The Atlanta Braves received great news as Brandon Beachy is set to make his return to the majors any day now. After needing Tommy John Surgery last year, Beachy found himself out of the starting lineup and he's currently just a couple of rehab starts from making his season debut. So who will leave the rotation for Atlanta as they have the second best ERA in the majors?
The Braves have some questions to answer. The guys at SB Nation broke down the Braves' starting rotation pitcher by pitcher and their analysis is dead on. There really isn't a guy to spare in the Braves rotation and as they point out, the Braves have had the healthiest starting pitching in baseball.
Top Bullpen Candidate
Atlanta needs relief pitching, but why break up the team's chemistry and possibly hand over prospects when the team is healthy and controlling the N.L. East? Logically, when looking at the numbers, Tim Hudson would be odd man out. However, Hudson has always been a starter. He's only made one career appearance from the bullpen. With his 4-6 record and 4.41 ERA, Hudson would be the one to go. Of course, the Braves have respect for Hudson and they simply wouldn't trade him or put him in the bullpen.
When looking at the Braves rotation, Kris Medlen is the guy who recently made the move from the bullpen to the starting rotation. The Georgia native doesn't have the record to show it, but he's been pitching really well this season. At 3-6 with a 2.87 ERA, Medlen has been dominant in the starting rotation. He is the best candidate to make the move to the bullpen, if necessary, since Julio Teheran and Paul Maholm have been great and Mike Minor has been truly amazing in 2013.
Top Trade Candidate
Maholm becomes a free agent at the end of the season. As pointed out by Bleacher Report, if the Oakland A's lose Bartolo Colon, who's facing a possible 100-game suspension due to the Biogenesis scandal, they could become interested in Maholm. The 30-year-old lefty is 7-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 2013. Some might say Maholm is finding himself late in his career, sort of like a Cliff Lee. If the Braves make a move with Maholm, it's possible they could be letting go of a guy who can be worth more down the road.
Don't even expect Teheran to be on this list. While Randall Delgado is nowhere to be found in Arizona, the Braves are looking like geniuses as Teheran is making solid contributions to the Braves starting rotation. Hudson would make the list since he's struggling and though he is a free agent next year, it would take a lot to move him from the Braves organization. Will Hudson call it quits after 2013? It remains to be seen, but it's more than likely that he will remain with the Braves organization through the end of the season.
The Braves have done the six-man rotation in the past. This could be the truly logical solution in Atlanta as they find themselves with a surplus of talent in their starting rotation. However, they won't face this problem in 2014 as Maholm and Hudson will be free agents.
