Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker met with the media Wednesday morning at the Winter Meetings and discussed a number of topics including the 2018 starting rotation and top prospect Ronald Acuña.
The rotation remains a fluid situation but as things stand now, there will likely be a healthy competition for the fifth starters spot come spring training.
Well, from where we ended last year Folty, Teheran, Gohara, Newcomb and then we're going to look for, probably look for a five. And there's going to be competition throughout the whole club this year, I think. I don't know that that -- we have some options in guys. Sims came up and I thought did a pretty good job. We saw Max Fried. There's some other, the young guys, the Sorokas, Allards, guys like that that are going to be in camp. It's going to be a fun Spring Training for us because we're going to get to see a lot of these guys that we have been talking about and now they're kind of burst on the scene and we'll see where they're at.
Those plans could change if the team goes out and acquires a veteran starter whether that is a veteran to help buy the young guys a bit more time or a top of the rotation type arm. There were rumblings before the Winter Meetings began that the Braves might make Julio Teheran available but that might be unlikely unless they have the inside track on bringing in another veteran pitcher to replace him.
As far as the fifth spot in the rotation goes, Snitker wasn’t ready to divulge if there was a favorite saying that things could change between now and spring training.
We'll just wait and see. I don't know that I have a preference. We got a long way to go until Spring Training, so who knows what might happen. Those are all names, those are guys that are in our organization now and ones that we'll look to, barring any trades or anything.
Snitker did indicate that both Matt Wisler and Aaron Blair would likely be given the opportunity to compete for the fifth starters spot but one or both could end up transitioning to relievers.
Well, I don't know. Right now I think that both -- again, I did mention those guys, those guys will be in the fifth starter mix, both of those guys and we'll kind of see probably where they fit, whether it's starting, out of the pen, and just the best chance to help our club is the biggest thing I think is how we can utilize those guys to help us win games and where that is if that's starting, if that's relieving, we'll just see how the team shakes out and sets up as we go through the spring.
In regards to Acuña, it sounds like he made an impression on Snitker during his limited time with the Braves in spring training last season. Snitker was clear that Acuña would be given an opportunity early on.
Oh yeah, absolutely. I said last year, when they would send him over, I was like, if you want this kid to have a breather, don't send him because I'm playing him. He probably made our club out of Spring Training last year by fence-jumping. He's an exciting kid. It's going to be exciting again to get him in our camp this year.
When pressed further, Snitker said that he was most impressed by the adjustments that Acuña was able to make on the fly along with his defensive ability.
Well, I think he's just has to do what he does. I mean, like I say, last year he came in as a very impressive young man, I was most impressed about the adjustments he would make on the fly and in at-bats and again the kid's skill set defensively, what he brings offensively, the potential is going to be really good. We'll get him down there and he'll be part of the mix and see where he's at.