Braves starting pitching

[frosgrim]

Looking at the end of the year stats and it is very clear that if the Braves had anything like a true #3 starter the team would have won the division by 7 games at least. Chuck James can be a good pitcher if he develops either a splitter or change-up that he can throw for strikes at any point in the count. If he doesn't then he's a 2.5 pitch #4 starter at best.

So, I just took a look at the FA pitchers for next year. There is next to nothing in the market. Silva from Minny looks like the best of the crop. He would be a good addition, but the price tag will be huge due to the market.

So what do the Braves do to get a #3 pitcher? Do we trade Edgar? What if we can get a legit #2 by trading Yunel? Thoughts?

[AnakinJoe]

I'd have to get back a proven, young stud starter if I'm trading Yunel. And he needs to be signed to at least a 3 year deal (as opposed to a rental).

Silva looks like a great innings eater, which is what this team needs. I certainly would trade Renteria for a very good #3/4 starter (e.g. Garland or Arroyo). I'm fearful that in Cox's last year, we'll sign someone old like Glavine and be in the same situation again the following season, with an even older Smoltz. I'm hoping we add a starter who is young enough that we can expect 200 innings from that guy for at least 2-3 seasons.

[KB21]

Chuck has a change up. He just isn't throwing it as much as he used to. He has a slider that he has no confidence in, and once in a blue moon, he will throw a curve ball. I do think he needs a splitter and some more work on that slider.

When Chuck was coming up through the system, he was a terrific change of speeds pitcher. He could locate his fastball and did a great job of working in his change up. The flyball tendencies were still there, but there's no doubt he threw the change up more coming up than he has under Roger McDowell.

Personally, I think we have the worst pitching coach in baseball. Roger McDowell has done very little for the young players, and what he has tried to do hasn't worked. For some strange reason, both Chuck James and Kyle Davies started throwing their change up pitch a lot less under Roger, when both players had plus change ups.

[Yubs]

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So what do the Braves do to get a #3 pitcher? Do we trade Edgar? What if we can get a legit #2 by trading Yunel? Thoughts?

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If it means trading Yunel to get a great pitcher back, I'd do it in a heartbeat. We still have another great SS prospect in Lillibridge, and we can bring him up next year while Renteria plays out the rest of his time here. Granted, Yunel showed he can play ball, and it would be extremely disappointing if Lillibridge can't make the transition from minors to majors as well as Yunel did, but starting pitching was too much of a problem for this team this year.

I have faith in JS to pull through this offseason. He addressed the bullpen issues last year with some strong additions, and I'm confident he'll bring in some decent starting pitching to pitch behind Smoltz/Huddy (and in front of James, Reyes/minor-leaguer/journeyman...).