• Traded RHP Akeel Morris to Angels for a Player To Be Named Later

Traded RHP Akeel Morris to the Angels for a PTBNL

At least Braves fans can stop constantly wondering exactly what Morris did to tick off management. An enticing relief prospect acquired in a Kelly Johnson trade, Morris came into the Atlanta system in mid-2016.

After arriving in Mississippi, Morris allowed a 2.27 ERA while striking out 32.9% of batters faced to close out the 2016 season. And that was while allowing a .333 BABIP. Many observers expected him to make a push for a MLB relief job in 2017.

Instead, he spent most of the year in AAA, posting a 3.09 ERA and a healthy 26.0% K-rate. He did get a cup of coffee with the Braves, where in 7 1/3 innings, he struck out 9 batters and allowed a single run.

Here are some relievers (filtering out some higher priced guys who understandably got extra chances, like Jim Johnson) who pitched more innings for the 2017 Braves than Morris, listed with (IP / ERA / K-rate):

• Luke Jackson (50.2 / 4.62 / 14.7%)
• Jason Motte (40.2 / 3.54 / 16.3%)
• Matt Wisler (32.1 / 8.35 / 14.4%)
• Rex Brothers (23.2 / 7.23 / 31.3%)
• Eric O’Flaherty (18.1 / 7.85 / 18.1%)
• Josh Collmenter (17.0 / 9.00 / 20.7%)
• Jason Hursh (10.2 / 5.06 / 14.9%)

The team’s preference for inferior options in the major league bullpen was baffling. It becomes even more maddening when you realize Morris wasn’t using smoke and mirrors to get his results. He has a live arm, hitting the mid 90’s with regularity, and he pairs that fastball with a decent changeup. He had both the talent and the results, and for some reason the team didn’t trust him with MLB innings on a tanking ballclub.

Morris was by no means a flawless prospect. His walk rates are typically high, and control has never been his forte. But while a little wildness may have kept Morris from being a sure thing prospect, it also wasn’t bad enough to send him into Mauricio Cabrera territory.

Ultimately, one has to wonder if there was something beyond the pitching that kept Morris back. Perhaps the team disliked his approach, attitude, or work ethic. You certainly don’t like to assume something like that, and I in no way want to start any rumors, but when multiple front offices (both the Coppolella and Anthopoulos regimes) opt for what appears to be inferior relievers, those questions are natural.

At least the head scratching can end.