This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it often in your inbox.
ATLANTA — There may be a lot to unload because the Braves transition from a nightmarish 0-7 street journey to their house opener towards the Marlins on Friday evening. Listed below are a few of my ideas in regards to the first week:
Bullpen development: Multi-year offers for free-agent relievers are dangerous due to the risky nature of the typical reliever’s efficiency. So, I didn’t hate the try and spherical up as many non-roster invitees as doable to see in case you may discover a Tyler Matzek-type gem in Spring Coaching. Craig Kimbrel may find yourself bringing some worth, however for now, this method was like arising empty with a handful of $1 scratch-off tickets. That occurs.
And even when Kimbrel proves efficient, the ‘pen continues to be at the least one arm quick. So, yeah, lots of you had been justified along with your complaints about not addressing the losses of A.J. Minter and Joe Jiménez.
What stays questionable was the choice to designate Héctor Neris for task two days after asking him to guard a one-run seventh-inning lead on Opening Day. He had simply three weeks of Spring Coaching. Nonetheless, he was deemed the best choice there. What does that say in regards to the different choices? And higher but, what does the short DFA say in regards to the analysis that he was prepared and able to getting massive outs?
Rotation loss: The Braves will spend most, if not all, of this season with out Reynaldo López, whose 2024 late-season shoulder points filtered into this yr. Transitioning him from reliever to starter appeared like a good suggestion for about 4 months. However you now need to assume his shoulder points had been influenced by final yr’s massive workload soar. After not finishing greater than 66 innings in 2022 and ’23, he accomplished 135 2/3 innings in ‘24.
López was on the injured listing in August and September. However the Braves had been nonetheless comfy with committing to a different season by restructuring his contract in November. So that is the primary yr of his three-year, $30 million deal.
The truth that López, Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach all considerably exceeded expectations from a sturdiness standpoint final yr was the first cause the Braves wanted so as to add beginning pitching depth. They agreed to a five-year, $45-48 million take care of Jeff Hoffman in November, however backed out due to issues about his shoulder. Hoffman would have been used as a starter and Grant Holmes would have seemingly crammed a bullpen spot.
However even with the addition of Holmes and Kimbrel, we should still see the bullpen as skinny. As for the rotation, Spencer Strider will seemingly make two extra rehab begins earlier than becoming a member of a bunch that’s now going to closely rely upon AJ Smith-Shawver and Bryce Elder.
Profar’s suspension: Bear in mind how indignant Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis, A.J. Pierzynski and different Braves gamers had been at Andrew McKirahan when he was suspended for testing optimistic for a performance-enhancing drug in 2015? Why didn’t we hear the identical anger aimed toward Jurickson Profar this week?
McKirahan was a Rule 5 choice who didn’t issue into the staff’s long-term plans. Profar is within the first week of the three-year, $42 million deal he signed in January. He’ll be taking part in alongside most present Braves for a number of extra years.
Profar should regain the favor of teammates and followers, who now have cause to be skeptical about his 2024 season. He homered as soon as each 67.7 at-bats and produced a .793 OPS over 232 plate appearances at Coors Area in 2023. He then homered as soon as each 23.5 at-bats whereas setting profession highs in homers (24) and OPS (.839) with the Padres final yr. He mentioned he made some mechanical changes whereas working with Fernando Tatis Sr. None of it will reduce the skepticism.
The Braves seen Profar because the second-best free agent hitter this winter. Can he nonetheless be the man they envisioned?
