5 Atlanta Braves who don’t deserve to make the 40-man roster
By Tim Boyle
3) Why Ian Anderson doesn’t deserve a spot on the Braves 40-man roster
The Braves should not give up on Ian Anderson. They should make themselves open to trading him, though. Someone else could nibble and see potential in this once-promising young Braves starter.
Anderson has been on a bumpy road. He stunned in 6 starts for the team in 2020, pitched well in 2021 then became a World Series hero, and finally stunk up the joint in 2022. We’ve seen all sides of Anderson. If not for the risk of losing him on waivers, which the Braves most certainly would, he’d be off the 40-man roster by now.
Anderson’s 5.00 ERA performance last year was enough to demote him to the minors. He couldn’t figure it out there either. In those 4 starts in Triple-A, Anderson was only 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA. It’s a small yet unpromising result for a guy who once looked like he could be at the top of Atlanta’s rotation for many more years.
There doesn’t seem to be much room for Anderson on the 26-man roster to begin the year. Will the Braves turn to him when an injury occurs?
Anderson has a chance to win back some goodwill with a strong performance on the farm. Meanwhile, the Braves should consider other options to ensure they go into the season with enough starting pitcher depth.