So here we go again, Braves fans — another quiet bullpen move that just might sneak up and matter more than you’d think. Atlanta has picked up 34-year-old right-hander Kevin Herget off waivers from the Mets and immediately slotted him into Triple-A Gwinnett.
Now, this isn’t the kind of move that makes headlines or sparks jersey sales. But in a season where the Braves’ bullpen has not been stable, these veteran depth adds do carry weight.
A Well-Traveled Arm With More Miles Than Applause
Let’s be clear, Herget is not a rookie with a blazing heater or a spin-rate darling. This is a guy who’s been around — and we mean around. Four big league teams, 14 professional seasons, and a couple of indie ball pit stops along the way. He’s not flashy, but he’s durable, experienced, and clearly someone that teams see just enough in to keep giving him a shot.
His most recent cameo with the Mets was blink-and-you-miss-it. He went two innings in an 8–3 win over Arizona, followed by a swift return to Triple-A. But don’t write him off just yet. In Syracuse this year, he’s put up a solid 2.87 ERA over 15 2/3 innings.
Sure, the underlying peripherals don’t scream bullpen savior. Still, he’s kept runs off the board and has a knack for being usable. In today’s injury-riddled, constantly rotating bullpens, that does count for something.
Atlanta Braves Bullpen Turnstile Keeps Spinning
This signing also continues what has become something of an Atlanta Braves tradition — the endless search for stability in the relief corps. Herget joins a lengthy list of arms the team has cycled through this year, trying to find the right mix behind their top-tier starters. The bullpen hasn’t been disastrous by any stretch, but it’s been maddeningly average. In other words, there’s plenty of room for anyone to step up.
Atlanta’s front office has a reputation for turning cast-offs into contributors. We’ve seen this story before: unheralded reliever gets picked up, tweaks a pitch or two, and suddenly becomes a high-leverage option by August. Is Herget that guy? No way to know right now. But if the Braves’ track record tells us anything, it’s that you can’t ignore these moves entirely.
Marginal Gains Add Up
At this stage of the season, especially for a team hovering in the thick of the Wild Card race, it’s not just the headliners that shape October — it’s the margins. A couple of well-timed outings from a guy like Herget could make the difference between burning out your top relievers and keeping the whole bullpen intact down the stretch.
So no, this move isn’t about the return of Spencer Strider or the next Ronald Acuña Jr. comeback. But it’s one more tile in the mosaic the Braves are piecing together. And in a season where every out matters, Herget might just get his chance to make a few of them count.
