Let's keep the rotation in tact.

This Blog was supposed to appear on the launch of the all new Score Atlanta website, but the date has been pushed back. So I thought I'd release it right here! Enjoy

As of last Thursday, the Atlanta Braves brass let Score Atlanta know that they were waiting for most of their injured players to come back before moving forward with any potential moves of bringing anyone in from outside the organization. Assistant GM Bruce Manno said that he believes the team was a “very, very good and competitive team,” at the beginning of the year, and when everyone gets back into their place, “that’s an opportunity to go and try and move forward.” When everyone does eventually come back, and it seems that Chipper, Kotsay, and Gonzalez are back with Soriano coming soon and Hampton and Glavine perhaps due back before the season is over, the Braves might still make a run at this thing. The one thing getting lost in the injury shuffle is how well the young pitchers are doing.
Newcomer Jair Jurrjens, acquired in the off-season along with another outstanding young outfielder from Detroit, has become the team’s second ace. With all due respect to Tim Hudson, Jurrjens may be the team’s best pitcher at home and he has been throwing so well, he might receive all-star consideration. Also, after two seasons of up-and-down performances, Jo-Jo Reyes appears to be in Atlanta to stay and apparently has locked up the number three spot in the rotation for many years to come. The lefty Jo-Jo has been cobbling together three and four great quality starts in a row for most of the season, though he has worn the tag of “Hard Luck Loser” in several outings where he has given up one or two runs in 7+ innings but ended up with a loss because the offense has disappeared. Finally, Charlie Morton started his career with a win in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels and though he gave up a bunch of runs the last time out, he has shown he deserves to stick in Atlanta in 2009. Throw in Phil Stockman’s success in limited time in Atlanta and the possibility that the light will turn on for Chuck James, and the Braves have a potential for a strong young rotation in 2009, bolstered by Ace Tim Hudson in a contract-push year.
The thing that the Braves brass should do is NOT panic come July 31 and send one of these youngsters out in a deal for a rental player that may walk come December. Stick with the kids and recall the days of 1991-1995 when young Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery, along with Maddux took you to heights no one in Atlanta thought possible. Jurrjens/Reyes/Morton. Could be a winning formula for years to come.