ixiXSolidXixi
Called Up to the Major Leagues
We need a starting pitcher since last year.
Official 2024 Off-Season Thread!
- Thread starter Hulavol
- Start date
Hudson2
Well-known member
I don’t get it. We needed a SP at the deadline last year and have the exact same rotation now as we did then. A couple of these guys are gonna miss time. I guess they like seeing Cheerios, Dodd, and Shuster pitching. We need another good starter period.
The difference was the division was all but wrapped up at the deadline. A starter wasn't really a priority when looking towards the playoffs. We had the benefit of letting those jokers getting starts. Brand new season and things are different.
Personally I'm just trying to work out all the different angles. We have money to spend this year and have like 60 million coming off the books next offseason and 7 positions locked up.
It appears to me the proper course for us is to either invest heavily in LF or SP. I think something like 7/195 for Yamamoto would be a worthwhile investment we could afford and would fit our time table perfectly.
I think the team should and will continue to be hesitant about giving out long term contracts to players in their 30's.
ixiXSolidXixi
Called Up to the Major Leagues
I think AA is looking for someone like Soler to play LF and take over DH from Ozuna. Probably a 3 year deal.
cajunrevenge
Well-known member
We didn't lose to the Phillies because we lacked SP. There was no one available who would have pitched good enough for us to win that series. Maybe we just need to be a worse team and stop caring about winning the most games before October.
I mean that is a fair point. Fried and Strider were scheduled to pitch 4 out of 5 games. If we can't win those games we're not winning the series.
Maybe not. Right now it's looking fairly bleak past Strider. If we don't trade Elder, he gives us a cheap 4th starter. That's 2 of 5 spots. I think you can likely figure Waldrep will be up by then. Obviously we can't predict he'll be a TOR type at this time, but he's a pretty special talent. AJSS looks like a mid rotation type. Maybe more if he can develop a 3rd pitch. That's potentially 4 of 5 spots or at least 3 of 5 spots before any FA additions from this off-season.
Plus there is a better than a decent chance that one of the injured guys between Wright, Soroka, Ynoa, and Anderson actually gets back to their previous form. And obviously there are still other guys on the farm who could surprise us like Elder did.
The young pitching makes us drool a little, and could be the solution to a lot of problems… but pitchers notoriously don’t all become what we hope.
They flame out at a high rate.
Nevertheless, we are fans, and will continue to believe that these guys will all be awesome.
They flame out at a high rate.
Nevertheless, we are fans, and will continue to believe that these guys will all be awesome.
Hudson2
Well-known member
When you are in your contention window you can’t hope that 2-3 of your starters are coming from the farm. What we have is fodder (Dodd, Shuster, Winans, Vines, Anderson, Soroka). Those guys can not be relied at all in a playoff series. They are fine for depth and spot starts here and there but when you are set up like we are you have to do more.
Hudson2
Well-known member
I get that. The offense completely $hit the bed. The Phillies did the same thing the last 3 games against the Dbacks. The offense as a whole doesn’t normally slump like it did and didn’t all year that’s why it’s now one of the best if not the best of all time. Pitching 99% of the time wins but that one time it didn’t. If Morton was healthy I still think we win that series. We were coming off a game we came back to win then Elder crapped the bed in game 3. If we had a better rotation he doesn’t pitch that game and who knows what happens. All I know is going into the season with a 40 year old and a guy with elbow problems is a fail if AA doesn’t get another good starter.
msstate7
Well-known member
I would think every team in mlb would be in trouble if 2/3 top starters were injured or just returning from injury.
Tapate50
Well-known member
-Quoted from every single GM in baseball
Hudson2
Well-known member
But if you know in the offseason that your 1 and 3 starters have health concerns then isn’t your job to correct that with a better starter to compensate for it? AA knows this and that’s why he’ll get another good starter with so many options available.
The Braves lost because the best offense of modern time didn’t show up for 3 games. AA built that offense and nothing in his control could have made them hit in those 3 particular games.
The Braves started Elder in a playoff game, and he was predictably terrible. That is something AA could have addressed, but didn’t. The Braves needed a SP at the deadline, and they need one now.
Deester11
Well-known member
Lmao...but yep.
Anderson and Soroka have proven to be quite a bit more than fodder in the past. A little too soon to write them off. I would agree they are question marks going forward, but they have a good bit more potential than the likes of Dodd and Shuster if they can remain healthy.
BabyElle
Danville Rookie
My guy, Riley, did okay. The rest of the team didn't.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/team/stats/_/name/atl/atlanta-braves
50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
Young pitching. You can't bet on it and you can't bet against it.
Front office and field staff has done a pretty good job of shielding guys. They have aggressively moved guys and appear to be alright with throwing guys in there who don't have a reliable third pitch. It's one of the changes in eras because that was rarely the case until the last decade or so. With teams using the bullpen earlier than in previous eras, you can protect younger pitchers and cobble things together over the season, but like Hudson2 says, that doesn't really fly in the post-season.
Someone is going to have to step up or they are going to need another solid mid-rotation guy. Maybe Elder takes the next step, but the analysis kind of points to him being who he is and what he will remain. Not a high ceiling there (at least in my estimation). If they get a solid #3, Morton and Elder each kick down a spot and you've got a really good rotation.