Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: This Site is NOT Called TomahawkTank!
Aug 12, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Shelby Miller (17) looks on in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Tipsheet: Tanking Braves shop Shelby Miller
For about two months, former Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller was a Cy Young Award candidate down in Atlanta.
He was 3-1 with a 2.17 earned-run average in five starts for the Braves in April. He was 2-1 with a 0.95 ERA in five starts in May.
And then he didn’t win again until he threw eight shutout innings in October. His ghastly 6-17 mark — despite his sterling 3.02 ERA and 171 strikeouts — was the result of non-support from his hapless teammates.
Now he may be moving on again, since the Braves have adopted the full-tanking philosophy that the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros used to rebuild their talent bases. They are willing to lose on purpose next year while gearing up for better days in their new suburban ballpark, which is currently under construction.
This is the Next New Thing on Our National Pastime, the easy way out for general managers who can’t figure out how to win AND retool, as the Cardinals have managed to do under GM John Mozeliak.
Next: Maybin Bids Farewell to Fans
[ Ed. note: I guess nobody believes Coppy when he says “we’re not tanking”, eh? As hinted on the previous page, the Braves still do have a chance to compete strongly in 2016 – if they can find a way to pry a catcher and third baseman away from … somebody. It is unfortunate that neither is available via free agency, and the idea of running A.J. Pierzynski out there for 130 games at his age is just a fantasy.
So as we’re hearing it, the Cubs/Dodgers/Giants – at a minimum – are all interested in Shelby Miller. I would be shocked if that was the complete list, as the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, and many more could also use his services. Yes – it is more likely than not that he’ll not be a Brave after the first week of December.
But hopefully a bidding war ensues to give Atlanta a heckuva return. And that would not be construed as tanking… that’s just smart business sense. ]