The first full week of spring training is nearly in the books and despite some solid performances from some of its young pitching prospects, it was an overall rotten week for the Atlanta Braves. Not only did Bryce Harper remain in the NL East division, he signed up to do so for 13-years in a record $330 million deal. If that was not bad enough in its own right, the Braves are currently dealing with a significant number of injuries to several key players.
It was revealed last week that Mike Soroka had suffered some sort of setback with his shoulder although it was later indicated that it wasn’t the same type of injury that limited him to just five major league starts in 2018. He resumed throwing this week and reported no problems but the Braves will have to build him back up before clearing him to throw off a mound, essentially ending his bid to be part of the Opening Day roster before it even began.
While Soroka’s shoulder was a concern before spring training began, several other Braves pitchers are dealing with aches and pains of their own. Mike Foltynewicz was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday due to soreness in his elbow. Folty and the team downplayed the severity of the injury but it is concerning given just how important his presence is to the rotation as a whole and the fact that elbow ailments are no joke for pitchers.
At the same time the news on Foltynewicz came out, it was also revealed that Kevin Gausman is dealing with a sore shoulder and has yet to make his spring debut. Luiz Gohara, dealing with a shoulder problem of his own, has been throwing but isn’t ready yet to pitch in games.
As if that wasn’t enough, reliever A.J. Minter made his spring debut on Friday but faced just one batter before exiting due to shoulder stiffness. Dansby Swanson and Josh Donaldson were also scheduled to make their spring debuts on Friday but neither were in the lineup. Swanson was scratched after he experienced soreness in his wrist during batting practice. Donaldson’s debut was pushed back a couple of days by the team’s medical staff for no particular reason other than they don’t want to take any chances after he battled through a calf injury last season.
So yeah, it has been quite a week here in Braves’ country. If you think the rash of injuries or the Harper signing would spur some activity from the front office, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Dallas Keuchel is top free agent starter remaining on the market and his price tag could be dropping. For now at least, it doesn’t appear that the Braves have seriously considered him but would they change their minds if these injuries continue to linger?
Minter’s injury adds another question mark to a bullpen that is already full of them. Arodys Vizcaino battled through shoulder issues last season and his durability is in question. Atlanta has a number of internal relief options but are a bit thin in the back end. Of course Craig Kimbrel is still out there and could cure a lot of these issues but it still appears unlikely that his asking price will drop enough to where he becomes a viable option for the Braves.
Philadelphia Phillies
It took way longer than many expected but the Philadelphia Phillies likely won the offseason this week with the addition of Harper. Deals of this magnitude don’t have the best track record but this one seems to be team friendly enough that Philadelphia should be fine at least in the short term. Harper and J.T. Realmuto were two of the most sought after players who were available this offseason. They also picked up Andrew McCutchen and reliever David Robertson along the way. This now looks like a team that won’t just be a threat in 2019 but is going to be a major factor for the foreseeable future.
Washington Nationals
Harper’s departure from Washington has felt like a foregone conclusion for a while now. Still a possible return was going to be on a lot of people’s minds until he actually signed on elsewhere. Credit the Nationals for not waiting around and using to the offseason to upgrade with the additions of Patrick Corbin and others. Still there a team that can’t be excited about seeing Harper remain in the division.
New York Mets
The Mets did their own makeover this offseason in hopes that they have once again positioned themselves as a factor in the NL East. Despite all of their activity they weren’t ever a realistic option for Harper. New GM Brodie Van Wagenen is still confident in his club.
”I believe that we can beat any team, any time,” Van Wagenen said, “and no player signing is going to change that mindset.”
Miami Marlins
The Marlins were the only NL East team that didn’t make significant additions over the winter and actually went in the other direction with the trade of Realmuto to Philadelphia. However, they are in the process of assembling a good young core and the further development of infielder/outfielder Brian Anderson will be key.
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