The Atlanta Braves have a lot of talent and a stacked top of the pitching rotation, but injuries have set them back already this season. Reynaldo López is reportedly out for the next few months after undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller suggested the Braves could fill the hole in their rotation with Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez. Martinez is on a one-year deal this season. “The big three of Strider, Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach could be all sorts of special when healthy,” Miller wrote. “But having some combination of Grant Holmes, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Bryce Elder filling out the rest of the rotation isn’t particularly promising for a team that has gotten out to a brutal start to the year. “We do still expect Atlanta to be in the postseason hunt in late July, but very likely searching to add at least one starting pitcher to the mix. Potential Solutions: Nick Martinez, Andrew Heaney, Aaron Civale.” The Reds have a lot of pitching talent, so a trade for.
Martinez might make some sense. Cincinnati has controllable players like Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer, Carson Spiers, Rhett Lowder, Andrew Abbott, and Chase Burns. That leaves Martinez as potentially the most likely starting pitcher to be traded. He would be a great addition for the Braves. The righty is a very consistent piece of Cincinnati’s starting rotation. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he pounds the zone, limits hard contact, and attacks hitters in multiple different ways.
Orioles Reacts survey: Pessimism reigns after disappointing week..
The last few days have not made it feel like the Orioles are on the cusp of turning things around.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Baltimore Orioles fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The start of a baseball season is a time for nearly-infinite optimism for all but the most helpless teams and their unfortunate fans. A team’s strengths seem unbeatable, a team’s weaknesses can be rationalized away, and you can imagine relatively smooth sailing to the playoffs and beyond. Then the season begins and for some, the dose of reality is instantly cruel and pitiless.
For the Orioles, reality has been cruel. Even someone who was feeling anxious about the starting rotation is probably surprised about how bad it’s gone so far, with should-be-mediocre guys like Dean Kremer and Charlie Morton both sporting ERAs north of 8. The fact that the one good pitcher through a few starts, Zach Eflin, is now on the injured list, is also bad. It may be a week before the O’s need to try to replace him due to juggling off days, but at the moment, it’s unclear who that replacement might be.
Then there’s the offense. My goodness, the offense. They’ve been bringing the idea of “feast or famine” to a whole new level, and they have yet to manage “feast” two days in a row. Gunnar Henderson is so far looking like he needed a longer injury rehab. Colton Cowser hurt himself and his replacement, Heston Kjerstad, isn’t hitting. The bench is bad. Tyler O’Neill hasn’t homered since Opening Day and Ryan Mountcastle hasn’t homered since last July 29.
On Tuesday, we asked if people were feeling over or under for a win total of 85.5 after the games that the Orioles have played. Since that survey was posted, they lost another couple of demoralizing ones. Here’s how people were feeling:
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Baltimore Orioles fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The start of a baseball season is a time for nearly-infinite optimism for all but the most helpless teams and their unfortunate fans. A team’s strengths seem unbeatable, a team’s weaknesses can be rationalized away, and you can imagine relatively smooth sailing to the playoffs and beyond. Then the season begins and for some, the dose of reality is instantly cruel and pitiless.
For the Orioles, reality has been cruel. Even someone who was feeling anxious about the starting rotation is probably surprised about how bad it’s gone so far, with should-be-mediocre guys like Dean Kremer and Charlie Morton both sporting ERAs north of 8. The fact that the one good pitcher through a few starts, Zach Eflin, is now on the injured list, is also bad. It may be a week before the O’s need to try to replace him due to juggling off days, but at the moment, it’s unclear who that replacement might be.
Then there’s the offense. My goodness, the offense. They’ve been bringing the idea of “feast or famine” to a whole new level, and they have yet to manage “feast” two days in a row. Gunnar Henderson is so far looking like he needed a longer injury rehab. Colton Cowser hurt himself and his replacement, Heston Kjerstad, isn’t hitting. The bench is bad. Tyler O’Neill hasn’t homered since Opening Day and Ryan Mountcastle hasn’t homered since last July 29.
On Tuesday, we asked if people were feeling over or under for a win total of 85.5 after the games that the Orioles have played. Since that survey was posted, they lost another couple of demoralizing ones. Here’s how people were feeling: