Why did the Atlanta Braves sign Drew Smyly?

You Gotta Start Someplace

There’s a number of directions we can go here, but first, know these things:

• Nobody threw more than 86 innings for the Braves in 2020 (counting the post-season).
• Eliminating Max Fried, nobody threw more than 51 innings counting post-season play.
• The Braves were forced to use 14 different starters in just 60 games.
• Ramping back up to anything resembling a 200-inning level may be difficult — if not outright unhealthy — for most of the returning staff next season.

The Atlanta Braves need extra arms:  Smyly is merely the first one.

While rotation projections have been made over the last 24 hours that include Soroka/Fried/Anderson/Smyly/Wright (in some order), there’s a clear problem with that list… Soroka probably won’t be available to start the season on time and Wright still may or may not be able to be counted upon.

So with all of that taken together, it could require up to two additional pitchers for the Braves to enter the 2021 campaign.

That’s why you go out quickly and get Smyly.  That’s also why you ‘overpay’ for him — because you need a quick answer and a quick result.

With Smyly, it isn’t going to be about the quality so much (though we’ll talk about that shortly) as it is his availability.

The Braves aren’t done here:  they may now try and land a low-cost veteran — like they tried with Felix Hernandez last year.  But those guys are easy to find at any point.  The bigger deal could be had via trade… if they can convince a club to make a deal for a Blake Snell or a Joe Musgrove… somebody like that.

True enough — there are still some interesting free agents out there, too:  Jon Lester, Adam Wainwright, Corey Kluber, etc.  But do look for something “bigger” than Smyly to come now that they’ve broken the ice.

Now let’s get to those stats…