too.
timmy3 - May 15, 2009
fuckin a!!!
sorry but medlen would be my best friend if i ever meet him.
acie4mvp - May 15, 2009
can you say micah owings
but actually a good pitcher
Year Team Lg Age Org. Level Pos Ln G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO HBP IBB SH SF DP AVG OBP SLG OPS
2008 MIS Sou 22 Atl AA 38 26 6 8 2 1 1 5 2 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 2 .308 .333 .577 910
pj16 - May 15, 2009
and a switch hitter
pj16 - May 15, 2009
I am excited
Kris Medlen pitch f/x scheduled
VictorW - May 15, 2009
ha, good man
Smoltz's Beard - May 15, 2009
That's it
The next big internet meme is a series of “Chuck Norris” type facts about Kris Medlen.
I will start that shit myself, if we get a couple of good starts (and a bent bill)
Sid Bream's Moustache - May 15, 2009
Please no
There’s already one for Matt Wieters, and it’s lame as shit. At least let him lay down his legacy before more lame memes are forced down our throats.
royhobbs - May 16, 2009
Gotta admit, the first time I read “Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning, there were no survivors” I laughed pretty damn hard.
Smoltz's Beard - May 16, 2009
The first baseball one was actually for Cole Hamels but it got so absurd it stop being funny.
rocket8188 - May 16, 2009
I'M SO FUCKING EXCITED
sdp - May 15, 2009
The flat bill is lame
But can’t wait to see the guy pitch.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - May 15, 2009
Don't hate.
I think it shows some originality and flair.
timmy3 - May 15, 2009
.....maybe
but no disrespect, I would put the flat bill in the same category as somebody constantly popping a collar. Incredibly lame. It just makes the hat look lame to me. Like, unworn. But that’s just me.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - May 15, 2009
Pretty sure I’ve seen Melden with a popped collar…
cbwilk - May 16, 2009
I have...
I’m pretty sure I have a picture somewhere.
Little Lady - May 16, 2009
Anyone think Tommy Hanson may be a little pissed?
First, congrats to Kris. He’s really made a name for himself and i hope he tears the rockies lineup up (its a pretty weak lineup btw).
But anyone else think Hanson might be a little ticked? He is afterall our “top” prospect.
Scott Coleman - May 15, 2009
He really can’t be. Medlen’s pitched better than he has so far.
timmy3 - May 15, 2009
Hanson knows he’s a #1.. No way they rush him. Medlen on the other hand may be trade bait
chance13ga - May 15, 2009
I think it has more to do with this team still having Glavine in their plans for this year. So they’re going with the hot guy right now, because Medlen’s probably going to give us the best chance to win right now. Hanson’s going to push Kawakami out if this first month and change is any indication.
Glavine needs to go away though.
timmy3 - May 15, 2009
I think KK is going to have to have a 9.00 ERA before he is pulled out of the rotation. The Braves have already made a long term commitment to him so he is going to get all the chances in the world to prove himself. My god, look what they have done for Reyes despite the fact that he hasn’t pitched well in 3 years! They keep throwing him out there and he keeps losing! Guess they can only have 1 Reyes per year. ;-)
Frankly, the way the Braves handled the off season signing KK to such a big contract for an unproven and unseen player (I mean they didn’t even see him pitch until he threw a few balls in the U.S.) means that they have really set themselves up for failure. Even putting the guy in relief would seem like failure. That’s why I think he is going to get more chances than any of you think. Fortunately, he hasn’t been a total flop and has actually had a few decent outings.
Personally, I think he will come around eventually.
So where does that leave Hanson if KK does well and Glavine pitches according to plan? (My other post)
proeye - May 16, 2009
why?
he’s cheap, under team control for a LONG time, and is nails.
why trade that? for an unproven 3B prospect we might not have control over?
for a “power” LF bat?
apoxonbothyourhouses - May 16, 2009
Hanson always alludes to the fact that he "trusts the Braves plans for him"
dude just wants to pitch
Chief Noc-A-Homa - May 15, 2009
Hanson and Melden are best friends, I’m pretty sure he’s just happy as hell for Kris.
cbwilk - May 16, 2009
There are some comments on AJC online to the effect that Hanson is the long term solution. So I interpret that to mean that they don’t want to rush him. I agree. I don’t think it would be productive for their long term solution to be shuttled back and forth between AAA and the big club, and besides, Kris Medlen seems like the better choice since he seems to be more adaptable. He has pitched in relief which means he is used to be jerked around ;-). In other words, he has gone back and forth between starting and relieving so he would probably do better in this situation. Medlen will get a few starts, then when Glavine comes back he can either go to the pen or back to AAA. I think this solution would be far better than giving Hanson a couple of starts then send him back to AAA because I seriously doubt they would put him in relief for long.
