Aside from Ha-Seong Kim's needing unexpected finger surgery, this offseason has mostly gone to plan for the Atlanta Braves. They added multiple players that can play shortstop which worked out pretty well for Mauricio Dubon, multiple impact relievers, and plenty of the usual fringe waiver claims and minor league signings. However, somewhat curiously, the rotation has remained largely untouched.
The Braves have certainly tried to add arms that they like. Tatsuya Imai was surprisingly in play until near the end of his posting window and Atlanta is still connected to a possible Freddy Peralta trade. However, most of their preferred targets went elsewhere and the odds that Atlanta can close the deal for Peralta with as many suitors as the Brewers have feel low.
Right now, it feels more and more likely that the Braves have done the work they plan to do and that plays right into pitching prospect JR Ritchie's hands and have given his MLB roster chances a healthy boost.
JR Ritchie may end up being the biggest beneficiary of Braves' offseason machinations
Right now, the Braves' rotation consists of Chris Sale (older, previous injury issues), Spencer Strider (previous injury issues), Spencer Schwellenbach (coming off major injury), Grant Holmes (may still be hurt, rehabbing currently), Reynaldo Lopez (may still be hurt, rehabbing currently), and Hurston Waldrep (previously inconsistent, coming off strong rookie year). At first glance, that makes it appear as though Atlanta could field a six-man rotation if they wanted to and still not promote Ritchie to the big leagues immediately.
However, looks are deceiving here. There is a strong argument to at least start one or both of Holmes and Lopez in the bullpen at the start of the season to ease them back in after pretty significant injury issues. Giving Sale breaks early in the season may be the smart play at this stage of his career and we don't know how Schwellenbach will look after breaking his elbow. There is a reason why the Braves have been looking for another starter and Ritchie, as a near-ready starter who has performed well everywhere, looks like a prime candidate.
There are a lot of factors Atlanta is going to consider beyond the current core's issues, however. The Braves may not want to start Ritchie's service time clock just yet with so many arms available to them at the moment. They also have to consider the option status of other players on the roster which means making a decision on the zero-options-remaining Bryce Elder. That is a lot of moving parts, but you can still expect Ritchie to be in the conversation assuming the Braves don't add another starter.