Last Winter’s trade market happened 7 months ago… and represents an eternity on the Atlanta Braves roster.
It’s frankly pretty amazing that the Atlanta Braves are in 1st place given how the 2019 season has progressed thus far.
Just think back half a year and recognize how this club seemed like it was going to be put together on the pitching side:
ROTATION
- 1 – Mike Foltynewicz
- 2 – Kevin Gausman
- 3 – Sean Newcomb
- 4 – Mike Soroka (we hoped his shoulder would be okay)
BULLPEN
- CLOSER 1a – Arodys Vizcaino
- CLOSER 1b – A.J. Minter
- SETUP – Darren O’Day
- SETUP – Jesse Biddle
- FIREMAN – Daniel Winkler
Funny how things have changed.
At the moment, it’s the rotation that’s blown up over the past few weeks. As of this morning, it looks like this:
- 1 – Dallas Keuchel
- 2 – Mike Soroka (we hope his forearm will be okay)
- 3 – Julio Teheran
- 4 – Max Fried
- 5 – Josh Tomlin, perhaps?
Fred rolled through a few minor league options for that 5th spot when he discussed Foltynewicz and his difficulties.
Here’s a few more options… that the Braves will have to reach much deeper to consider using:
- Tucker Davidson. 1.61 Southern League (AA) ERA, which leads the entire league. 13 starts, 67 innings pitched. 72 strikeouts and a 1.21 WHIP.
- The drawback here is his control: 32 walks in those 67 innings.
- However, in his last several starts, the walk totals are coming down: 12 in his last 37.1` innings.
- Ian Anderson. 3.20 ERA for Mississippi. Almost 79 innings, 15 starts, 99 K, 41BB, 1.28 WHIP.
- Kyle Muller. Virtually the same numbers as Anderson: few more walks, few less strikeouts.
- Jasseel De La Cruz. Not likely given that he’s already been rocketing through the system this year, but his control is a notch better than the above pitchers while maintaining similar numbers at the AA level.
Taking a AA pitcher – even for a temporary starting role – isn’t unprecedented at all, but it’s still a challenge, particularly since it might very well come in Wrigley Field against the Cubs.
Such a choice would also come with the inconvenient truth that none of those youngsters have yet been added to the 40-man roster. That would simply complicate matters all the more, and thus is probably not under serious consideration.
Snit says the #Braves are still discussing who will take Folty's spot in the rotation, but Sean Newcomb is likely to return to his role in the bullpen when his time on the IL is up this week.
— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) June 23, 2019
The reason they are ‘still discussing’ this probably involves the lack of an obvious choice at the AAA level.
The short-term decision could come down to the choice of someone already on the 40-man roster, like Josh Tomlin after his stellar relief outing on Sunday, or one of those AAA choices in Kolby Allard, Kyle Wright or Bryse Wilson.
Tomlin’s 4 innings of 1 hit, no walk, no run relief to rescue Soroka almost certainly brought his name into the conversation, though he’d have to be ‘piggybacked’ since he’s not stretched out.
Regardless of the choice, the inability of Newcomb, Gausman and Foltynewicz to nail down their own rotation slots is definitely leading to conversations between the field and Front Office leadership that neither side wanted to have.
More Trade Urgency
The other possibility is one that probably can’t be sorted out soon: a trade.
While this has already been argued for recently, the chances of seeing the Atlanta Braves look for a starting pitcher from among their 29 peers has just taken a large jump upward.
There have already been arguments we’ve made on this topic – for and against – during the late Spring, but now the “pro trade” side just gained some serious momentum.
It’s almost ‘trade season’ now, but not quite, and there’s the rub: thus, how will the Braves patch this rotation together for what could be another 2…3… 4 weeks?
So large question are looming with few apparent answers at this point.
If nothing else, it’s at least nice to be asking these questions from this perch at the top of the division.