Atlanta Braves Take 5: More Questions for 2017

Q3:  Who Steps Up onto the Mound?

I alluded to this earlier.  That logjam of pitchers.

Heck, the Braves have traded 5 pitchers (Gant, Ellis, Feigl, Jenkins, and Alberto Rodriguez), released one (Williams Perez), and allowed one to depart via the non-tender route (Chris Withrow)… all that in December alone… and there’s still a glut of pitching (Povse and Whalen went in November).

Collmenter, Foltynewicz, Wisler, Newcomb, Blair, Sims, and perhaps a couple of others will be fighting for that last rotation spot for April.

But after that decision is made, who is most likely to step up at AA or AAA and push out another pitcher in this “ladder” competition?

Those above will be the ones to watch, but the “next tier” could be brought to AA (or higher) to see how they fare.  This group could include Max Fried, Mike Soroka, and Patrick Weigel.

John Coppolella has noted that these guys could be ripe for quick movement if they meet the tests they are about to face.  Weigel is 22½, Fried nearly 23, and Soroka just 19, but already posted a 3.02 ERA in his full season at Rome.

That leads us directly to the next question…