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Atlanta Braves Question: What If They Stop Here?

By Alan Carpenter

Apr 27, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; A Golden State Warriors fan wears a strength in numbers shirt before game five against the Houston Rockets of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; A Golden State Warriors fan wears a strength in numbers shirt before game five against the Houston Rockets of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 2, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) and second baseman Jace Peterson (8) and shortstop Dansby Swanson (2) pose for a photo after a game against the Detroit Tigers at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Tigers 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) and second baseman Jace Peterson (8) and shortstop Dansby Swanson (2) pose for a photo after a game against the Detroit Tigers at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Tigers 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Sure: it is still just mid-November.  But the ‘essential’ fixes have already been completed for this off-season.  While there is rumor of more for the Braves, what if it doesn’t happen?

November has been good to the Atlanta Braves.  Aggressive moves for free agents have left them in an enviable position compared to many other teams.

The Braves added what they hope will be 400 innings to their rotation in the past week.  Between Teheran, Foltynewicz, Wisler, Colon, Dickey and Collmenter, that probably provides at least 900-950 starting pitching innings.

Note that it requires 972 starter innings to reach a ‘Quality Start threshold’ – that’s 6 innings in each of 162 games.

That itself is probably good enough to get through the season.  Clearly, the Front Office wants more… but whether they can pull that off is another matter.

So suppose the 25-man roster looks something like this:

  • Rotation as above:  Teheran, Foltynewicz, Wisler, Colon, Dickey, Collmenter and/or auditioner of the month.
  • Bullpen anchored by Jim Johnson with Vizcaino, Cabrera, Simmons, Krol, et al.
  • Infield:  Freeman, Peterson, Swanson, Garcia
  • Outfield:  Kemp, Inciarte, Markakis
  • Catchers:  Flowers and Recker
  • Bench:  Smith, Francoeur (possibly), and d’Arnaud

What could that group get accomplished in 2017?

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