- 1 day ago
With Braves Opening Day fast approaching and the injuries and starting rotation woes continuing to pile up, Dukes and Bell offer their take on how they're feeling heading into the new campaign.
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00:00As we talk about where this thing is going, confidence level right now is about a 6.
00:06And that's not to make the playoffs.
00:07That's just to start the season and where we are and getting off to a good start,
00:11which is something we didn't do last year.
00:13Remember when we went 0-7?
00:14Everybody, remember that?
00:15Kind of set the tone.
00:17Well, it did.
00:17And then you had all the injuries, certainly late and throughout the course of the season
00:20with your starting pitching.
00:21All right, give it to me.
00:22What's going to change?
00:23All right, man.
00:23Obviously, we're struggling right now because it's Chris Sale, Ronaldo Lopez.
00:29Because, and then you really don't have any other starting pitchers.
00:30Oh, okay.
00:31Yes, technically you do have.
00:32Oh, I thought you were going to drop a name on me right there.
00:34No, I got a name.
00:34I'm just building up the suspense.
00:35Oh, okay, okay, okay.
00:36Because, you know, as it stands right now, we got, you know, Jose Suarez is here.
00:40Because you said Chris Sale and then you said who?
00:42Ronaldo Lopez.
00:43And then you paused and I was like.
00:44Yeah, and then it's Bryce Elder.
00:46Okay.
00:47All right.
00:48And then, you know, it's Grant Holmes off injury.
00:51Yeah.
00:51Ronaldo hit 89.4 the other day, by the way, on the gun.
00:54Yeah, he said it wasn't his velo, right?
00:56He said it was just something he was working on.
00:58Well, let me give you two words, which might be music, to Braves fans' ears.
01:02Oh, I can't wait.
01:04Osvaldo Beto.
01:05Never heard of him.
01:06What?
01:07This guy's been on the Braves before, Carl.
01:08Come on.
01:10Oren, would you like to jump in?
01:11Who is this guy?
01:13First off, Osvaldo Beto is a right-hander from the Dominican, my friend.
01:17Okay.
01:17He is 30.
01:18He is 9-13 with an ERA of 5-0-7.
01:22Did he play in the World Baseball Classic?
01:23No.
01:24Okay.
01:25He may have played in the Little League World Series, but give me some more about the waiver
01:30history of Osvaldo Beto.
01:32This is just since December 5th of last year, 2025.
01:36He was claimed off waivers by the Braves December 5th, but then designated for assignment when
01:41they re-signed Ha-Sung Kim.
01:42So we didn't see him.
01:43December 19th was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays, but then designated for assignment
01:47January 12th.
01:49So they didn't see him.
01:49Miami claimed him January 16th, but he was designated for assignment on January 20th.
01:55So the Marlins didn't see him.
01:56Then he was claimed off waivers by the Angels this January 27th, but then two days later,
02:02designated for assignment.
02:03February 5th was claimed off waivers for a fifth time, this time by the Yankees, and then
02:08the Braves got him today.
02:09So six times since January 5th.
02:11He has been picked up by a team, five different ball clubs.
02:14Yeah, is this just a roster thing that they're going to keep him, and then they're going
02:18to do the same thing we just heard you say?
02:20No, no, no.
02:20This is Osvaldo Beto, and he's going to be given every opportunity.
02:24Osvaldo, he is the Gaylord Perry of Hot Stove League.
02:27Yeah, all right.
02:28Remember when Gaylord Perry had that jersey, he used to wear an old-timey's name with all
02:30the teams he played on?
02:31What's it, Eldridge Rekastner in the NBA?
02:36Osvaldo Beto.
02:36Teams are keeping this guy like two days at max.
02:39I mean, two days, and then they're letting this guy go.
02:41In the great tradition of Yanni Chorizo and Jake Odorieters, I give you a burrito.
02:45I mean, Beto.
02:46All right.
02:47All right.
02:47Yeah, this is just another...
02:50And everybody and their uncle out there who covers Major League Baseball and is on TV
02:53or is a columnist nationally is saying, why aren't you talking to Lucas Giolito?
02:57You know, I mean, unless you really don't believe in this team, one through nine, to produce
03:02enough runs, and you don't believe your pitching is going to stand up, so why waste, as you
03:05said, whatever it's going to be, $18 to $20 million or more for Lucas Giolito?
03:08I don't know.
03:09Lucas, I'll tell you this, coming back from my trip, it's plus $195 for the Braves to
03:14win this division, okay?
03:15It's not great.
03:16It's $18 to $19 to $1 to your point.
03:18It's not great.
