MLB Rumors: Mets star chase, Braves pitching future, next Red Sox trade imminent
- The Red Sox might be making some other trades after sending Chris Sale to the Braves
- Atlanta Braves have some ideas in mind for the future of the pitching position
- The Mets are chasing stars, a strategy that didn't quite work the last time they tried it
By Josh Wilson
The future of the pitching position in Atlanta
It's wise for all major league teams to keep for themselves a stockpile of pitching options -- especially those that are or can grow into a starting role -- in their farm system to infuse youth into the position whenever necessary.
For the Atlanta Braves, look no further than Max Fried, Kyle Wright and Spencer Strider, three fixtures of the starting rotation in recent years that had spent their entire big-league careers with the Braves, drafted by Atlanta. There's certainly nothing wrong with acquiring a starting pitcher via trade -- like Chris Sale, who the Braves just acquired from Boston -- but it's far more beneficial to grow them yourself.
That's true of all positions, especially so for starting pitcher where you have five different players manning it at any given time.
Lindsay Crosby gave a rundown for SI on some of the prospects in Atlanta that might get a call-up at some point in 2024. On the pitching side, Crosby honed in on Hayden Harris, Grant Holmes, and Luis De Avila, all who would require a 40-man roster move. Harris and Holmes would be relievers, with De Avila converted to a starting role.
De Avila was not drafted by the Braves, but has spent the last two years in Atlanta's farm system, peaking at AAA last season. De Avila was a starter at AA where he pitched 123.1 innings in 2022 to the tune of a 3.28 ERA and 1.297 WHIP. If there's anyone who gets a call-up at any point in 2024, he feels like a possibility, especially if bumps and bruises necessitate it.
Given that after Sale's acquisition, the Braves don't have an immediate need for starters, it's alright that there aren't any immediate standout starters from the farm system that look poised for a call-up. That's to start the year, though. The circumstances of any given year can advance the timeline quicker than anticipated or desired.
Looking at the Gwinnett Stripers roster, Allan Winnans, Jared Shuster, and Dylan Dodd all started a high volume of games in 2023 but each of their respective ERAs are above 5.00. Each did get limited major league run but the results weren't notable.