and why you might want to watch the Braves' bullpen tonight

Nate Robertson impresses, and why you might want to watch the Braves' bullpen tonight

Manager Jim Leyland was among the Tigers officials in attendance as left-hander Nate Robertson breezed through Atlanta's Triple-A lineup on one of Tigertown's minor league fields. Robertson allowed two runners in five scoreless innings. ...

If you follow tonight's Tigers-Braves game, pay attention to the Atlanta bullpen. Atlanta has four out-of-options relievers -- Blaine Boyer, Chris Resop, Royce Ring and Tyler Yates -- competing for two roster spots. Why is that significant? Detroit is looking for another reliever and has had frequent trade discussions with the Braves in recent years.

I'll take any of 'em over Grilli.....

I agree!

Great matchup tonight: Tim Hudson is set to face Detroit’s Justin Verlander tonight in the last of four night games this spring. But despite that tasty starting matchup, the Tigers and plenty of their more savvy fans will be playing closer attention to Braves relievers who might get in the game.

Specifically, Braves out-of-options relievers.

The Tigers are looking for bullpen help, and the Braves have four out-of-options relief pitchers - Blaine Boyer, Chris Resop, Tyler Yates, lefty Royce Ring - and have drawn trade interest from Detroit. To what degree, I can’t tell you on each guy. But obviously, a few other teams would snatch up one or more of those guys on waivers before they fell to the Tigers.

So a trade is possible. But likely? I’m not sure. Given Braves GM Frank Wren’s relationship with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, his former Marlins boss, it wouldn’t at all surprise me if the Braves and Tigers did another deal (they already did the Renteria-for-Jurrjens & Gorkys deal (Jurrjens & Gorkys - kind of sounds like the name of a cool band, doesn’t it?)

Here’s the thing. Wren likes good arms, values them a lot. So I can’t see the Braves allowing Boyer, Resop or Ring to be snatched up on waivers, and Bobby Cox likes Yates a lot, so same thing. Plus, they tendered the arb-eligible Yates this winter; I don’t know that a bad spring can change their thoughts about a guy they watched all last season and obviously thought enough of to retain.

The Braves have Jeff Bennett and Buddy Carlyle (BLOGMEISTER NOTE: Carlyle’s not out of options; found that out today] for a reliever/spot-starter role. I could see them sending both to Richmond to begin the season.

That would give the Braves room to carry, in addition to the bullpen certainties — Soriano, Moylan, Ohman, Acosta — three from the out-of-options gang of Boyer-Resop-Yates-Ring.

So you trade one of those guys and keep the others. Not too difficult.