Possible sources for Atlanta Braves to plug potential loopholes as season progresses – MLB Feature
Regular season has started and around 16 games have been played by almost every side. Certain facts have appeared that give one an illusion of the sources causing teams to win and lose games. A look at the National League East Division reveals the secret
behind success: keep your offence on top and victories will come automatically.
How can the New York Mets pick a winning formula all of a sudden following their poor Spring Training? What to do about the last year Division Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies' crumbling in the ballpark? Will the Washington Nationals record 14 victories
even without the help of their offence?
Pity on the Miami Marlins, they overlooked bigger picture in the frenzy of extravaganza and signed three all-star on their roster, but forgot to add any slugger. No wonder, they are stuttering at the lower end of the table.
What all this suggests for the Atlanta Braves is alarming to say the least. Complacency of possessing solid offence and expecting things to pan out just similarly as the season progresses can easily get them forgetting their vulnerabilities.
It is just the beginning, cliff-hangers down the line will impose more pressure and hence fewer scores and greater impact of the quality pitches.
Mike Minor gives up runs, Tommy Hanson goes for big hits and Jair Jurrjens slumps and yet the Braves stand at an impressive 11-7. This signals an eternal weak-link they have carried since last year, which can let them down anytime.
With no prospect of Tim Hudson making to the season anytime soon, it is only pragmatic to believe that they will fall to the pressure-cooker games ahead.
Braves just cannot afford to leave their hands-up on the proceedings and bask in the current joy of success.
What about the trades? What about Chien-Ming Wang, the Nationals’ injured starter. Does he hold all that the Braves need the most in later stages of the season? More than likely, he does.
Wang suffered an injury and is on the way to recovery at the moment. The Nationals replaced him with Ross Detwiler, who turned out equally effective.
So useful Detwiler has proven for the Nationals’ manager Davey Johnson, if he will give Wang the nod right away should he return, appears a far cry now.
With the presence of powerful arms already in the Nationals, Wang sitting on the roster has begun to smell like a misfit in the bunch of overcrowded arms.
Therefore, the Braves can initiate negotiations to bring Wang on their roster through trade. What will it mean to the whole side?
Cushion, shield or use any word to describe this, by the mid of season, the most crucial part of the season, the Braves will not have to worry about injury of any ace and an unavailability of a kind of replacement best fit for the situation at-hand.
Considering his impressive career win-loss record of 59-29, he holds all that the Braves require to have smooth sailing to the play-offs.
Granted pitchers will play a huge role half-way through the season, the Phillies can wake up and turn their fate around anytime. A tortoise kind of beginning can turn lethal anywhere around mid of the season. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels have
everything to convince any expert of their ability to take their side to wins on their own. Their past Major League record seconds this eventuality.
If not Wang, many other options can be looked upon by the Braves. The fact is there is something missing in the Braves’ camp and gives one a feel of a disaster in the making. The team will be looking to address this at the earliest.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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