Starting Pitching Options Dwindling for Braves, Now What?

The Atlanta Braves still have time to get a starting pitcher, but they've reached the eleventh hour when it comes to making an addition happen

The Braves have options, but they're going away quickly | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

Let me know if you've heard this claim before: The Atlanta Braves need a starting pitcher. It's not a bold statement. We know it. They know it. Yet, they have yet to make that last needed move happen.

Chris Bassitt seemed like a solid target. Plenty made a case for the team to ink a deal with him. In the end, the Orioles scooped him up. Add him to the list of pitchers the team was interested in that went elsewhere.

Framber Valdez? The Tigers. Freddy Peralta? The Mets. Michael King? He chose to stay in San Diego. I mean, hey, Lucas Giolito is still out there. Maybe him? The word is that the Braves were interested. Might have to act fast, though. The options will only keep coming off the board.

Go check who's been signed in the past couple of days. There's been a scramble, and it feels like everyone other than the Braves is finding a partner.

What happens next for the Atlanta Braves? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Braves news delivered to your inbox daily!

Let's see who else is still out there.

Zac Gallen has been paired up with the Braves during the offseason. However, no report seems to actually show they have an interest in signing him. Zack Littell has been a reliable option the past two seasons. Like Bassitt, he'll get you about 30 starts. At this time, crickets.

Even with these remaining arms on the market, healthy and effective options are now next to nothing. Without making a trade, most external options would be gambles.

Tyler Anderson is also still out there. He made 26 starts last season, though he didn't exactly replicate his All-Star season from the year before. He's an example of available, gets innings, but might not get the job done.

Max Scherzer pitched Game 7 of the World Series a few months ago. However, you don't know whether he'll actually be available. That's the only way someone good enough to get that nod could still be unsigned.

Would the Braves go out and get an arm who had 17 starts and a 5.19 ERA in the regular season? It's doubtful. It's probably for the best if they don't. So, likely no Scherzer headed to Atlanta. But that's also the point. He's now one of the top options.

They'd have the same uncertainty with Nestor Cortes or Frankie Montas. Sometimes, they can give a team 30 starts. Other times, they're not even close.

Maybe it's a good thing that Martin Perez was locked down as an option. They may have to just hope that JR Ritchie or Didier Fuentes is ready.

They were a lot quicker when they had to make the move to cover another position. Joe Jimenez looked uncertain, and still is. Robert Suarez was signed. Ha-Seong Kim went down. They added Jorge Mateo. Not the case with starting pitching.

To reiterate, this is a team that wanted another arm before the injury happened. Maybe the urgency is there, and other teams beat them out. That could have been what happened. At the same time, that's what happens when you wait too long. The longer something takes, the less likely it'll happen.

Any day now, they will have officially missed their chance. The clock is ticking.