Lost and Found: Braves Prospect Juan Jaime
Editor’s note: Lost and Found is an offseason series in which one underrated prospect from each of the 30 MLB clubs will be discussed in a short, snappy post.
Lost: Originally signed by the Nationals as a 17-year-old out of his native Dominican Republic, Juan Jaime pitched in a combined 42 games over his first four seasons as a pro. Then he missed all of the 2010 and 2011 campaigns due to ligament-replacement surgery in his right (throwing) elbow.
Found: Jaime pitched in exactly 42 more games — all in 2012. And he was good in most of them.
2012: 3.16 ERA — 18 SV — 51 1/3 IP — 73-33 K-BB — .173 OPP .AVG at Class A Advanced Lynchburg
So Jaime was lost, now he is found. Now, about the Braves’ returns: First, you may be wondering why a pitcher who couldn’t stay healthy for six years still had a job to go. This should answer that: Jaime can throw his fastball 100 mph. Can being the operative word. He has to be healthy to prove what he is capable of. He was just that in ’12, even if it was during his age-25 season facing Carolina League hitters three and four years younger than him. And as you can as see from his relatively high walk total, he still has some developing to do. The Braves appear willing to let him, having added him to their 40-man roster this week to avoid making him a Minor League free agent. Now his organization’s No. 18 prospect, Jaime will begin ’13 at Double-A Mississippi but could move to Triple-A Gwinnett quickly should he prove healthy and effective. If he is both of those things going forward, Washington may regret giving up on what appears to be the second coming of their own Henry Rodriguez, as Jaime could be a late-inning option in Atlanta by the latter half of next season at the earliest.
