Words are words, but according to Frank Wren, the Braves will not be adding another starting pitcher despite the likelihood that Brandon Beachy will need his second Tommy John surgery.
Ken Rosenthal spoke to Wren, who said, "Right now, we plan on going with what we have. We like what we have."
While the names are not high profile and they do not place well on any ranking lists, David Hale, Cody Martin and Gus Schlosser are now the depth in the rotation. Hale will likely crack the major league squad out of spring training and Schlosser has an outside chance at doing the same if the Braves opt to go with four starters out of camp and an extra bullpen spot.
But down the line, those will be the guys the Braves would likely call up in the event of another injury or poor performance from Hale or Freddy Garcia.
Martin, 24, recorded a 2.82 ERA at double-A and a 3.49 ERA at triple-A last season between starting and relieving. Schlosser, 25, put together a 2.39 ERA backed by a 3.27 FIP at double-A last season in 25 starts. There's at least some reason to believe that they could fill in on the backend should they be needed. The issue, in my estimation, is if something happens to any of Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, Ervin Santana or Mike Minor. If one or more of those guys go down and the rotation consists of multiples of Hale, Martin, and Schlosser, the team could be in for a rough season.
I do agree with Wren though, these guys have performed in the upper minors and if they ever are going to get a shot, early this season would be a good time to find out if they are adequate enough. If not, assuming the Braves are still competing for a playoff spot, they could trade for a starter.
Other players to monitor that could potentially debut in the rotation at some point this year are Aaron Northcraft and J.R. Graham, although I have not heard whether or not he will even be utilized as a starter at all.