Alex Anthopoulos says Braves looking to add only ‘playoff’ starting pitcher

Will you add another starting pitcher? Look, our plan coming into camp, before the Schwellenbach news, we were looking at (Grant) Holmes being our fifth (starter) because he did a good job last year before he got hurt, and he’s totally healthy. So right now, Holmes, (Reynaldo) López, (Spencer) Strider and (Chris) Sale, those four guys are set in our rotation. We like those guys, we like the upside, we like the ability. Schwellenbach, we fully expect him to be healthy, he had been throwing (bullpen sessions) and doing really well (before the injury). It’s obviously really unfortunate what happened. Right now we got competition for that 5 spot. We like the options we have, we like the guys we have.

I think the big thing for us was, if we felt like there was someone that we could slot into the top of the rotation, that’s something that we look to do. But again, we’re still gonna continue to have — you have discussions all year. Spring training there’s still guys out there, guys in trade you continue. Again, we like the four, and we like the guys we have competing for the fifth spot we like as well.

What about adding a starter simply for more depth? The tough part is that you’re making commitments to certain guys, so you’re taking the information you have. I think when we started the offseason, you said, OK, well there’s a little more uncertainty with those guys. We’re so much more removed now. We’re sitting here in the middle of February with those guys specifically, and we just know more about Holmes and López, who we were checking on all offseason.

We will have injuries. There’s no doubt about it. We will have more. That’s just reality. But we want to commit to those guys for spots as well. López was an All-Star with a sub-2 ERA. It’s tough to say, “You don’t even have a chance to be in the rotation, we’re sticking you in the bullpen.” You’re balancing a fine line between insurance and depth. And, look, it’s tough, normally depth are kids, right? They’re guys that you can option or older guys like the Martín Pérezes and the Carlos Carrascos who are nonroster (invitees) and so on. Otherwise you’re guaranteeing guys rotation spots.

We feel good about Reynoldo, we feel good about Holmes, Strider, Sale, we feel good about those four. We’re just so far removed — I couldn’t have told you that in October, right? We just didn’t know at that time. But we’re months removed from that.

Has there been frustration in not being able to sign a starting pitcher? I’ve seen all the rumors, this and that. Our focus has been on guys that we think can slot toward the top, whether that’s trade or signing. That’s not to take anything away from the guys that have been out there and signed. Some guys are gonna go have great years. But for us, it was who are they gonna knock out of the rotation? That’s why, when Schwellenbach was healthy, we were like, “OK, well if Grant Holmes is potentially our fifth and we’re gonna knock someone out, it better be someone we think could be a front-end of the rotation type.”

But right now, with those four, we think those guys are all capable of being really good starters. And those top three have had a lot of success. In terms of (being) close and things like that, until things are done, you just don’t know. But we definitely had a lot of conversations throughout the winter.

Is money an issue? I know it comes up every year, it’s the highest payroll in the history of the Braves. People talk about tax and so on, we’re into the tax, but we don’t sit there (having that) as a goal. It’s always been, “Yes, if there’s a deal out there that makes sense for the right players we’re gonna do it.” I don’t think there’s any change there. I think it’s a matter of what’s the opportunity cost in terms of who are we gonna take at-bats away from, who we gonna take innings away from in the bullpen or the rotation? Because ultimately you’re always trying to balance the short term and the long term. You want to give guys an opportunity.

You previously said starting pitching was a priority? I think in October it was hey, we don’t know. We had no idea. We were too close, it was just after the season, we didn’t know. I don’t remember the timing, maybe it was December, I was asked again, I said, “Look, we’re getting really good reports on all these guys.” These guys are progressed to throwing bullpens and so on.

Front-of-the-rotation type of guy, one, two, three let’s say, you make room for those guys. But again, if we’re getting someone that we don’t think slots in that spot or that we feel would playoff spots for us, I don’t know that we’re looking to take away the innings and the opportunities for some of the other guys that we have and we like, and they’re part of this long term.

So you have been looking for starter? We have. We’re looking for a playoff starter. We had a lot of conversations and explored a lot of things, guys that we thought could slot into the top three.

Still looking? Always. One thing I always say is certain positions are blocked. You can always make room for a front-line starter, right? That’s the one commodity or the one asset in this game that is not blocked. If you have five guys and you have someone that’s gonna slot in the top three, you make room for those guys. That was always the goal for us.

Our goal was to try to get someone that we thought could slot toward the top and make playoff starts. I’m not trying to disparage anybody else because there’s plenty of really good starters and there’s guys that emerge and so on. But that was the goal and focus and you always stay that way.

How did Schwellenbach’s injury affect all this? It opens it up some, but Schwellenbach, again, front-line guy for us. We think when he’s on the mound he’s top two in our rotation — in anyone’s rotation. We view him that way. You’re always looking to add when you can, depth and bodies. I think you’re weighing who are those opportunities going to come at the expense of?