What Braves Rotation Could Look Like with Expanded September Rosters

The era of calling up the farm for a September push is long over, but the Atlanta Braves will still get some extra help in about a week.

For the final month of the season, the active roster will expand by two extra spots to 28 players. This will allow the team to add an extra arm to the pitching staff that they normally have to shuffle in and out.

A major takeaway is that they'll have more flexibility for the starting rotation. Making sure the bullpen is stocked is normally the priority. Soon, they can have their cake and eat it, too.

This discussion is aimed at looking at how an extra pitcher can help the starting rotation navigate the home stretch.

There are two ways to look at this new flexibility, and the nuances matter.

One way to look at this is how many arms the rotation can have now, for example, a five- or six-man rotation. Manager Walt Weiss has been hesitant to utilize a six-man rotation because that would mean he would only have seven relievers. In September, he'll have 14 spots for pitchers, giving him that usual spot.

An incentive to use the extra spot for a rotation arm would be the return of AJ Smith-Shawver and the eventual return of Reynaldo López, who is currently on a rehab assignment. The Braves could have as many as seven options for the rotation, and they wouldn't have to be as picky about who retains a spot.

When the rotation has been rock solid this month - they have a 2.90 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in August as a group - it's going to be difficult to give anybody the boot. Currently, they'd have to decide the fate of two starters. In a week, that reduces to one.

Currently, six arms are being utilized as starters, even if the Braves aren't fully committed to a six-man rotation. López coming back is when decisions have to be made.

Of course, the Braves could also opt to use the extra space for another bullpen arm: five starters and nine relievers. Even if they still shuttle some pitchers back and forth from Gwinnett, they'd still have more options to turn to on any given night.

Another way to look at it is how many arms can make a start when needed. Other times, they can be long relievers.

This distinction matters because the Braves can keep the options around without having to remove one from the active roster, which would like mean designating one of them for assignment.

Multiple long relievers have had to be cycled out because they wouldn't be available for multiple days. Now, they have the space for one of them to hang tight and rest. Outside of Chris Sale, Bryce Elder and Tyler Mahle, any option can move to the bullpen.

López, Grant Holmes and Martín Pérez have all been used as relievers this season. They could potentially take on those roles again. Smith-Shawver is likely going to be used a starter, but the odds are greater than zero that he could go to the bullpen.

Elder's chances of moving to the bullpen are also greater than zero, but I'll believe when I see it that he's moved to the bullpen when there are 14 pitchers on the roster.

Add us as a preferred source on Google