With the Atlanta Braves' pre-existing injury concerns as well as the untimely injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep, the rotation competition down at camp had renewed importance. All of a sudden, questions about Bryce Elder's lack of minor league options and Grant Holmes' load management were secondary. Atlanta just needed arms they could trust and fast.
That has led to a lot of potential outcomes. Lucas Giolito has been a popular replacement option among the external candidates, with JR Ritchie, Didier Fuentes, Martin Perez, and Carlos Carrasco all seeing their odds go up as well.
Those same rotation options just got another boost on Wednesday with the Braves' latest round of spring training roster cuts that saw them send Owen Murphy and Garrett Baumann back to minor league camp.
The #Braves today optioned RHP Rolddy Muñoz to Triple-A Gwinnett, and reassigned RHPs Garrett Baumann and Owen Murphy to minor league camp. Atlanta now has 59 active players in camp.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) March 4, 2026
Braves make another round of roster cuts, and now the rotation competition is taking shape
Now, Murphy and Baumann were not favorites for rotation spots right out of camp. There was certainly some buzz around Murphy coming into camp, and his odds weren't zero, but most thought that he needed more seasoning in the minors than guys like Ritchie. Baumann has real helium as a pitching prospect, but few thought he would make the team out of camp. Muñoz is an intriguing relief option, but not a factor as a starter option right now.
However, what these moves do is provide some clarity. Atlanta still has a lot of arms in camp, and that means they have a lot of innings to spread around during their search. Those innings will only get more precious as camp goes on and the starters need to go deeper and deeper as they ramp up. By opting to pass on Murphy and Baumann for now, the real candidates can start getting longer looks against better competition as time goes on.
Where that competition ends up is hard to handicap. The Braves certainly care about preserving minor league options and keeping guys who are out of them, but the best version of their rotation could easily include the younger guys and make keeping some vets a lot tougher. However, Atlanta isn't in a position to be cute with their roster. They need to focus on who gives them the best chance to win, and now we have a better idea of who is in play.