Julio Teheran set to join Los Angeles Angels

Atlanta’s opening day starter for the last six years is set to sign a contract with the Los Angeles Angels, according to several reports.

Teheran finishes his Braves career with 77 wins, ninth-most in Atlanta history. He’s also fifth in strikeouts (1184), sixth in games started (226) and walks (458), seventh in losses (33) and ERA (3.67) and eighth in hits allowed (1189) and innings pitched (1360.0).

While Teheran did not become the next Pedro Martinez, as many projected a decade ago, he was a dependable and durable starter for the Braves the last seven years. He’s one of four pitchers (Jon Lester, Jose Quintana and Mike Leake being the others) to make 30 or more starts for seven consecutive seasons.

Teheran will join an Angels team that already acquired Dylan Bundy from the Orioles earlier in the offseason.

Last season, Teheran was 10-11 with a 3.81 ERA in 33 starts. He allowed 148 hits in 174.2 innings, with 83 walks and 162 strikeouts. Teheran struggled in the last month of the season, posting a 6.56 ERA in five starts.

So, how will the Braves replace the 191 innings Teheran has averaged the last seven years, including the 174.2 innings he pitched last season?

Cole Hamels was signed to a one-year contract to, in effect, replace Dallas Keuchel in Atlanta’s rotation. Hamels will join returnees Mike Soroka, Max Fried and Mike Foltynewicz. The plan is to move Sean Newcomb back to the rotation from the bullpen, so he might be the fifth starter.

Newcomb was a full-time starter in 2018, but he pitched only 164.0 innings in his 31 games (30 starts). Last season, Newcomb had a 3.60 ERA in his four starts but a 3.04 mark in 51 relief appearances.

One worry could be if the Braves trade for a middle-of-the-order bat if Josh Donaldson does not come back. Might another team request a starting pitcher in a potential trade, which could change the rotation again?

Soroka is likely off limits, and you think the Braves would not want to deal Fried after signing Hamels to come in and mentor him. But if Foltynewicz or Newcomb were involved in a deal, the Braves would definitely need another starting pitcher.

The Braves have been linked to free agent Hyun-Jin Ryu, who could command a contract larger than the one Madison Bumgarner got from Arizona. After Ryu, the free agent market would be limited to a lot of pitchers looking to rebound, like Homer Bailey, Taijuan Walker and Felix Hernandez.

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