Ken Rosenthal Explains Why Braves May Not Have Signed a Starter

Before we've even reached the first game in spring training, the Atlanta Braves have seen themselves thrust into a dilemma with the injury bug and the discourse surrounding it. It seems like it can't be discussed enough. When two starters have already gone down, it's hard to ignore.

A simple solution would be to go out on the free-agent market and sign a starter. The Braves have yet to do so.

When there are options such as Lucas Giolito and Max Scherzer on the table, even MLB insider Ken Rosenthal wonders what the holdup is. The Braves have been reported to have had a lack of strong interest in Giolito. No reports have mentioned Scherzer as an option.

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One of these moves could still happen, in theory, but some of these options simply aren't fitting the bill for what they're hoping to get.

General manager Alex Anthopoulos made is clear last week that the goal was to a get someone who could be an option for the postseason, not simply someone who could be an extra arm.

"Our goal was to try and get someone who we thought could slot towards the top and make playoff starts, he said. "And again, we're not trying to disparage anybody. There's plenty of good starts and guys who have emerged, and so on, but that was the goal and focus, and you always stay that way.

Rosenthal looked at the options and only saw one starter who had any resemblance to what fit their description.

"With the exception of Scherzer, at least in his past, those are not top-of-the-rotation starters, and the Braves might argue, for a certain price, that they're not worth even more what Bryce Elder would be kind of at a minimum salary," he said.

Right now, opting to forgo signing someone is still an option. One more injury and the Braves will "have no choice." By then, it doesn't matter if they can pitch in the postseason. They need to keep their heads above water to have a chance of getting there.

For the record, this comparison was not meant to be a diss to Elder. While Rosenthal added that a lack of options tilts the scales in the right-hander's favor, he still clearly has something to offer.

"Now, he's the interesting guy," Rosenthal said. "His velo jumped about 2 mph in September. He was better in September. He's not a hard thrower, but they feel, perhaps, that he can hold this down and hold it down in a way that at least buys them some time."

Last season, Elder led the team in starts (28) and innings pitched (156 1/3). The best ability is availbility, and he got his chance by simply being someone was around to get on the mound. To paraphrase how manager Walt Weiss put it this week, the highs have been high and lows have been low.

He's had a role of being, at least, a holdover, for the past two seasons now. There is little reason to assume the Braves won't keep an eye on him to potentially do it again.

Along with Elder, Rosenthal had Joey Wentz, Carlos Carrasco and Martin Perez as options. All of them are in big league camp. Carrasco and Perez are not on the 40-man roster. They're non-roster camp invites.

The Braves would have to deem them worth clearing a roster spot. The same argument goes for a non-listed potential option, such as No. 2 prospect JR Ritchie. That already gives Elder and Wentz a head start.

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