The Braves let All-Star lefty Max Fried and ageless wonder Charlie Morton walk as free agents after last season. They didn’t add another starter for this season. The way Braves president Alex Anthopoulos saw it, four of the team’s starters were “locked in.” He saw no need for another one unless they were significantly better than what the team’s bottom of rotation candidates could provide.
“And if you have seven guys, and all of the sudden they happen to be ready opening day, what are you doing with the other two?” Anthopoulos said in February.
My answer to that question: Figure it out. Put the five best pitchers in the rotation and have the other two on standby. That would seem prudent for the Braves given the precarious state of their rotation. Injury histories and inexperience mean there are a wide range of outcomes for that group.
Sure enough, one of those “locked in” starters, Reynaldo López, already is on the injured list. He’s scheduled for an arthroscopic procedure to determine the extent of the damage in his shoulder.
“He’s going to get ‘scoped’ next week and then we’ll know what the treatment play will be and get a better idea once (surgeons) get in there and see what’s going on,” manager Brian Snitker said before the Braves played the Dodgers on Tuesday night.
Elbow problems aren’t such a big deal for pitchers nowadays. Shoulder issues are another matter. The best-case scenario for López is he’ll avoid surgery, shut down for a period and then work his way back into the rotation. The worst case is he’s done for the season. In that case the Braves would be down to just three locked in starters once Spencer Strider returns from elbow surgery.
Is there a chance López will pitch again this season?
“That’s what we’re hoping,” Snitker said.
Well, that’s not reassuring. López’s shoulder issues aren’t coming out of nowhere. He had IL stints in August and September because of discomfort. López’s 135 2/3 innings were his most in a season since 2019. The Braves found chances to give López extra rest as he transitioned from the bullpen, but he still got hurt. His health was one of many risk factors for Atlanta’s rotation coming into the season.
Strider was never expected to be ready for opening day after underdoing elbow surgery a year ago. Chris Sale was great at 35 years old but even great pitchers fall off eventually. Spencer Schwellenbach had a fantastic debut season, but can he be effective again in Year 2? Grant Holmes spent 10 years in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut last season (the Dodgers knocked him for four runs in four innings on Monday).
No MLB team can fill every hole except maybe the Dodgers, who are overflowing with expensive talent. But the Braves were supposed to have more. Anthopoulos said after last season that the team’s payroll would be higher to begin 2025 than it was to begin 2024. Instead, it was about $11 million less.
At this point, it doesn’t matter whether that’s because the Braves are trying to avoid paying the luxury tax for a third straight year or because Anthopoulos has never found a deal he likes. The bottom line is the Braves are short on quality starting pitchers. The same thing might be true for the bullpen.
The Braves acquired no comparable replacements for quality relievers A.J. Minter (signed with Mets for $11 million) and Joe Jiménez (likely out for season after knee surgery). They signed declining veteran Hector Neris in March. He pitched the seventh inning of a tie game on opening day and gave up three runs. The Braves designated Neris for assignment after he allowed two runs in his second outing.
I still believe the Braves will sort out their bullpen because they always do. The outlook is murkier for the rotation. They’ll turn to young pitchers to fill the holes. If it works out, then it won’t matter as much that Fried (Yankees) and Morton (Orioles) are pitching elsewhere.
The candidates aren’t inspiring, though. Bryce Elder compiled a 6.52 ERA over 10 starts last season. Prospect Hurston Waldrep couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning in his two MLB starts.
“We’re just going to have to mix and match,” Snitker said. “Hopefully Bryce comes in (Wednesday) and does a great job. That’s kind of who we’re going to go with right now.”
Maybe Anthopoulos can figure out a way to provide Snitker better options. The 80-game PED suspension for outfielder Jurickson Profar is a big blow, but it does reduce the payroll. The Braves will only have to pay Profar about half of his $12 million salary this season. They can add money to the ledger and still avoid the tax.
In the meantime, Strider’s return will be sort of like acquiring a player because he hasn’t pitched in an official game since April 5, 2024. The Braves will have a strong rotation one through three if Strider still is a strikeout machine, if Sale stays healthy and pitches close to his 2024 form and if Schwellenbach is the real deal.
With López on the shelf, the Braves will have no locked in starters beyond those three. They could use seven guys right about now.
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