With Max Fried and Charlie Morton exiting in free agency and Spencer Strider recovering from internal brace surgery, there are concerns about the Braves rotation as Spring Training approaches.
It’s why Atlanta has been connected to starting pitchers throughout the offseason, with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal saying not long ago the Braves remain in the market for a “playoff caliber” starter. There’s a chance that still happens, with a few names remaining in free agency and several others available for trade. However, it’s also possible Spencer Strider’s recovery is going much better than imagined, giving the Braves confidence in what they currently have rostered as the season approaches.
“They (Atlanta Braves) might already be wrapped up with the Profar signing, and here is why,” MLB Network’s Jon Morosi said in regards to what the Braves have left to do this offseason. “One really important detail — Alex Anthopoulos shared this over the weekend on MLB Network Radio — the Braves are increasingly confident that Spencer Strider is going to be able to pitch for them early in the season. This is news; that Strider is — I won’t say ahead of schedule — but really meeting every checkpoint for him to be a key part of the Braves rotation…”
This is right in line with what Spencer Strider said himself early in the offseason.
“If everything stays on track then we should be coming into spring training kind of in a normal environment in a way I’ll be facing hitters at the end of February and pitching in games and spring training and then hopefully shortly after the season I’m at a point where I’m effective enough and feel good and have achieved what we need to in the program to pitch big league games,” Strider said on Casa de Club.
The Braves have already announced that Strider and Acuña will not be on the Opening Day roster, but it appears as if Strider won’t miss more than a month of the season, if that. He’s already thrown several bullpens and will have a fairly normal Spring Training. Providing there are no setbacks, Spencer Strider could be on the mound again for the Braves sometime in April.
