Atlanta Braves Rumors: Jared Shuster sent down in favor of another pitcher
With A.J. Smith-Shawver on the minor-league injured list, Atlanta has to look elsewhere for starting pitching help. Jared Shuster's recent struggles mean he is not the answer. Kyle Wright is closing in on a big-league return, but Atlanta is right not to rush him.
So, the next, best option appears to be Darius Vines, who was pitching quite well in the Braves system all season, but had for the most part been overlooked. Vines, who is 25 years old, finally received the call to make his MLB debut. MLB Trade Rumors had rave reviews about Vines MLB potential, as he becomes the 13th Brave to start this season since the injuries to Wright and Max Fried, who has since returned:
"In 43 1/3 innings this year, the Cal State Bakersfield product has posted a 2.70 ERA with a 27.1% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 44.4% ground-ball rate. Scouting reports at BA, MLB.com and FanGraphs tab Vines as a potential back-of-the-rotation arm thanks to his command of a three-pitch repertoire (fastball, slider, changeup). The changeup draws plus (60 on the 20-80 scale) or better offerings, with BA's report noting that some scouts have put a plus-plus (70) grade on the pitch," MLBTR's Steve Adams wrote.
Vines likely isn't long for the major leagues, though it's great to see him get his opportunity. Michael Soroka should eventually receive his chance, and he made an NL All-Star team in the recent past before his career was derailed by injuries. Also, Wright will return eventually, thus giving the Braves five solid starters heading into the postseason.
Atlanta Braves Rumors: Chipper Jones trolls John Smoltz
Bally Sports South debuted their legends booth last week to rave reviews. The booth included John Smoltz, Chipper Jones and Tom Glavine, formerly Atlanta teammates who won a World Series together.
After a Pete Alonso hit by pitch, the Bally Sports crew discussed the sole time John Smoltz was hit by a pitch. Smoltz did not recall the event fondly, though his former teammates had a few laughs at his expense. Chipper Jones, specifically, had plenty to say to Smoltz. During his day, Chipper was among the most-plunked Braves in the box. It's not surprising Jones was hit by more pitches than Smoltz given he was a hitter, but Chipper wanted to make sure Smoltz knew his HBP was nothing in comparison to what big-league hitters go through on a monthly basis.
"Hey, there was no tuna," Smoltz complained. "It was just having a hard time breathing at that point."
Chipper had a rebuttal ready for Smoltz, and it wasn't pretty for the Hall-of-Fame pitcher.
"This is how my 6-year-old would have taken one," Jones responded. "I've been waiting my whole life for that one."
Chipper and Smoltz are good friends who surely love to give each other a hard time. The legends booth was a major hit among fans in part because of the familiarty between the players. Hopefully, this won't be the last time we see these three sharing a TV set.
Atlanta Braves Rumors: Could Noah Syndergaard join the rotation?
Atlanta has used at least 12 starting pitchers this season, as the injuries to Max Fried and Kyle Wright left their depth tested. For the most part, Charlie Morton, Bryce Elder and Spencer Strider have managed to hold down the rotation. Now that Fried is back, the team is in good shape.
However, Kyle Wright isn't ready, and the team doesn't want to rush him back. After another bad start by Jared Shuster, Alex Anthopoulos sent the former first-round pick back down to Gwinnett in favor for Darius Vines. As previously discussed, Vines could prove capable, but he's making his big-league debut at 25 years old for a reason. Could Atlanta search for outside help in the meantime?
Bringing back Wright to a six-man rotation could make sense, especially as he gears up for the postseason. An intriguing starting pitcher just hit the waiver wire in Noah Syndergaard. Assuming Thor clears waivers, the Braves should take a look at their former rival on a prove-it deal.
Syndergaard is on the market for a reason, of course. While he had a nice bounceback season in 2022 with the Angels and NL champion Phillies, Syndergaard has come back down to earth in a big way this season. After a brief tenure with the Dodgers and then Guardians, it's clear something is off with Syndergaard's delivery, plus his confidence. His time with the Guardians, specifically, did not go according to plan, per MLB Trade Rumors:
"Syndergaard ended up making five starts for the Guardians prior to the club's decision today to move on from him. While his ERA improved with the club relative to his time with the Dodgers, his 4.94 figure was still 16% below average. To make matters worse, he struck out just 12.5% of batters faced while giving up a whopping seven homers in just 27 1/3 innings of work," wrote Nick Deeds of MLBTR.
Syndergaard is a former All-Star. If the Braves (or any team for that matter) can revive that talent, Syndergaard is a worthwhile flyer.
