Add another name to the list of fifth starter candidates for the Braves. According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Atlanta has signed left-hander Eric Stults to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Stults posted some decent numbers during his time with the Padres, with a 3.87 ERA across 79 starts and four relief appearances while showing good control. However, the 35-year-old had an 88 ERA+ in that timespan and only averaged 5.6 K/9. It’s hard to get too excited about that.
The Braves have a host of other candidates for the fifth starter job, including Manny Banuelos, Michael Foltynewicz, David Hale, Chien-Ming Wang, Wandy Rodriguez, and James Russell. For what it’s worth, Bowman now pegs Stults and Foltynewicz as the early front-runners, with Banuelos likely to get some more time in the minors.