03:20That is what the odds makers are thinking about this team right now.
03:23And guys, it's solely based on what you have.
03:25That's not projecting.
03:26That's not saying the Braves are going to make six trades in the deadline.
03:30That's not saying any of that.
03:31It's just solely, here's what you've got.
03:34$190 plus $195?
03:37Yeah, I'm on that, because the odds are, Mike, if they do something, great, I'm going
03:41to get paid.
03:42But at the end of the day, that's not what we're looking for.
03:45And I think that's the perspective when we start talking about what is your expectation
03:52in wake of the latest injury.
03:54Well, you've got guys raking.
03:56Now, the one thing is, and this is always the fun debate, because we'll poo-poo spring
04:00training stats, because they don't mean anything unless you're going to come and it rolls into
04:04momentum.
04:04And right now, everybody is raking for this team.
04:07Money Harris tailed off a little bit, but OPS is still strong.
04:10Matt's been great.
04:11I mean, Mike, you've seen it.
04:12Again, for this first chance, for Braves' chance to see him up close and personal, he's
04:15been raking all season, at home runs almost every game.
04:17So you're going to have to lean into, as we said yesterday, with Abe, and for you, you've
04:21got to score six runs every game with his pitching.
04:23Well, Mike, I've said all along, the offense has to do its part.
04:27It didn't do its part last year.
04:29The offense has got to keep you in games, but more importantly, win games for you.
04:34Put some pressure on the opposing team's pitcher.
04:36Take some pressure off of your guy by putting up some runs early.
04:40I don't know what this is going to look like when the season starts, just a few days away,
04:43but that's part of this equation.
04:46And then, for me, with the Strider situation, I'd love to tell you again, it's just going
04:50to be a few weeks.
04:51But what if it's not?
04:52Well, then what happens?
04:54What if Strider's out for the first month, guys?
04:57And oh, by the way, he's not just going to come off of the IL and start.
05:02He's got to go back and have a rehab start, Mike, or maybe two.
05:06So that's going to push the timetable back maybe a week, maybe two weeks before we actually
05:11see him, even though they're saying it's only going to be a couple of weeks with this
05:14strained oblique.
05:15It's just not the news you wanted to hear.
05:18So what about Suarez, Mike?
05:20Jose Suarez, what's the deal with him?
05:22He's a bum.
05:22He's a journeyman, too.
05:23These are all journeymans, guys.
05:24He's been on, as we said, Mark Bowman had a funny little factoid yesterday.
05:28He's been on more teams than starts he's made in the last two seasons.
05:31So two teams, one start.
05:33But this is where we're living.
05:35And that's why, I mean, I think some Braves fans, it may have taken five years, are finally
05:39getting around to this realization.
05:40Now, the debate will be, is this just simply Alex's philosophy, or is it being leaned on
05:45by McGurk and the guys that are the primary shareholders?
05:48It's the same guys that are living in media.
05:49I know it's, I've got like two shares of the Braves, but you know, they've got a lot
05:52more, Carl, and they dictate how much money is spent.
05:55As you said, they operate under a budget.
05:57And you always brought, I brought this up when you were on vacation, you know, the fact that
06:01they will not negotiate, we will not negotiate with terrorists or Scott Boris.
06:04So they're not, you basically take out, you know, five or six of the best options at starting
06:08pitching every year.
06:10It's off the table for the Braves before you even get to what they are able to cobble
06:14together.
06:14Then you've got to take an educated guess and risk on a guy like Chris Sale, and it turned
06:18out great.
06:19But that's as good as it's going to get under a double A.
06:21Yeah, but that's the outlier, right?
06:23That is the, you can't base your, you can't.
06:25Now, the other thing that Braves fans are also coming around to, I've noticed on social media
06:29the last few weeks, wow, we really, probably should have kept Max Fried, yeah.
06:33Now, at the time, you and I didn't even debate it, because we just knew he was not going to
06:36be re-signed, but he's been arguably reliable.
06:39Now, he had a few wobbles with his health those last few seasons, and maybe that was going to
06:43be the concern, but he's been durable for the Yankees.
06:46He's been, he's been solid.
06:47They're not paying the money the Yankees paid to a 30-year-old pitcher.
06:51They're just, they're just not going to do it.
06:53And the history has shown us that.
06:55But the crazy thing is, and we're talking Braves with you guys, 404-726-0929, what are
06:59your expectations?
07:00Seriously, Mike mentioned that they added a pitcher, and we're having fun with it, tongue
07:04in cheek, but that's not adding anything, okay?
07:06We're having fun.
07:07Please do not take that conversation literally, as many of you like to do.
