Atlanta Braves have plenty of options for starting pitching rotation

The rotation has changed again for the Atlanta Braves, as Lucas Sims officially replaced Jaime Garcia this week and did well in his debut Tuesday in Atlanta.

So, let’s look at the candidates who are in Atlanta and at the top levels of the minor league system to see the options the Braves may have for the rotation in the next 12 months.

R.A. DICKEY: He has done what the Braves wanted him to do – eat innings and be a veteran influence on the young pitchers. Dickey will probably have 10 or 11 starts left, so he could finish with around 185 innings. The Braves can either pick up his $8 million option for 2018 or buy him out for $500,00. He turns 43 on Oct. 29, so the Braves will know he could be like Colon next season and just lose it. But if they think that amount is worth the risk, compared to bringing in someone else new on a one-year deal, the team will likely bring Dickey back.

JULIO TEHERAN: Well, here is the dilemma. Here’s the debate. Teheran is having his worst season, but he is what he is – a good pitcher who is not an ace and will likely never even be Atlanta’s No. 1 again. He’s under contract for $19 million for the next two seasons, with the Braves holding an option for 2020 at $12 million (or a $1 million buyout). It’s affordable and that gives Teheran value. But do the Braves hope Teheran does well the final two months and he repairs his value and then trade him, or do they simply keep him as a potential number three starter next year?

MIKE FOLTYNEWICZ: Folty has emerged as the team’s No. 1 starter, and he likely has 10 more starts left to solidify his position in the rotation. The Braves are thrilled to see Folty take this next step. There is no longer any talk about whether Folty will have to go to the bullpen. He’s locked in the rotation for now.

SEAN NEWCOMB: He has made nine starts with Atlanta entering Thursday’s game against the Dodgers, and we’ve seen good and bad. Newcomb still battles the spurts of wildness at times, but his strikeout numbers are good (48 in 48 innings) and his hits/innings pitched ratio has been solid (45/48). After he walked two and gave up a three-run home run in Los Angeles, Newcomb calmed down and was really good. Newcomb has shown the stuff – a great curveball and an effective fastball that can sit in the mid-90s. Can he have that third pitch to really lock himself into the rotation?

LUCAS SIMS: OK, it’s just one start. Let’s don’t lock him in yet or think about what day Sims will get to Cooperstown. But Sims was impressive Tuesday night in his debut. The Braves loved his demeanor and competitiveness, and Sims showed he has pitches to get MLB hitters out. Let him finish the season in Atlanta, get 10 more MLB starts and let Sims show us all what he might be in the big leagues. The first impression was a great one, and Sims has his chance now to fend off the younger prospects.

KRIS MEDLEN: If the top five stay healthy the rest of the way, it might be tough to see Medlen get a chance to start this season. But the Braves may want to bring him up to see if he could be an option in the bullpen. There’s little chance Medlen can break through the rotation, even if he is re-signed for next season. The Braves must be curious, however, if Medlen could be an effective bullpen piece.

LUIZ GOHARA: Well, look who has moved to the front of the line. The Braves gave up Mallex Smith for Gohara, who just turned 21 and has done so well in three levels this season. Gohara is showing a mid-90s fastball, a good curve and slider in his arsenal. He’s turning heads, and the Braves likely can’t wait to see this kid in big league camp in spring training to gauge how close he might be to becoming an option.

MIKE SOROKA: The Braves pushed Soroka to Double-A Mississippi, and he likely has been one of the best pitching prospects in the Southern League. Soroka turns 20 on Friday, so he’s still so young. But the Braves are thrilled with how he’s pitched. Teams need to stop calling them about Soroka. He’s likely going nowhere. Where will this kid be a year from now if he continues to do well? Probably in Atlanta.

KOLBY ALLARD: Ditto for Allard, although he has had a little more of a challenge recently than Soroka. Allard had a three-game stretch in July when he gave up 15 runs in 15 innings, but he bounced back last Saturday and pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings. We’ll see with his start Thursday if he does well again. Allard turns 20 next Sunday, so he’s on the same track as Soroka. The only difference – Allard is left-handed.

MAX FRIED: The numbers (2-11, 5.92) aren’t good. But Fried has allowed 88 hits in 86 2/3 innings and has struck out 85. He also has reportedly battled more blister problems, which also plagued him last year. The Braves don’t need to give up on Fried, as he still has the stuff that translates into a potential MLB pitcher. But anyone who struggles may get pushed out of line with the other options.

TOUKI TOUSSAINT: The 21-year-old just made his debut Monday in Double-A, so Toussaint is now in the conversation. He has a 1.97 ERA in his last five starts, with 40 strikeouts and only eight walks in 32 innings. The Braves really want to see him in this final month in Double-A to see how he finishes the season. Toussaint will be in big league camp next spring, and will have a shot to make an impression.

KYLE WRIGHT: He made his full-season team debut Tuesday, with two innings in High-A. If Wright takes the same time path as Mike Minor and Alex Wood, two other college draft picks for the Braves, Wright will be in Atlanta late next summer. If he does well the rest of the way, chances are Wright will begin next season in Double-A. Therefore, even though he’s not there yet, Wright belongs in this conversation.

That adds up to 12 pitchers. There are plenty of options for the Braves to sort through the rest of this season and then this offseason.

And please notice that Matt Wisler and Aaron Blair, at least for me, are no longer in this conversation. They’ve had their chances, and they have not done well. With this depth, you must do well or you will get pushed out of line and become trade bait.

Who will start the 2018 season in the Atlanta rotation? The better question may be, who will be in the Atlanta rotation a year from now – on Aug. 3, 2018? Who will be even closer than they are now a year from now? Who may be traded? Who may be blocked?

This is the depth the Braves have coveted for the rotation. There are more prospects behind these guys, but to have 12 names to even talk about for the short-term rotation is impressive. Having pitching at the forefront of the rebuild is working well, and it should be very interesting to see how it plays out.

This story was originally published August 3, 2017 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Atlanta Braves have plenty of options for starting pitching rotation."