Let’s see if I’ve figured out how this thing works. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how well the Braves’ offseason was going. That newsletter was published on Jan. 10. I then spent a portion of Jan. 11 writing about how recently re-signed Ha-Seong Kim would be sidelined until at least mid-May with a finger injury he suffered when he slipped on a patch of ice. So, if I were to use this week’s newsletter to focus on the fact the Braves still haven’t added a frontline starting pitcher, then we could assume that they will sign Framber Valdez tomorrow, right? Or Chris Bassitt? Or Zac Gallen? I mean if we have the power to jinx a no-hitter, then we also have the ability to use reverse psychology to create the acquisition of somebody capable of throwing a no-no, no? Spring Training is right around the corner. Pitchers and catchers will stage their first workout in North Port on Feb. 10. So, if you’re like former reliever Antonio Alfonseca, you can already use your two hands to count how many days we are away from the start of camp. Or, if you weren’t blessed with six digits on both hands, you can just wait until Monday to begin the 10-finger countdown. For now, you can just critique these thoughts about the Braves’ rotation: 1. When the Braves signed Martín Pérez to a Minor League deal on Friday, they didn’t end their pursuit of a top starter. They simply confirmed they are doing whatever is necessary to prevent what happened last year, when they literally ran out of Spring Training options. Pérez, Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz and Hurston Waldrep will all be deemed rotation candidates when Spring Training begins. That’s a lot of solid depth options. But when you have health-related questions about No. 4 starter Reynaldo López (coming back from shoulder surgery) and No. 5 starter Grant Holmes (elbow), then that depth can quickly fade. |
We also must account for the fact that Pérez, Elder, Wentz and Holmes are all out of options. This could deplete some depth. But for now, it likely just leads the team to determine which of these pitchers could be an asset in the bullpen. Waldrep might end up being the most valuable of the “fifth-starter” candidates by the end of the season. But if he becomes a lasting part of the rotation within the season’s first month to six weeks, then something disastrous will have already happened to this depth president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has built this winter. 2. As we near the start of Spring Training, we’re hearing about how Valdez might be willing to take a short-term deal. You’d have to think Gallen’s demands are lessening. And Bassitt has always seemed to be a decent short-term option. Knowing that they could soon become more attractive to teams that miss on Valdez or Gallen, Bassitt and Lucas Giolito may not make their decisions until the aforementioned starters sign. Regardless, it’s in everyone’s best interest to get a deal done at some point next week. Be leery of any pitcher who joins a team during Spring Training. Too often, it feels like some kind of problem is around the corner. |
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3. I’d say Bassitt, Gallen and Giolito seem to be the most likely fits for the Braves. Because Gallen declined the D-backs’ qualifying offer, the Braves would lose the 26th overall pick in this summer’s MLB Draft and the bonus pool money attached to this pick. Losing that specific pick might not be that bad. Losing the money that could help you with multiple picks during the Draft would be the bigger loss. Bassitt is 37, but he’s made 30-plus starts each of the past four seasons. He didn’t make any postseason starts for the Blue Jays, but he had a 3.23 ERA over the final nine starts he made for the World Series champs. If he could duplicate what he did this past year for Toronto (170 1/3 innings and 3.96 ERA) he would give the Braves exactly what they need, as long as Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider stay healthy. Yeah, it would be nice to add a top-flight starter. But as long as Sale, Schwellenbach and Strider get through September in one piece, the Braves would enter the postseason feeling really good about their rotation matchups. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Who owns the Braves’ record for most 30-save seasons? A. John Smoltz B. Raisel Iglesias C. Gene Garber D. Craig Kimbrel |
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ACUÑA TO PLAY FOR VENEZUELA |
Ronald Acuña Jr. will play for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, which will be conducted in March. Acuña’s only previous Classic appearance occurred in 2023, which of course ended up being quite a year for him. I’ve already told you that I’m going to end up predicting a 30-30 season for Michael Harris II. Would that be crazier than predicting Acuña will have a 40-40 season with two surgically repaired knees? |
Earlier this week, I wrote my thoughts about the Braves’ lineup construction. We’ve had a pretty good feel since December that Acuña will be back in the leadoff spot. But we don’t know exactly who manager Walt Weiss might put in the second spot. In Wednesday’s story, I wondered whether it would be wise to put Matt Olson or Austin Riley back in that spot. Without multiple big power sources behind them, would their speed, or lack thereof, lead to too much station-to-station ball? Here is my apology. Riley’s 28.2 ft./sec. sprint speed ranked second among all everyday Braves players (min. 100 attempts) last year. He’s got good hands and runs well for his size. Wait, that’s the scouting report for the tight end the previous Falcons regime took with the fourth overall pick a few years ago. Oops, I think that warrants another apology. |
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D. Kimbrel Kimbrel has four and Smoltz tallied three. Iglesias and Mark Wohlers are the only others with at least two such seasons. |
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