The Braves got a reminder on Thursday night of what this group can look like when the lineup is at full strength. Atlanta rolled past the Marlins for its eighth straight win, a timely burst of momentum after a quiet trade deadline on Monday left plenty of questions behind.
That deadline may have passed without major changes, but the roster still isn’t settled. A few players made it through the day untouched, yet their grip on a spot looks awfully shaky as the season winds down. There are names on this roster who now have to earn every single trip to the field.
Ha-Seong Kim is one of them. Putting him at the back end of the bench says plenty about where things stand.
Walt Weiss appears set on using Mauricio Dubon and Jim Jarvis at shortstop for now, which leaves Kim with little room to work. With his playing time already squeezed, his place on the roster feels vulnerable.
The Braves could swap him out at any point for someone who brings more speed or more power, two traits that would help Atlanta even more once October arrives.
Danny Young’s case looks even more precarious. Atlanta addressed the need for a third left-hander in the bullpen by bringing in Brent Suter at the deadline, and that move all but undercut Young’s place on the staff.
The experiment was worth a try, but it hasn’t paid off. After getting knocked around by the Marlins on Thursday night, Young’s ERA climbed to 6.10.
The numbers underneath it are even less encouraging, with his FIP sitting higher than that mark, which doesn’t leave much reason to believe there’s a turnaround coming.
Then there’s Dominic Smith, whose situation is a little messier because of how well he started the year. Smith gave the Braves real production early, but that strong opening gave way to a long power drought through the summer. With the roster getting healthier, his chances at designated hitter have thinned out.
If Sean Murphy stays healthy and keeps producing, Drake Baldwin could get more DH work. The Braves also have every reason to give Ronald Acuña Jr.
DH reps whenever they can. On top of that, Atlanta now has a couple of power bats available, which only tightens the squeeze on Smith.
He may need to slide further before the club makes a change, but it would not be a surprise if his roster spot is upgraded before October.
In Other News...
Braves Added A New Arm With A Rise Fans Will Want To Follow
The Braves latest roster move brought in a pitcher whose climb has been notable for more than just the change of scenery. Tyler Uberstine came over from the Red Sox in the Eli White deal and wasted little time making his organizational debut with Atlantas Triple-A club, working a scoreless inning as he settled into a new system.
Uberstine has already reached the big leagues once with Boston, and his path has gotten more interesting this season thanks to a noticeable uptick in velocity and better results across three different Minor League stops. For a Braves pitching pipeline that is always worth tracking, he is the kind of arm who can quickly go from a transaction footnote to a name fans keep checking back on. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Were Deeper In The Ace Market Than Fans Realized
Tarik Skubals move from Detroit to the Dodgers gave the pitching market the jolt it had been waiting for, and it also confirmed just how many clubs were circling one of the winters biggest arms. The Tigers pushed the deal forward amid uncertainty over George Kirbys availability, only for Kirby to stay put with the Mariners, while teams including the Brewers, Yankees, Rays, Braves and Cubs all spent time in the mix before Los Angeles landed the left-hander.
For Atlanta, the takeaway is less about the final destination and more about how aggressively the Braves were willing to chase a top-end starter. They were not merely on the fringe of the conversation, and their involvement says plenty about how determined the front office was to fortify the rotation, even if the market ultimately broke in another direction. [Read more 🡒]