It was a tough decision for the organization, but the Braves chose to start the season with Eric Stults in their starting rotation. With the injury to Mike Minor, it looked like Wandy Rodriguez and Stults could be Atlanta’s #4 and #5 guys going into the season. However, the Braves were not comfortable having two similar lefties at the end of their rotation. Their response was trading for RHP Trevor Cahill from the Diamondbacks, who will be a reclamation project for Roger McDowell. Rodriguez and Stults both had great springs, as Wandy pitched to a 3.13 ERA and Stults pitched to a 1.88 ERA. While Stults looks better on paper, this move is still a little surprising, as it was just a couple weeks ago that Fredi Gonzalez announced that Wandy would occupy the 4th starter spot. This really makes me wonder whether Fredi and the front office are on the same page. Stults does come with less health risk as Wandy did fail a physical with the Phillies earlier this offseason and has been marred by injuries in past years. Stults and Rodriguez both had minor league deals with April 3rd opt outs, which made it hard for the Braves to try and trade the odd man out. Wandy looked great this Spring and we wish him the best going forward.
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