What does MLB.com think the Braves' biggest question is before Spring Training?
MLB.com recently released an article profiling what every team's burning question was as they entered Spring Training, so what is the question the Braves are facing? The answer, to no one's surprise, is:
Do the Braves need to add a starting pitcher?
The Braves made a big push for Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher, Aaron Nola, but in the end, Nola returned to the City of Brotherly Love. Sonny Gray chose to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Braves missed out on Yamamoto and Ohtani. Do the Braves need another starting pitcher, though?
If the season started today, Atlanta's rotation would look like: Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Charlie Morton, Bryce Elder, and likely AJ Smith-Shawver. That is a strong rotation and you don't have to give up anything to get those guys, because they are already on your roster. Alex Anthopoulus went out and bolstered the bullpen by adding a few talented lefties, but he has not addressed getting another starter after losing out on Nola.
Rumors have been flying all offseason that the Braves could try to make a trade for Dylan Cease, an ace pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, but it would likely take some combination of Elder, Smith-Shawver, and Hurston Waldrep plus more to try to pull off that trade. Starting pitching is at a premium and the White Sox aren't going to let Cease go for a bottle of Louisiana brand hot sauce.
Waldrep is a starter who the Braves drafted out of the University of Florida and he has the talent to be an ace one day. It may be too early for that to be the case in 2024, but he might change our minds. Darius Vines is a pitcher that I am high on that has looked great during the off-season. I think he has a shot to be one of the best pitchers in our rotation in 2024.
So, do the Braves need another starter? No. It wouldn't hurt though.
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