Brace yourself for a heated debate: should the Braves push to acquire a top-tier starter or stay focused on strengthening the back of the rotation? That’s the central question raised by Alex Anthopoulos’s recent remarks about only pursuing a mid-to-top rotation ace, rather than simply adding a warm body for the lower end of the staff. I have mixed feelings about this stance. On paper, a pitcher like Chris Bassitt would clearly upgrade the roster. That much isn’t disputed.
The crunch comes with the math: if you view Bryce Elder and/or Joey Wentz as true 1-to-1.5 fWAR/162 starters, then securing a 2-to-2.5 fWAR/162 arm for roughly $20 million might not deliver enough value, especially if it risks losing a current roster piece like Elder in the process. A possible counterpoint is that Elder—or perhaps a Holmes or Lopez—could be kept in the bullpen to preserve depth if Bassitt had been added. But I don’t see Elder as a strong bullpen candidate, and deploying him there wouldn’t have fully made sense until Schwellenbach’s injury status was clarified.
Ultimately, landing a top-three starter at a reasonable cost is an exceptionally tough objective, possibly too ambitious to pursue realistically. Still, that’s an intriguing strategy, and I’m hopeful the Braves won’t be hit by another pitching-season injury wave.
Braves News
We released early roster predictions, covering the starting rotation and the backup catcher slot.
MLB News
Loading comments
Getting the conversation ready...
Would you prefer this rewritten piece to lean more toward a data-driven analysis with exact projections, or a narrative, editorial-style take that emphasizes perspectives and potential trade-offs? If you have a preferred length or extra examples to include (like specific player comparisons), I can tailor it further.