07:11That is us clowning this whole ordeal about, oh, they're going to bring in another guy.
07:15No, this is just another placeholder to come in, Mike.
07:19He will have no effect on our team, and oh, laid it out.
07:22He hasn't had any effect on any of these teams over the last year, and he's been on
07:26like 16 teams.
07:28Here's the other thing, though.
07:29When you talk about the Braves, Schwellenbach elbow, right?
07:33We got five pitchers on the I.L., five that you were either relying on or you thought they
07:38were going to have some kind of impact on your rotation.
07:40Waldrop elbow, Wentz ligament, knee ligament, right?
07:45A.J.
07:45Smith-Sharbert.
07:46All these guys you were expecting to get something from, even if you weren't going to get 150,
07:51150, 175 innings, Mike, and now add Strider to the list.
07:54So that is the battle right now with what's going on with the Braves as they get ready
07:58to start the season.
07:59And it's funny because it's like, I was talking with Big Bo who does the midday show as he
08:03was leaving, and he was asking about how the trip was, and he says, man, I can't believe
08:07it.
08:07I said, what's going on?
08:08He says, day three of the season we're going to have to be announced as a starter.
08:13And it's true.
08:14Day three.
08:15Sunday.
08:16Who's starting for the Braves, Mike?
08:18Sunday.
08:18Well, that's it.
08:19I guess it's Grant Holmes.
08:20It's either Grant Holmes or Bryce Elder in the current configuration.
08:24And look, we love the Grant story.
08:25Grant Holmes is a fantastic story to be that lifer and finally get your shot at the show.
08:29But I mean, there's a ceiling with Grant Holmes, even for the most optimistic Braves
08:33fans.
08:34There's a ceiling with Bryce Elder.
08:35You know, he unfortunately, every other start, he gets shellacked.
08:38Hopefully I'm wrong about that.
08:40You know, I mean, when your ERA is five and a half, I mean, hello, it is what it is.
08:45So you've got to hope that the Braves get off to a hot start.
08:49And then Giolito doesn't get signed by somebody else who has another injury to their pitching
08:52staff.
08:52Because that's what's going to happen.
08:53Correct.
08:54That's exactly what's going to happen.
08:55404-726-0929.
08:56Follow Mike, by the way.
08:57Mike Bell, ATL.
08:59I'm at Put-Em-Up.
09:00See Dukes in the radio show.
09:01Dukes and Bell, 929.
09:02Follow the radio station, guys, at 929 The Game.
09:04Stay up on everything in the world of sports.
09:06We are going to be out, as a matter of fact, Thursday and Friday.
09:08We're going to tell you more about that as we get ready for the tournament to resume.
09:12And then opening day on Friday.
09:15So stay tuned.
09:15We'll tell you where we're going to be as you can come by and hang out with us, maybe
09:18before you make your way over to the ballpark, or you just want to stop in and maybe watch
09:21the game there.
09:22Whatever.
09:23As we talk about the Braves, though, Mike, the expectation is not where it should be.
09:27And that's really what we're telling you.
09:29It should be higher going into this season where we currently are with the roster and the
09:36guys we've got locked up, the star power, the lineup.
09:40I've said it.
09:40I do like our lineup.
09:43But there's another side of this, right?
09:44You've got to play defense.
09:45You still have to pitch.
09:47And so, you know, if you're...
09:48You've got to wait for Cam at shortstop to get some pop at shortstop.
09:50You do.
09:51You know, and we talk about Eli White and some of the other dudes.
09:53But, I mean, Jerickson Profar.
09:54I mean, one of the greatest disasters in Braves history.
09:57He makes Upton look like one of the great Hall of Famers in Braves history.
10:00Talk about BJ.
10:01But it's just...
10:02This one is brutal.
10:03Are you going to get the production from Austin Riley?
10:05See, Austin Riley can come to the rescue here.
10:07You know, certainly Drake Baldwin's been raking.
10:09Everyone talks about his exit velocity, and I hate that nerd stuff.
10:11But he's been raking, Carl.
10:12Ball is just exploding off his bat.
10:15And then, you know, Jastrzemski, as I said, really getting a chance to shine.
10:18And he's taking advantage of it.
10:19Here's the thing.
10:20What did he get from Ozzie this year?
10:22Could be Ozzie's last year here.
10:23Yeah, contract you.
10:24He's going to play well.
10:25He's going to play well.
10:26I think he knows he could either be back or he's gone.
10:29And, Mike, you've got to show out.
10:31He'll get a deal somewhere.
10:32Ozzie's been really good.
10:33We know that.
10:34Helped us win a World Series.
