Braves rumors: Ron Washington's chances, dark horse free agent, Rosario replacement
- Will the Houston Astros hire Braves third base coach Ron Washington?
- A dark horse free agent fit for the Braves rotation
- An All-Star Eddie Rosario replacement.
By Mark Powell
Braves rumors: A dark horse pitcher for Atlanta
Tyler Mahle's Minnesota Twins career went south the minute he arrived, and to no fault of his own. Mahle was shut down after two starts in 2022 due to should inflammation. In 2023, he needed Tommy John surgery in May. Mahle will hopefully be back by spring training wherever he ends up.
Assuming Mahle can stay healthy -- which is a rather huge assumption at this point -- he could be a dark horse rotation fit for any team in need of pitching. When he was traded to the Twins from the Reds in the first place, Mahle had a 3.75 ERA and was in the midst of his second straight sub-4 ERA season. He's solid when healthy.
The Braves need starting pitching, especially with Kyle Wright likely out for 2024 and Charlie Morton potentially on the outs. Morton has a club option, but he's over 40 years old. There's no guarantee he returns to Atlanta or baseball at all.
Braves Today made the argument the team should sign Mahle to a multiyear deal, but odds are that's not even necessary. Mahle is a pitcher coming off two straight years of injuries. If they can sign him to a one-year prove it deal and allow him to compete for a rotation spot, that's a win for Alex Anthopoulos.