My feeling is that once they decide to bring Hanson up, he is in the bigs to stay. After all, he would probably have to fall flat on his face to go back to AAA. Then the question becomes, when is he EVER going to get that chance? It’s already a given that Lowe, Vasquez, and Jurrjens aren’t going anywhere (and they are all pitching very well) so what if KK and Glavine do really well? Hanson may not be called up at all this season! I know I’m really speculating here because any one of these starters could go out at any time. But let’s just say they all do well. Then Hudson comes back in the fall. Then what? Anyway, there is a small possibility that we may never see Hanson this year unless the Braves decide to trade Vasquez or KK.
It’s great to be a Braves fan nowadays isn’t it? ;-)
proeye - May 16, 2009
Odd timing.
Glavine is likely going to be off the DL in 2 weeks, enough time for the 5th spot to come around 2 (maybe 3) times before then. One has to assume that they’ll keep the Cox-Wren "brain"trust are going to give Tom the roster spot, no matter what Medlen does …
So, what happens then? He goes back to AAA, they stick him in the ’pen?
I’d think that, given the low number of starts until G-day, they’d have just brought Morton back up …
Also, I’m surprised that they’re keeping Reyes in the ‘pen at this point, personally I think he can be a good pitcher out of the ’pen, but it’s obvious that Bobby has absolutely no confidence in him.
Lennox - May 15, 2009
Reyes has worn out the welcome and not paid rent at all
He’s lucky to still be up. He caves.
Chief Noc-A-Homa - May 15, 2009
I was also a bit surprised on no Morton.
Guess they’re just looking for a fresh face… Who knows, Medlen could be to the 2009 Braves what Dontrelle Willis was to the ‘03 Marlins. It’s hard to say Medlen hasn’t earned this, either. He totally deserves the nod. And also, I think the team just thinks that right now out of all the options they have to take these starts, Medlen gives the club the best chance of winning.
timmy3 - May 15, 2009
If you ask me, the Braves are hoping to showcase Medlen for a trade.
That’s the only way I can understand the move. If you want to replace Jo-Jo, why not Charlie Morton? He’s pitching well enough at AAA to deserve to move up. Hell, why not Tony Armas? Considering Glavine’s impending return, it’s even more fishy to me. I love the move, but I honestly believe the Braves are hoping to showcase Medlen to acquire a bat.
sdp - May 15, 2009
It’s about winning simply as that. Medlen’s our hottest and most effective arm at AAA right now, and anyone that thinks Bennett, Carlyle, Campillo or Parr could out-pitch him in a few starts right now, needs to call me so I can find out who he’s scoring green from.
timmy3 - May 15, 2009
If they’re trying to trade him they would have kept him at triple-A and allow him to continue to dominate where there would be no chance of him being exposed.
gondeee - May 15, 2009
nice shut down. seriously though if we trade him, my life = over
acie4mvp - May 15, 2009
im the exact same way
Zeus12888 - May 15, 2009
i think its a little of both: rewarding the kid for his 0.93ERA and showcasing him for a trade. check out MLBTraderumors.com for the “Braves trade possibilities” article. Good stuff.
Scott Coleman - May 15, 2009
I agree completely. It makes more sense to bring up Medlen. Besides, it’s not like Morton has pitched that well in the bigs.
proeye - May 16, 2009
flippin’ fantastic news!
Sparhawk - May 15, 2009
There’s an article on the Braves site with a quote from Wren saying that they called Medlen up because its only for a short time and they would rather Hanson get called up if its a long term replacement situation.
I am with a lot of others i hope they dont trade him the kids got too much talent
drumzalicious - May 15, 2009
I’m a more casual fan than a lot of the people here, and I’ve only heard about this Medlen kid, same with Hanson and Morton. Everyone seems excited for him though, and he’s a young prospect, so I have high hopes for him.
Hope he’s cool.
RichmondBraves - May 15, 2009
moment of silence for jojo……okay done….
congrats medlen….
go braves
lemke2blauser2bream - May 15, 2009
We need a moment of silence for the number of games he has destroyed for us
drumzalicious - May 16, 2009
Medlen
Welcome to the Ted!
I can"t wait to see you pitch!
Good Luck!!
