We are one week far from the profession target date, but Alex Anthopoulos and also the Atlanta Braves got a head begin on shoring up their bullpen. The Braves got reliever Pierce Johnson from the Colorado Rockies Monday in exchange for minor league bottles Tanner Gordon and Victor Vodnik. They also got left-hander Taylor Hearn in exchange for cash money from the Texas Rangers. Atlanta's bullpen has experienced numerous injuries, most significantly to A. J Minter, Dylan Lee and also Jesse Chavez. All 3 are anticipated back, but Anthopoulos is wishing that both new additions will certainly supply some deepness and also some added versatility. "Pierce Johnson is somebody we asked Colorado regarding I believe right before the All-Star break," Anthopoulos said. "We like the power arm from the appropriate side, his capacity to rotate the sphere, the swing and miss out on, and we just believe it'll be a good enhance to our bullpen. Taylor Hearn is a person that once again can give length for us. So we do have the roster adaptability going forward, however he'll join the team tomorrow. However again, we such as the reality that he's got great stuff from the left side, however likewise can offer length as well as the reality that he has alternatives also simply gives us a great deal of roster flexibility going ahead. We seem like we have actually enhanced the round club. " Johnson's surface area numbers aren't wonderful. A 6. 00 ERA as well as 4. 57 FIP in 39 innings. Look deeper though as well as you will see a 2. 31 FIP and a 2. 72 xFIP far from Coors Field Harold Castro Jersey. While he is carrying a 13. 3% stroll rate, he has a 30. 9% strikeout rate, which was something that caught the front office's eye. "When you reach this moment of year, you're slim slicing a fair bit," Anthopoulos stated when asked concerning Johnson's residence as well as roadway divides. "It's just sort of the fact of it. I know that the numbers externally now aren't great, but he's still obtaining a whole lot of swing as well as miss out on. And appearance, there's no question, Coors Area, all that things. We think there's upside there for him to improve and also obviously we're hopeful that he'll succeed for us. " Johnson is an ending contract as well as cost the Braves a set of young arms in Gordon as well as Vodnik. Nonetheless, that is just the cost of doing organization. "