Wants to start; the Braves may give him the chance, but he was so effective in relief late in the season it might not be a good idea.
Wright was a hot prospect with the Indians, coming up as a rookie in ’97 and playing a key role in their World Series near-miss. But he threw a lot of pitches that year (at 21) and the next, and apparently damaged his arm, eventually requiring shoulder surgery. He was never the same and the Indians finally cut him loose after his incredible 15.71 ERA in 2002. He threw 47 1/3 of the worst relief innings you’ll ever see for the Padres last year, putting up an 8.37 ERA (47 ERA+), earning his release and then some.
Then the Braves picked him up, to my shock and disbelief. But used as a short reliever for nine innings, he allowed two runs and struck out nine, and seemed to have incredible stuff all of the sudden. In the Division Series, he threw four scoreless innings, maintaining his strikeout-an-inning rate.
Who knows? Wright’s certainly talented. He is probably better suited for relief, because I still don’t think his arm is fully recovered, plus his strikeouts and velocity both seemed way up from his starting days. The key is probably his control; if he can keep the walks to a reasonable level he can be a major contributor. If.
The Braves web site has another story about Wright being the likely 5th starter. I’m with you Mac, Jaret belongs in the bullpen. I like to think he will be another Isringhausen.