Going into spring training, the Atlanta Braves’ rotation was already very much in question. After losing Max Fried and Charlie Morton, the Braves now have just three locked-in starters in Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schellenbach. Spencer Strider will eventually return to make it four, but the fifth spot is up in the air, with Ian Anderson, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder, Hurston Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver set to compete over the next few weeks.
In his first Major League outing since spring of 2023, Anderson took the mound in wobbly fashion. The former postseason hero gave up three walks and a hit while surrendering one earned run in 1.2 innings of work. Should this be a cause of concern? No, not really; it’s only spring training, after all, and early season struggles can be expected.
However, Anderson has not pitched in an MLB regular-season game since 2022, and it didn’t go too well. That year, Anderson pitched to a miserable 5.00 ERA, surrendering 54 walks in 111.2 innings before eventually being demoted to Triple-A. If Anderson should continue to struggle, it might prove to be catastrophic for the Braves, who lost the NL East last season for the first time in seven years. This puts the Braves squarely in the market for another arm. Who could the Braves target to provide rotational insurance?
To start, Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has been hesitant to spend freely. Any further additions to the Braves will need to be inexpensive. With this in mind, there are two arms on the free agent market that might suffice.
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Jose Quintana and Spencer Turnbull could be just what the Braves need
The first name the Braves could zero in on is Jose Quintana. The veteran lefty is coming off a year where he pitched to a 3.75 ERA through 170.1 innings for the New York Mets. This includes a stellar second half where he threw to a 3.18 ERA. But it gets even better: In 2022, Quintana posted a 2.93 ERA, which could be transformational to the Braves rotation if he could replicate that performance.
The one area of concern is Quintana’s age; he turned 36 in January. Regardless, Quintana has proven he is still a quality arm that can eat innings in any rotation. As a cheap but solid arm, it seems he has already earned a spot on Anthopoulos’ radar. Should the Braves roll the dice and sign him, this might go a long way to recapturing the competitive NL East.
The second hurler the Braves should take a flier on would be Spencer Turnbull. Turnbull threw to a 2.65 ERA through 54.1 innings in 2024 for the Philadelphia Phillies. Injuries have prevented him from taking the mound on a consistent basis every year since 2018, but when healthy, he's been a consistently effective big-league pitcher.
On the surface, the risk is fairly clear; Turnbull gets hurt a lot. However, this makes him inexpensive and the upside here may be worth a gamble. Turnbull’s breaking balls are among some of the best in the game. His one glaring weakness is his four-seamer, but this is likely something the Braves coaching staff can iron out. His addition could easily bolster the Braves’ pitching staff if he can stay healthy.