Braves Continue To Target Southpaws

ATLANTA—The Braves continued to cling to the adage that there is no such thing as too much pitching when they acquired lefthanders Luiz Gohara and Thomas Burrows from the Mariners for outfielder Mallex Smith and reliever Shae Simmons.

The 20-year-old Gohara ranked as Seattle’s top pitching prospect this offseason, while the Mariners selected Burrows, a reliever, in the fourth round out of Alabama.

“We’ve made no secret of our desire to trade for and draft lefthanded pitching prospects,” general manager John Coppolella said. “We feel it’s one of the most difficult things to find, and it has been a point of emphasis for us since John Hart and I took leadership of this organization in late 2014.”

Gohara made his pro debut at Rookie-level Pulaski in 2013, one year after signing for $800,000 as a 16-year-old out of Brazil. He began three subsequent seasons at extended spring training as he battled conditioning issues. His weight ballooned to 250 pounds, but he lost 30 pounds heading into 2016.

Gohara reached low Class A Clinton last July and went 5-2, 1.82 in 10 Midwest League starts. He struck out 60 and allowed 44 hits in 54 innings with 3.3 walks per nine.

The southpaw throws a mid-90s fastball that has touched triple digits and a slurvy slider in the mid-80s. Both offerings have a chance to be plus pitches, while his changeup made significant strides last season. Gohara also repeated his mechanics more consistently.

“He has a chance to be a front-of-the-rotation lefthanded starting pitcher and those are exceedingly difficult to find,” Coppolella said. “We believe in the talent and the person.”

Burrows, who signed for $450,000, mixes a low-90s fastball and a hard slider with a deceptive delivery from the first-base side of the rubber. He recorded a 2.55 ERA and six saves in 20 outings at short-season Everett in 2016. He held lefthanded batters to a .111 average.

“Our amateur scouts liked him and feel like he can pitch at the end of the game,” Coppolella said. “He has a bulldog makeup.”

WIGWAM WISPS

• Alex Jackson, whom Atlanta acquired from the Mariners in November, will give catching a shot at the Braves’ recommendation. The sixth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Jackson has a strong arm and played the position in high school.

• The Braves traded for 26-year-old second baseman/outfielder Micah Johnson in January after the Dodgers designated him for assignment. He hit .261/.321/.356 with 26 stolen bases in 120 games at Triple-A Oklahoma City last season.

— Bill Ballew is a writer based in North Carolina