HEYJUDE - May 16, 2009
A few weeks into the season a friend of mine was talking about how much he hates Kotchman and what a bad trade it was, I said, “Hey, at least that pitcher we got has been lights out since we moved him to the rotation.”
Then I came to the realization that Medlen and Marek are, in fact, two different people …
Lennox - May 16, 2009
Now, they need to do what they should have done a long time ago. GET RID OF REYES! How many chances has this idiot had, and he has f——- up way too many times. He is one of those pitchers that I just know will blow a game for us when he comes in the game, starting or relieving. I wanted them to get rid of Boyer so bad, and they finally did it. Now, send Reyes packing.
BeachGaBulldog - May 16, 2009
Hey Medlen, you’d damn well better pitch a no hitter by start three, or this is in your future ….
Reyes has little more than a season worth of ML games under his belt, lots of pitchers that have gone on to be quality ML pitchers have looked like crap over a similar number of appearances.
Lennox - May 16, 2009
Not saying that Reyes is the next Glavine, but to all those ready to toss Reyes away:
Reyes
189.2 IP, 1.624 WHIP, 1.33 SO/BB, 71 ERA+, 5-15
Glavine (1st full season, call up was much worse)
195.1 IP, 1.352 WHIP, 1.33 SO/BB, 80 ERA+, 7-17
Glavine at 24 (Reyes age and year before Glavine won 1st Cy Young)
214.1 IP, 1.446 WHIP, 1.65 SO/BB, 94 ERA+, 10-12
Not that huge a difference.
B_Agate - May 16, 2009
Not that this is an exact comparison, but this is JoJo’s third try. Glavine came around his third year. I stick to the 3 strikes and you’re out rule as well. Never know about the first go around and the second may be a fluke or just trying too hard, but the third? Hummmmmm…
proeye - May 16, 2009
I would think that with Glavine coming up it will be slightly more understandable to send Medlen back down than Hanson but if Kris bangs out some quality starts… Tommy might find himself with a little more soreness
rocket8188 - May 16, 2009
If Medlen comes up here and studs it up, then Glavine needs to do what is best for the team and bow out. The team isn’t going to push that button because we’re essentially a team with no real hometown fans that is too afraid of a bad PR move to put a good product on the field (See Failcoeur), Glavine is just another situation of same. Unfortunately, with the way we are paying him, it’s kind of hard for Glavine just to say, “I’m hanging ‘em up because I can’t help this team anymore.” Because that would mean leaving money on the table. The fact is, if either Hanson or Medlen come up here and pitch with any confidence this year, there’s no way anybody with a 78 MPH fastball can hang with them; I don’t care how crafty they are. Glavine is going to nibble, is going to rarely make it beyond the 5th inning, and he’s going to get banged on any night that he doesn’t have pinpoint control.
timmy3 - May 16, 2009
Ouch. That hurts me.
Little Lady - May 16, 2009
Don’t sweat it, LL. Maybe timmy3 was just having a brain fart when he wrote that phrase…I doubt he’d purposely bash royhobbs and gondee like that, much less the rest of us here who are real hometown and lifelong fans. Just don’t measure yourself by anyone else’s (vague) opinions and you’ll be just fine. :)
Lizziebeth - May 16, 2009
Making an obvious exaggeration....
But the Braves’ hometown support is pathetic, though there are plenty of exceptions.
timmy3 - May 18, 2009
I just think
most people are content to watch the game in the comfort of their own home. Plus, there’s not a whole lot to do right around the Ted, so it doesn’t have that extra “draw” that some stadiums have.
Little Lady - May 18, 2009
Hah!
I know I’m a real fan. Most of the money I manage to scrounge up goes towards the Braves in one way or another.
Little Lady - May 18, 2009
I think Jo-Jo in the bullpen is better than Medlin in the starting rotation. This will strengthen an already great bullpen and just the fact that Jo-Jo is out of the starting lineup replaced by anyone or no one is great, but that we can keep him and use hium someplace else is greater.
SunDolphin - May 16, 2009
I’m warming up to this. Morton is basically a RH version of Reyes in terms of inconsistency, yes I know he was hurt last year and doesn’t have the MLB innings. Medlen might catch fire in the rotation, or he could displace an underperforming utility pitcher. Hanson is being handled with kid-gloves, and rightfully so.
TradeAndruw - May 16, 2009
Comparing Morton to Reyes really isn’t fair, since Chuck made his ML debut last year and has pitched in 20 AAA games in his career.
bigjoe - May 16, 2009
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