Atlanta Braves Podcast 29: where to go from here

The Atlanta Braves are still making changes.  That’s a good thing.

It is clear that the Atlanta Braves are not satisfied with the condition of their starting pitching.  This much isn’t exactly a state secret.

Tweaks are continuing to be made, and even in the 40-ish hours since we recorded this podcast, notable roster moves have been made:

• Tommy Milone:  a mysterious left-elbow inflammation (we actually heard about this just prior to the recording).
• Robbie Erlin:  designated for assignment with Sean Newcomb recalled.

These pitchers represent two of the more notable additions that were made in an effort to compensate in some manner for the loss — or underperformance — of so many starters this Summer.  Now both are done — not likely to return in 2020.

The podcast crew continued to talk about these guys and others that get the ball to start games… and there’s still some venting about the team’s inaction at the trade deadline.

Okay, there’s a lot of venting.

But these weren’t the only changes this week.  We also bade a fond farewell to Charlie Culberson and Johan Camargo.  There’s some real questions we have about whether they will be back with the team, too.

We also delved into the structure of the playoffs and the importance of winning the division.    The race is starting to tighten in the NL East as there are clubs making a push to get into the tournament.

Still, the trick is that there is a delineation of ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ developing among NL playoff contenders:

• Better teams:  Dodgers, Braves, Cubs, Padres, Phillies
• Others:  (some trio among) Marlins, Giants, Cardinals, Brewers, Rockies… maybe the Mets.

So to have a choice of opponents, it’s best to not only win the division, but also to win with a better record than … say, the Cubs.  You don’t really want to be in the position of having to play the Padres or Phillies in Round 1.

Then there’s all of the records set in the Braves epic 29-9 win over the Marlins… of course we had a few things to say about that.

So here is that podcast for you to absorb: we hope it at least adds a few more thoughts that you might not have considered about the state of the Braves.

The direct download link is available here if you prefer to listen in that manner. You can also find our efforts via iTunes, Spreaker, and a variety of other podcast outlets.

As always:  thanks for listening!