The Glut Of Braves Starting Pitching

My guess is someone is going to be traded. If Chipper doesn’t get healthy we’ll likely need another bat. It would make sense to get another dependable bat in the outfield. Heyward is playing with pain, but we really can’t afford to rest him.

Hopefully Bobby realizes that Chavez isn’t the wunderkind he imagined

If he gets it later, then fine, but lol, yeah…..what gondeeeeeeeeee said.

IMHO, if we’re going to get anything for Resop he’ll have to prove himself in the majors.

Nice writeup. Anyone know if some of the players are going to the G-Braves game tonight to watch Jurrjens’ rehab start? Didn’t some of the guys go out to watch Huddy last year on their off-day?

Are there any radio or game streams to JJ’s start tonight or any way to see how he is doing…any would be very appreciated

JJ will return to the rotation. He will struggle in a few starts to get back to normal. Medlen will go back to being situational MR. Martinez will go down and Resop will get the call. Nothing special will happen via trade.

JJ should be back by the beginning of July at the latest, barring a setback. I would argue to keep Medlen in the rotation, and dangle some combination of Diaz, McClouth, KK and/or Resop in a package deal to acquire a bat. Alex Gordon, as eglenn mentioned above, is an interesting idea, especially given his new versatility as a 3B/OF.

We’re definitely going to need a bat, and soon. Given our depth of arms, it should be an interesting trade deadline for our beloved Braves.

i’m finally making it to atlanta..although I have to agree to take the girlfriend shopping saturday during the day..

KK, Resop and Escobar for Elvis Andrus and an outfield prospect or two????

Insult to injury and all that crap, and we’d be admitting that we kept the wrong shortstop, but the bottom line is we’d be getting something for Resop and get rid KK’s salary.

Let’s look at our starters and see who might be a trade candidate.

Hudson: No way he goes anywhere. Chances of a trade: Between slim and none, and slim just left town.

Hanson: See above. If someone really, really wanted him and offered Wren the world for him, maybe, but I think it would take a real haul to get Tommy. Like a young cheap stud outfielder and at least 2 top prospects.
Chances of a trade: Like a Cubs World Championship, it could happen, but don’t hold your breath.

Lowe: He’s pitched better his last few starts, but his contract is still an issue. If teams aren’t interested in taking Oswalt and his contract, who would really ask us for Lowe?
Chances of a trade: More likely to see Raul Mondesi back in a Braves uni.

KK: Most baseball executives(guys not named Minaya or Phillips anyway) look at things other than won-loss record when evaluating a player. Still, I don’t see a huge market out there for KK. His contract would be an issue for most teams, and moving him after only a year and a half may hurt us with other Japanese free agents down the road. Chances of a trade: More likely to see a Ryan Klesko comeback

JJ: Ah, now it gets interesting. Let’s say the hammy is healed, and JJ pitches well for us in July. Would Wren move him? His value has probably been dinged this year due to the injury, but he should still command a pretty good return. JJ’s salary will start to climb after this season, and he has Boras as an agent now, so is this the time to trade him? Chances of a trade: More likely to see FYF walk 4 times in a game, but hey, it could still happen.

Medlen: Crabs Medallion is a real wild card. He’d be attractive to a lot of teams, but I don’t think the Braves would want to move him unless they were getting a very nice return. He’d be easier to get than Hanson, but he can start or work out of the ‘pen and do both very well, and we all know how much Bobby likes versatility in his players.
Chances of a trade: I just don’t see it happening. More likely to see Mr. Krabs make a donation to his favorite charity.

Resop: Not only can he pitch, but on his off days he could play left field for us. If he comes up and gets some work, he might turn out to be pretty attractive to a few teams, but I just don’t know how much we would get for him.
Chances of a trade: Pretty good, the percentages would probably be higher than Prado’s batting average.

I would give Resop a start just to see how it goes, even if it means going with a 6-man staff for one or two turns. After pitching so well in Triple-A throwing him to long relief duty just doesn’t seem like the right move to me.

I’m thinking of doing a post about the Braves’ options for when JJ comes off the DL. Not sure when I’ll have the time to do it, but there’s a lot that needs to be said about the situation that hasn’t really been said (at least not all in one post). As you allude to, it’s a good problem to have, but there are so many potential moving parts, especially if you throw Chris Resop into the mix. Plus, I want to put a poll on there to gauge people’s feelings on the matter. Based on what I’ve seen, it’s been about 50/50 as to whether KK or Medlen should go to the pen, with a few weirdos like me advocating for moving Lowe instead.