UPDATE: The Braves just announced that they have signed Garcia to a one-year major league contract.
7:11 p.m. ET: It’s done. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that the Braves are signing Harang. He’ll presumably begin the year with a rotation spot.
6:30 p.m. ET: The Braves made a surprising decision earlier today when they cut veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia loose, but it appears that they already have a potential replacement in mind for the rotation.
Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that the Braves have interest in free agent right-hander Aaron Harang. The 35-year-old was granted his release by the Indians earlier today after he was informed that he would not make the team’s Opening Day roster.
Harang pitched well in a small sample this spring, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks over nine innings of work, but he’s coming off a rough 5.40 ERA and 113/40 K/BB ratio over 143 1/3 innings last season between the Mariners and the Mets. This would be a lateral move at best for pitching-starved Atlanta, so letting Garcia go today continues to look like a head-scratcher.
