The Atlanta Braves are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now, having won nine of their last 10 games.
And, they’ve done it with a combination of pitching and hitting.
With their recent success, and the early-season questions of needing to acquire another outfielder to take the place of Martin Prado, I’m wondering if it’s best for the Braves to stand pat with their lineup.
Currently, I believe the Braves don’t have to make a move since the offense and defense are performing well.
After an offseason in which they tried to trade away Prado and pitcher Jair Jurrjens, the Braves saw nothing interesting on the trade front, bringing both back for this season.
This alone caused crying among Braves’ fans who felt that general manager Frank Wren needed to make a move to improve the lineup.
With the 0-4 start, many were sitting back saying the same things due to the lack of offense.
Then, the bats came alive in the fifth game of the season against the Astros. Since then, nothing has been different at the plate, with the Braves getting the best of opponents’ pitchers.
Those fans who were calling for a move to be made have been silenced and the offense is clicking. And, there’s an old saying that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Well, it’s not broke right now, so there’s no reason to fix it.
Sure, it would be nice if Dan Uggla could display more power, but we all know he struggles at the beginning of the season.
It would also be nice if Chipper Jones could stay healthy and be in the lineup more than he has, but Juan Francisco hasn’t been a disappointment in his place, so there should really be no complaints there. Although, there is no arguing that Jones is a lot better than Francisco.
At some point before the trading deadline or during the offseason, this subject is going to be approached again.
And, eventually, there’s going to be a move that has to be made because guys like Jurrjens and Prado aren’t going to be under contract much longer. Tim Hudson is also getting up there in age, and guys like Julio Teheran and Randall Delgado can’t stay in the minor leagues that much longer.
Sure, Delgado is in the Braves’ rotation right now, but will be sent back to Triple-A once Hudson gets back. But you can’t keep those guys from the big leagues that much longer. They’ve earned big-league opportunities.
So, the lineup and rotation are going to have to be addressed at some point. But now is not the time.
Now is the time to go with what is working, and if that keeps certain guys out of the lineup or rotation, then that’s what it means.
One thing is for sure, the trading deadline and this offseason will be very interesting.
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