Spring has Sprung

Take Holt out all consideration. He's signing with Brewers.

From MLBTR

The Brewers have agreed to a deal with infielder Brock Holt, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). If the physical checks out, Holt will be a late addition to a Milwaukee roster that has already seen multiple infield acquisitions.
 
Would we even have a spot for him anyway?


I’m really worried about this Neck situation. Unless someone is traded, I don’t see how he plays much...I would rather have a Ender/Duvall platoon all day long. I like Neck, but he just doesn’t fit anymore except off the bench (which he would be great)....Snit will never see that.
 
TheBravos said:
Would we even have a spot for him anyway?


I’m really worried about this Neck situation. Unless someone is traded, I don’t see how he plays much...I would rather have a Ender/Duvall platoon all day long. I like Neck, but he just doesn’t fit anymore except off the bench (which he would be great)....Snit will never see that.
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There is a last bench spot that currently looks to be a competition between Culberson and Solarte.

Muk will get some playing time. I think initially we'll see a 3-way time share between him, Ender and Duvall. Ozuna will get the odd day off. And then there will be an injury or two. Last season Muk and Ender missed chunks of the season. Depth is a good thing and playing time will sort itself out.
 
Solarte is probably our only hope coming out of ST for a reliable righty-hitting 3B option. But since he can't play SS, I doubt he wins a job over Culberson.
 
Nerfherders said:
Solarte is probably our only hope coming out of ST for a reliable righty-hitting 3B option. But since he can't play SS, I doubt he wins a job over Culberson.
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Hech is our backup shortstop. The competition between Culberson and Solarte should turn on who can provide more as a bench bat and possible platoon third baseman.
 
Nerfherders said:
Solarte is probably our only hope coming out of ST for a reliable righty-hitting 3B option. But since he can't play SS, I doubt he wins a job over Culberson.
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We have 26 spots. Do we know if they are going 13 pitchers and 13 postionals, or 12 and 14? Under Fangraphs's depth chart, it currently has us with 13 and 13, but Tomlin is one of those spots. I'd like to think we'd go 12 and 14. And if that's the case, we could carry both Culberson and Solarte.
 
Considering the Braves went with 13 pitchers almost exclusively last year, they start the season with 7 straight games, and can no longer send pitchers on 10 day vacations....

I’m going to make a wild guess and predict they go with 13 pitchers.
 
nsacpi said:
There is a last bench spot that currently looks to be a competition between Culberson and Solarte.

Muk will get some playing time. I think initially we'll see a 3-way time share between him, Ender and Duvall. Ozuna will get the odd day off. And then there will be an injury or two. Last season Muk and Ender missed chunks of the season. Depth is a good thing and playing time will sort itself out.
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Sure...if Snit wasn’t involved. Neck has missed very little time ever except for a freak injury. Ender will probably not miss anytime this year either. I get what you saying, but there is no room Neck (with everyone healthy)...besides a bench role which he would be great if that’s the case.

Again...Snit won’t do that.
 
Enscheff said:
Considering the Braves went with 13 pitchers almost exclusively last year, they start the season with 7 straight games, and can no longer send pitchers on 10 day vacations....

I’m going to make a wild guess and predict they go with 13 pitchers.
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I believe the new rules limit the number of pitchers to a max of 13. There are some rules pertaining to the use of position players as pitchers too.
So yes. I think the the Braves will carry 13 pitchers.
 
Nice Blurb about Fried's slider...

The Pitches We Can't Wait To See In 2020

Max Fried, Braves
Pitch type: Slider

A talented southpaw with a mid-90s fastball and a jaw-dropping, waterfall curve added a slider as a potent third pitch. Yes, that’s Clayton Kershaw’s famous career arc. But it could be Fried’s, too.

Obviously that’s way too much pressure to put on Atlanta’s young lefty, but it’s hard not to watch his biting, back-foot slider and not think of the Dodgers legend. Fried trusted that slider more and more as the season progressed, spiking its usage to a season-high 22% by September. It carried about 10 mph of separation from his four-seamer and cutter, and more important, moved a ton. More than 330 pitchers qualified for the Statcast movement leaderboard on sliders, and Fried tied for 14th in movement going east-west (horizontal) and 34th going north-south (vertical).

Fried’s slider was his best offering by wOBA, finishing at .240, and he struck out 46 hitters with it while surrendering just three home runs. He was one of MLB’s hardest starters to barrel up in 2019, and this tantalizing third pitch could elevate Fried to the top of the Braves’ staff.


https://www.mlb.com/news/the-most-eagerly-anticipated-pitches-of-the-2020-season
 
The Chosen One said:
If Fried becomes elite, we won't be able to afford him anyways.

So enjoy his youth and development.
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I completely understand the hesitancy when it comes to young arms, but I'm not so sure I wouldn't be willing to roll the dice and try to get Max and Soroka to sign extensions like the one the Rays gave Archer to try and control their first two free-agent years. If they landed mega-deals after that point I'd be OK with letting them walk. I just think we've seen enough out of each to this point to warrant the risk.
 
Fried did one of the things that can completely change a career arc, he developed another elite pitch relatively late. It's the kind of development that's extremely hard to predict and one that can turn a guy destined for a career as a marginal starter or else a pen piece into a TOR talent.

Didn't Strasburg develop a pitch late as well?
 
clvclv said:
I completely understand the hesitancy when it comes to young arms, but I'm not so sure I wouldn't be willing to roll the dice and try to get Max and Soroka to sign extensions like the one the Rays gave Archer to try and control their first two free-agent years. If they landed mega-deals after that point I'd be OK with letting them walk. I just think we've seen enough out of each to this point to warrant the risk.
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Isn't Boras Fried's agent
 
Thanks for that info CLV. I think I'd set a rule in my head as a GM to never extend a pitcher on their rookie contract. For sure it would come back to bite me occasionally, but it just seems too risky. I always think back to one of my favorite Braves ever, Steve Avery when I think of what can easily happen.
 
Fried will be a FA at 31, i think we'll likely control his best years. Soroka though, i'd try to extend and i'm wary on extending pitchers, he's still super young.
 
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