10:35But this is a big year for him.
10:36You're absolutely right.
10:37And I think you'll...
10:37Because of that pressure of, hey, I've got to play well, even if it's not with the Braves,
10:42I think...
10:43Hopefully he helps us.
10:44Hey, while we're talking about this, Day Day, this is Chris Young.
10:47Is that right?
10:48Talking about Spencer Strider and the issue and how this news hit the Braves and his thoughts
10:52about the Strider injury and how it's affecting our team before the season starts.
10:55But it's still Spencer Strider and he still can go out there and be an extremely valuable
11:00piece for a rotation.
11:02And why this hits so hard is because the offense really looks like it's coming around right
11:06now.
11:06It's a lot of bounce back guys that you were looking for from the Braves with Riley, with
11:10Olsen.
11:11Acuna looks like he's going to be on an MVP track this year.
11:15Albies looks good this spring.
11:17I think they have so many weapons offensively.
11:20Yastrzemski looks well, as you said earlier.
11:22Drake Baldwin, I mean, top to bottom, Dominic Smith making the team this year.
11:26Mauricio Dubon hitting over 300.
11:28Literally top to bottom, this Atlanta Braves offense, I feel like is going to be one of
11:33the biggest bounce back stories that we've seen as the entirety of an offense for years.
11:39I mean, Riley looks good at the plate.
11:41These guys look amazing at the plate.
11:43And I feel like if you can make sure to get innings from your starting staff with the way
11:47that the Mets look right now, I think you need that from day one.
11:52So I don't know if there's a move they can make, some move that they can make to continue
11:55to try to get some depth there.
11:57I think you need to try to strengthen the starting rotation because you have the offense
12:01and the defense that you need.
12:03Slow down on Dubon, though.
12:04I mean, that's not a guy that has raked in his career.
12:07And again, I think I said this to you guys yesterday on the pre-show, or maybe it was today.
12:11I don't care about spring training numbers, guys.
12:13I just don't.
12:14I cannot get caught up in that.
12:15There have been times you've seen guys get hot, you get to the season, Mike,
12:18they can't hit to save their lives.
12:20So there are things you feel good about heading into the season.
12:24Great.
12:25Dubon swinging it well.
12:26Let me see that as we get started here with the first few weeks of the first month of the
12:30season.
12:31That's traditionally not what he does, guys.
12:32He's a defensive glove, Mike, but great.
12:34Okay, Chris, I hear you.
12:35Chris Young, he's excited about the offense.
12:37I am too.
12:38I like the lineup.
12:39But it's just right now, for me, it's more questions than answers.
12:42I know that last year, I mean, if you're looking for correlation, to your point, there was some struggles last
12:47year.
12:48A lot of guys, you know, when they broke camp, were not hitting.
12:50And guess what?
12:50To your point, they started 0-7.
12:53So I'm having a hard time with my search engine, trying to find those numbers.
12:56But there were a lot of guys that were like sub-250 last year when they broke camp.
13:00I'm with that, man.
13:01Look, I like that we're hitting, but it's got to carry over.
13:04And here's the other thing.
13:06Like, you're seeing bums at spring training.
13:08These are guys that are not going to make major league teams.
13:12And if they are, Mike, it might be A, or, you know, A ball, or triple A at some point.
13:18These are not guys you're going to see on a nightly basis in the major leagues.
13:21And that's why there's a fall-off, which is why sometimes you rake in spring training,
13:25because guys are trying to make teams.
13:27Now, you know how I feel about Sean Murphy.
13:29Adios.
13:29But he's here.
13:30He's under contract.
13:31And he'll get a chance when he comes back.
13:33He will obviously spell Drake Ball.
13:35Drake Ball's not going to catch 162 games.
13:37Nobody does that.
13:37I get all that.
13:38But Drake, I thought they cut him short.
13:40I thought Snicker didn't do enough for Drake to get it.
13:42He should have had even more at-bats last year.
13:44Still won Rookie of the Year.
13:45But Murphy comes back.
13:47Ha-Sung Kim comes back.
13:48But, you know, when?
13:49How effective will he be?
13:50And trying to give you some pop right there.
13:52And then is the rest of your situation with DH?
13:55It's just dudes, Carl.
13:57It's just dudes.
13:59You know, Eli White.
14:00You know, you said Dubon, Eli White, Dominic Smith.
14:03Not enough.
14:04Not enough!
14:05And 7-8-9, when the Braves were really crushing it, there was no weakness in the lineup.
14:09That's what made it so strong.
14:10You know, there was no fallout for the bottom three.
14:12It's going to be interesting.
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