It was clear throughout the offseason that the Atlanta Braves were looking closely at their pitching staff. The Braves were finalists for a Garrett Crochet trade and were linked, to varying degrees, to different arms throughout the winter. Despite all of the chatter, the closest Atlanta came to adding an impact arm was their failed deal with Jeff Hoffman.
Part of the Braves' decision calculus when it came to changes to their pitching staff this offseason was whether any given option was as good as their existing internal options. The team seems to be very high on Grant Holmes as a rotation option and then there is the presence of Ian Anderson who is looking to reclaim his roster spot after putting his arm surgery behind him.
The Braves made their bet and decided against any major additions, but that decision may come back to bite them as Anderson struggled in his first spring training appearance.
Ian Anderson's early spring struggles not ideal development for Braves' pitching plans
Obviously no one should draw too many conclusions from any player's first spring training appearance. Staying healthy and getting one's reps in is the most important thing and it does appear as though Anderson's health is in a good place even if the results weren't amazing.
Still, Anderson's struggles shouldn't be completely glossed over. Before his arm injury, Anderson's issues (in simplistic terms) were that he didn't miss enough bats and struggled to find the strike zone when he needed to. Walking three batters in less than two innings of work and already pitching under duress is going to do little to quell those lingering concerns even if it was just early spring rust.
With Holmes' spring debut also not exactly wowing anyone, the Braves' rotation strategy is very much up for debate at this point. The team could still swing a surprise trade for a guy like Dylan Cease or even Jordan Montgomery depending on how the stars align. However, the early results are in and the two guys that were circled as the top competition for the last spot(s) in the rotation aren't off to a great start.