“Braves are in a tough spot” - Former MLB pitcher discusses Atlanta’s trade deadline disappointments and ongoing challenges
It has been an interesting season for the Atlanta Braves. They lost their ace, Spencer Strider, and reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. for the season earlier in the year.
However, they have still been able to play well, putting together a 60-49 record. They currently sit in second place in the NL East, five games behind the Philadelphia Phillies.
While they are in second place, they did not do much to better themselves during the trade deadline. Former MLB pitcher John Smoltz joined Ben Verlander on the Flippin' Bats podcast to discuss the team's lackluster deadline.
"Braves are in a tough spot, they really are. They've got a ton of injuries. They really, I mean, they went and got some reunion players, players that have been in there before and helped them," - said Smoltz.
The biggest acquisition the team got was trading for Jorge Soler who played with the club in 2021. He will be helpful, especially with his bat, but Smoltz is not too impressed.
Atlanta could have looked to bring in another middle infielder, or even a frontline starter. Garrett Crochet seems to be a big miss here, however, he had some big demands he wanted clubs to meet.
A Braves' key contributor is ready to make his return
A key contributor to the starting rotation is nearing his return on the mound for the Braves. Max Fried is expected to start on Sunday against the Miami Marlins in the series finale, per The Athletic's David O'Brien.
Fried has been on the IL since July 21, while making his last appearance at the All-Star game. He was dealing with forearm neuritis, but it has since cleared up.
While he is not as talented as Spencer Strider, he is still a reliable rotational piece. He started 18 games before his injury this season, putting together a 7-5 record with a 3.08 ERA across 108 innings.
The timing for his return could not be any better as Reynaldo Lopez will likely miss some time. He was removed from his latest start against the New York Mets after experiencing forearm tightness.
Lopez is considered day-to-day, but there is hope he will not head to the IL. It was revealed on Saturday that he had an MRI and it came back clean, but the club does not want to rush him back and risk further injury.