Braves Rumors: Is Michael Soroka's return imminent?
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Michael Soroka, who has struggled with injuries — including missing much of the past two seasons — made a brief appearance in the majors this year only to be sent back down to Gwinnett, rather than finding his form as an All-Star in 2019.
To be fair, it was always unlikely that Soroka would pitch like a Cy Young-caliber pitcher again. Doing so right after missing two seasons due to injury was virtually impossible. However, this week in Gwinnett, Soroka threw his best start of the season against the Jacksonville Jumbo.
The following, per Battery Power, sums it all up quite nicely:
"Game two of this doubleheader belonged solely to Michael Soroka, who put up easily his best start since returning last season…Soroka finished strong and struck out the final batter to end a marvelous day. Soroka finished with eighteen whiffs on the game, and surprisingly those primarily came via his four seam fastball. Soroka had 49% of his pitches register as the fastball, topping out at 95.5 mph, and he forced 11 whiffs on 22 swings at the pitch. The other to do huge work was his slider that netted five whiffs on eight swings."
A call back up to the big leagues right now seems a bit unlikely, though the Braves are juggling several pitchers at the bottom of their starting rotation right now. Should Soroka back this excellent outing up with another, then expect the organization to be on high alert for a future call back to Truist Park. For now, though, his time is best-spent in Gwinnett so he can receive consistent opportunities.
Braves make the wrong kind of MLB history
At some point, all the Atlanta Braves can do is tip their cap.
That's what happened on Friday night. A.J. Smith-Shawver, a rookie, was set to go up against the hottest team in baseball. It did not go well.
Atlanta had won eight games in a row of their own, but it pales in comparison to the shocking turnaround of the Cincinnati Reds, who have now won 12 straight and are 14-2 since calling up Elly De La Cruz.
De La Cruz hit for the cycle on Friday in just his 15th major-league start. He's already one of the more talented players in baseball, and anyone with eyes can tell you that. Atlanta put their best foot forward, and made some incredible MLB history in the process. The Braves made have had the best losing effort of all-time. Seriously.
The real winners on Friday night were baseball fans everywhere, who got to watch a thrilling 21-run affair only locally. Ouch. While one would hope in the future MLB could find a way to air such a great contest between two thriving ball-clubs nationally, the game showcased much of the new, up-and-coming talent the league has been trying to advertise for all this years.
Odds are, Atlanta will find a way to strike back against Cincinnati, and eventually end their win streak. But that won't come easy.
Braves Rumors: Is a Travis d'Arnaud trade plausible?
A few days ago, Jim Bowden of The Athletic mentioned the possibility of a Travis d'Arnaud trade. Basically, it boils down to this — catcher is a valuable position, and Atlanta has two very good ones in Sean Murphy and d'Arnaud. Why not use that excess to acquire a starting pitcher, or perhaps another corner outfielder?
"D'Arnaud is so valuable to the Braves because he protects them from an injury to catcher Sean Murphy and/or DH Marcell Ozuna and gives them a clutch hitter off the bench at any time. They are not looking to move him. However, if a team were willing to offer a mid-rotation starting pitcher for d'Arnaud and a prospect, then Atlanta would have to consider it. D'Arnaud is signed through this year with an $8 million team option for 2024," Bowden wrote.
So, yes, theoretically Alex Anthopoulos could use a d'Arnaud trade to his advantage. However, could it possibly be more valuable to do nothing at all? For weeks, pundits have tried to wrap their heads around what the Braves will do. With Max Fried and Kyle Wright returning from injuries, more pitching depth would make some sense. Eddie Rosario has struggled some, so why not another outfielder?
Yet, Atlanta is the best team in the NL right now, and one of the best squads in all of baseball. Clearly, they are doing something right. I posed the d'Arnaud question to FanSided's Robert Murray earlier this week. Here's what he had to say:
"With the emergence of Sean Murphy, d'Arnaud isn't as needed in Atlanta as he once was. But the Braves, specifically general manager Alex Anthopoulos, love d'Arnaud and value catching depth. So it's not like the team will just part with the veteran catcher for pennies on the dollar. A trade should not be ruled out, but it could be difficult…"
Murray suggested the San Diego Padres would be an ideal fit if Atlanta were indeed inclined to trade away d'Arnaud. The Pads need a catcher, and A.J. Preller is never afraid to deal.
It still remains a longshot, however.
