Braves Rumors: Blooper takes NYC as Braves sweep Yankees
Fresh off a rather forceful shellacking of the New York Mets on the road, the Atlanta Braves returned home to face the Big Apple's other team at Truist Park in Cobb County. The Yankees were in town, and frankly, it was just a bad couple of weeks for NYC all around.
The Yankees series went an eerily similar direction as the Mets series. Atlanta pitched two shutouts and outscored New York 18-3 across three games. The Yankees' offensive struggles under Aaron Boone are well documented, but the Braves' pitchers have been on a heater lately and there's simply no stopping the bats in Brian Snikter's lineup.
The Braves are now 11-2 versus New York teams in 2023 with a plus-55 run differential. And, to make matters worse, the city of New York was delivered a harsh comedic blow from Blooper, everybody's favorite enigmatic mascot.
The Yankees and Mets aren't the only teams to get trampled by the Braves this season, but both Big Apple teams getting blown out in back-to-back series has made for good television. Great work from the MLB scriptwriters.
Atlanta struggled a bit after the All-Star break, but it's clear the team is back to their usually dominant selves with October on the horizon.
Braves Rumors: Vaughn Grissom deserves chance at 2B
Nicky Lopez began his Braves career at a torrid pace, filling in admirably for the injured Ozzie Albies with eight RBIs in his first two games at the plate. Since then, however, Lopez's numbers have tanked severely. He's 0-for-7 in his last two games, which is probably more indicative of the player Atlanta traded for. Lopez was batting .213 before the Braves acquired him.
With Lopez back on Planet Earth, Atlanta would be wise to consider alternatives — primarily 22-year-old Vaughn Grissom, who is batting .357/.457/.571 over his last four weeks in the minors. Grissom is already on the Braves' 40-man roster and he is widely considered the best prospect on the team.
Grissom filled in at shortstop for Atlanta earlier in the year, with mixed results. The talent at the plate is obvious, but Grissom does struggle in the field. He has six errors in 19 appearances with the big-league club this season. The Braves could be hesitant to move off the elder Lopez for that reason alone.
Even so, Atlanta has a comfortable cushion in the National League standings and three All-Star infielders to cushion Grissom at second base. There are also fewer defensive responsibilities at second than at shortstop. Grissom has talent worthy of investment and the Braves would be wise to squeeze some big-league at-bats in before the playoffs. He has the potential to develop into Atlanta's next star infielder under Ron Washington.
Braves Rumors: Charlie Morton's future in doubt
In the third year of his second stint with the Braves, Charlie Morton just keeps dealing. He's 12-10 on the season with a 3.54 ERA and 1.433 WHIP. While no longer the Cy Young candidate of old, Morton has been a steady arm with 146 strikeouts to date. He's an important veteran in the locker room and he's on a very affordable one-year, $20 million contract.
That is, of course, the source of concern for Atlanta fans. Morton is 38 years old and his numbers are on a downturn. He has already allowed 66 walks this season, the most of his career. The Braves have a club option for next season, but it's fair to question whether or not it will get used.
Morton is no longer the ace in the clubhouse for Atlanta. The Braves have two current All-Stars on the staff in Bryce Elder and Spencer Strider, as well as perennial Cy Young candidate Max Fried. Kyle Wright's season has been marred by injury, but he's 27 years old and fresh off a 21-win campaign in 2022. Morton is useful, but he's not longer essential.
It will be interesting to see how Alex Anthopoulos and the front office handle Morton's contract and upcoming free agency. He is sure to have suitors around the league, but only for short-term deals given his age. The Braves would assuredly love to have Morton back, but there's a chance Anthopoulos decides his resources are better spent elsewhere with so many quality young pitchers already on the staff.
