2025 Spring Training Thread

bravesfanMatt said:
Soroka was such an easy call. Can’t believe a team needing starting and pen help didn’t roll a 10 million gamble on a former ace working his way back. Dude didn’t forget how to pitch. Just had to get everything right.

But I guess those who thought Murphy was the best player in that disaster also didn’t think soroka was worth it either.
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When was Soroka an ace again?
 
thewupk said:
When was Soroka an ace again?
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Semantics. He had 3 pitches that were well above average and minor league pedigree and 150+ mlb innings that showed he could control and command those pitches. If you are suggesting he was anything less than an emerging star then I don’t know what to do to help you.
 
bravesfanMatt said:
Semantics. He had 3 pitches that were well above average and minor league pedigree and 150+ mlb innings that showed he could control and command those pitches. If you are suggesting he was anything less than an emerging star then I don’t know what to do to help you.
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Dude was a 4 WAR pitcher at 21. He was absolutely an emerging stud and it's such Braves luck his Achilles did what it did.
 
He's pitched more than 80 innings and put up more than 1.0 fWAR once. That was 6 years ago. I'll believe he's primed for a big season when I see it.
 
You are, of course, assuming that Soroka wanted to come back to the team that gave up on him.

It is not realistic to assume that every player would have signed with the Braves for whatever they got from another team.
 
bravesfanMatt said:
Semantics. He had 3 pitches that were well above average and minor league pedigree and 150+ mlb innings that showed he could control and command those pitches. If you are suggesting he was anything less than an emerging star then I don’t know what to do to help you.
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Pitchers are pitchers man. You need a track record of good results to be classified anything close to an ace.

2019 was great but he had a 3.45 FIP with a 280 BABIP that caused his era to look better than it was. It was a relly good season especially for his age. But that doesn't make him an ace. That happened also a lifetime ago.
 
msstate7 said:
He's pitched more than 80 innings and put up more than 1.0 fWAR once. That was 6 years ago. I'll believe he's primed for a big season when I see it.
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I don't get what you are saying..

He had only one full season before he blew the leg out (twice).. he posted 6.1 bWar (better than any Max Fried season) and 4 fWar (better than all but 1 of Fried's seasons)

He wasn't a surprise either. was a top 30 prospect coming out and dominated the minors.

No he was never an ace, but everyone here knows if he stayed healthy was going to be something resembling one. Injuries derailed that like they do for a lot of pitchers unfortunately. But he is still young and he didn't just forget how to pitch.

are you saying you would rather watch Waldrep/AJSS/Anderson/Elder/Holmes pitch every 5th day over giving Soroka another shot.. if nothing else, his stuff played up in the pen and all of his inputs showed the pen results were not a fluke.. a high leverage reliever is worth one year 10 million. Its not like I am saying sign him to an Olson/Murphy extension ..
 
bravesfanMatt said:
I don't get what you are saying..

He had only one full season before he blew the leg out (twice).. he posted 6.1 bWar (better than any Max Fried season) and 4 fWar (better than all but 1 of Fried's seasons)

He wasn't a surprise either. was a top 30 prospect coming out and dominated the minors.

No he was never an ace, but everyone here knows if he stayed healthy was going to be something resembling one. Injuries derailed that like they do for a lot of pitchers unfortunately. But he is still young and he didn't just forget how to pitch.

are you saying you would rather watch Waldrep/AJSS/Anderson/Elder/Holmes pitch every 5th day over giving Soroka another shot.. if nothing else, his stuff played up in the pen and all of his inputs showed the pen results were not a fluke.. a high leverage reliever is worth one year 10 million. Its not like I am saying sign him to an Olson/Murphy extension ..
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So which is it. Sign him for the pen or make him the 5th starter? Because he sucked ass as a starter last year.
 
mfree80 said:
You are, of course, assuming that Soroka wanted to come back to the team that gave up on him.

It is not realistic to assume that every player would have signed with the Braves for whatever they got from another team.
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this is 100% true. But I assume no offer was made, since there were no reports linked to him... but that doesn't mean his agent didn't tell AA to hit the road, he doesn't want to come back to the Braves.. So I only have my assumptions... which is what every message board poster has..
 
bravesfanMatt said:
I don't get what you are saying..

He had only one full season before he blew the leg out (twice).. he posted 6.1 bWar (better than any Max Fried season) and 4 fWar (better than all but 1 of Fried's seasons)

He wasn't a surprise either. was a top 30 prospect coming out and dominated the minors.

No he was never an ace, but everyone here knows if he stayed healthy was going to be something resembling one. Injuries derailed that like they do for a lot of pitchers unfortunately. But he is still young and he didn't just forget how to pitch.

are you saying you would rather watch Waldrep/AJSS/Anderson/Elder/Holmes pitch every 5th day over giving Soroka another shot.. if nothing else, his stuff played up in the pen and all of his inputs showed the pen results were not a fluke.. a high leverage reliever is worth one year 10 million. Its not like I am saying sign him to an Olson/Murphy extension ..
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I'm saying the only guy I have less confidence in finishing a season than sale is him. Again, 6 seasons ago he put up a good season. Hell, folty put up 3.8 fWAR 7 seasons ago. I hope soroka has a great season minus his braves' starts, but I find it crazy to think he will put up his 2019 season ever again. Not impossible, but highly unlikely.
 
thewupk said:
So which is it. Sign him for the pen or make him the 5th starter? Because he sucked ass as a starter last year.
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isn't that what spring training is for. I would have signed him for a starter and said that if that doesn't look like it is working, we will transition you to the pen. Is that not what the Braves did with Lopez?
 
bravesfanMatt said:
isn't that what spring training is for. I would have signed him for a starter and said that if that doesn't look like it is working, we will transition you to the pen. Is that not what the Braves did with Lopez?
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How did soroka's stuff compare with Lopez's last season? I really have no idea
 
msstate7 said:
I'm saying the only guy I have less confidence in finishing a season than sale is him. Again, 6 seasons ago he put up a good season. Hell, folty put up 3.8 fWAR 7 seasons ago. I hope soroka has a great season minus his braves' starts, but I find it crazy to think he will put up his 2019 season ever again. Not impossible, but highly unlikely.
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He has been healthy for the last 3 years outside of some minor arm/shoulder fatigue (which should be expected not pitching for 3+ years). If he was signed, I would expect 2019 again either.. just be better than the crap **** the Braves are going to roll out there right now.
 
msstate7 said:
How did soroka's stuff compare with Lopez's last season? I really have no idea
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good question.. I will check after my wife's eye procedure. I can't do savant on my phone. but SSS from the pen, his stuff rated really good. 3+ pitches that all rated above average again..with his 4 seamer being better than ever before due to increased velo.... this is off memory of course.
 
bravesfanMatt said:
good question.. I will check after my wife's eye procedure. I can't do savant on my phone. but SSS from the pen, his stuff rated really good. 3+ pitches that all rated above average again..with his 4 seamer being better than ever before due to increased velo.... this is off memory of course.
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Probably the better question is how does his stuff last season compare with Holmes? I feel Holmes is the starter/pen guy at this point, not Lopez
 
I love Soroka, but there's a reason he went to a team with no post season aspirations.

Braves are in a position where we cut valuable depth from the team to save money. Given that context, it wouldn't make sense to spend that much money on a flier where there's no long term upside if he hits because he's going to be a free agent again next year.
 
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