Scatterbrained Sunday

Paul Maholm

Paul Maholm left yesterday's start with a sprained left wrist.  It's hard to say whether or not the wrist has played a role in his diminished performance recently, but nevertheless, Maholm's FIP has risen steadily since the beginning of the season.  Conversely his Ks/9 have fallen, his BB/9 are up, and while he may be experiencing some bad luck on balls in play, his LD% in the month of July is a staggering 31%, more than 50% above league-average.

It's hard to say what the next step will be for Maholm.  He either goes back into the rotation, goes to the bullpen, or gets traded.  If the reports about Alex Wood transitioning into the rotation are true, Maholm may lose his spot.  The Braves could opt to put him in the bullpen, a role he has never officially held as a major leaguer.  This could be a prudent move, as it would theoretically prevent Atlanta from having to trade for a southpaw to compliment Avilan.  A trade seems unlikely, especially considering that his injury comes ten days before the deadline, but the possibility is probably much higher now than it was a few weeks ago.

Maholm's next scheduled start is Thursday at Citi Field against the Mets.  While the team is saying the injury isn't severe enough to keep him from his next start, don't be surprised to see either Brandon Beachy or Alex Wood get the start.  This time next week, the circumstances surrounding Maholm should be much clearer, but until then, we're relegated to conjecture.  

Alex Wood

To say Alex Wood has been on the fast track this season would be an understatement.  Barely a year removed from UGA, Wood finds himself on the verge of starting for a playoff contender.  Though his body of work screams "small sample size", his performance to this point has been very impressive.  Talking Chop's Ben Duronio wrote an excellent assessment of Wood and made a case for him to move into the rotation, an article that is worthy of a read.  Wood was a likely candidate for the rotation in 2014 anyway, but the fact that the Braves think highly enough of him to give him a chance in the heat of a playoff run says a lot about what they think of his ability.  In other words, if one reads between the lines, this move shouldn't be considered a knock on Maholm's performance so much as an acknowledgement of Wood's potential.

If Wood does indeed move into the rotation, it follows that the likelihood of a trade being made for a LH reliever increases exponentially, assuming Maholm doesn't fill that spot.

Jason Heyward

Dave O'Brien reports that Jason Heyward will play CF until BJ Upton returns from the DL, tentatively scheduled for July 28.  This is an excellent move not only because Heyward is perfectly capable of manning CF, but it ensures Gattis a spot in the lineup in the meantime.  This seemed like a common sense move, and it's nice to see Fredi on board with it. 

The Trade Deadline

The Braves will almost certainly make at least one move between now and July 31, with a LH reliever being at the top of Frank Wren's shopping list.  MLB Trade Rumors suggests Joey Terdoslavich could be trade bait, a suggestion that seems reasonable as the only positions he plays (OF, 1B) are ones manned by players he has no chance of unseating. 

Members of the national media have suggested the Braves could go after an "ace" starting pitcher, or a third base compliment to Chris Johnson.  The first of these seems highly unlikely, not only because the pitching is strong, but also because the Braves' front office isn't known for mortgaging the future to win now.  As for the backup infielder, the loss of Ramiro Pena seems to necessitate exploring the market.  Paul Janish's glove, as good as it is, does not make up for his lack of offense.  Pastornicky could be a candidate to fill this role, provided his glove work has improved since spring training.  In retrospect, the trade of Juan Francisco looms large here, as he would be an ideal candidate for this spot.

This team has very few holes, and while all would be addressed in an ideal world, the reality is that the Braves are not in a position to trade away prospects, nor are they in a position to take on loads of new salary.  But alas, this assumption is made while operating with asymmetrical information.  For all we know, we could wake up Friday morning with Manny Ramirez having taken Reed Johnson's place on the bench.  Such is the beauty of the July trade deadline.

(Stats and Info courtesy of FanGraphs, Talking Chop, and MLB Trade Rumors)