How Braves hope to move on after losing Spencer Strider

Just over two weeks into the MLB season, the Atlanta Braves are just where they should be: first in the National League East standings.

However, any hopes that the coming months would be spent coasting through the regular season until the true test began in October were dashed when Spencer Strider noticed discomfort in his right elbow during his second start earlier this month.

On Saturday, a team news release verified every Braves fan’s greatest fear: their ace needed season-ending elbow surgery, forcing Atlanta to go the rest of 2024 without the pitcher who set the franchise strikeout record a year ago. The situation is identical to last season, when lefty Max Fried left Opening Day with a hamstring injury and eventually missed much of the season with a forearm strain. The Braves not only weathered that blow, but went on to win their sixth consecutive division title, laying the groundwork for their newest battle.

“You can never replace frontline, Cy Young-caliber starters with internal depth,” Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos told ESPN on Saturday. “But it’s not like the NBA, where one player can have a significant impact; you’ll need to do it as a 40-man squad and beyond.

“I know it’s a cliché, but we’re just going to take it day by day.” People will have opportunities, no doubt about it. If someone takes advantage of that chance and has a long time to start, it’s terrific.”

Anthopoulos used righty Bryce Elder’s opportunity after Fried went down last season as an illustration of what might happen in a horrible circumstance. Elder made the All-Star team and excelled in the first half.

On one side, it’s a crushing blow to a perennial superpower. However, the franchise has excelled at overcoming adversity. Instead than concentrating on the negative, the Braves kept moving forward, winning the NL East thanks to astute management, player continuity, and a winning heritage dating back to the 1990s. It starts with an organizational mindset, as Strider stated in the days preceding his injury.

“It’s definitely the culture here,” Strider explained to ESPN. “It starts with development. They told us they want to develop championship pitchers, not just major leaguers. It’s interesting to hear Low-A spoken.

“Your objective isn’t just to be a major leaguer; it’s to assist your club win the World Series. “That is what they are looking for.”

Winning in October is typically expected in the Atlanta clubhouse, but the Braves have only won the postseason once in the last six years. And that triumph came in the most unexpected year: the 2021 Braves caught fire late in the season and won the World Series despite having a sub-.500 record entering August.

Better regular-season results and higher hopes for the next two postseasons resulted in playoff disappointment, as the Braves were eliminated in the previous two division series rounds.

The constant, however, has been Atlanta’s ability to turn the page and dominate the division in the next regular season. Raising a World Series trophy in 2021 did not result in a hangover in 2022; instead, it was another division victory, this time by 14 games over the NL East. And falling short in the 2022 playoffs did not prevent Atlanta from earning its sixth consecutive division title last season, again by 14 games. Despite losing their ace during a series opener earlier this month, the Braves swept the Arizona Diamondbacks and reclaimed first place.

“We’ve got a great team,” first baseman Matt Olson remarked. “We firmly believe we should be playing in the postseason. But you have to earn it. It’s the build-up throughout the season that gets you to that point and gives you the confidence to perform in that situation. Nothing is given.

Brian Snitker, their 68-year-old boss and father figure, preaches this technique. In some ways, his predicament is a manager’s dream: he has a talented team full of self-motivated players who he will have to pull out of the lineup for a day off. Keeping stars pleased while prioritizing everyday goals instead of focusing on the big picture is more difficult than it appears. Under his guidance, the Braves thrive at avoiding getting ahead of themselves in October.

“I talked to the guys about that early on,” Snitker added. “It’s easy to do. It’s easy to say, but you must win now. You can only control what happens today. If you try to fast forward, you’ll notice it doesn’t operate that way. Our men understand what lies ahead of them.”

With that message drilled into them from the first day of spring training to the often monotonous grind of the 162-game season, the Braves have learned that winning every day along the road makes accomplishing their loftier long-term goals much sweeter.

“When you’re playing MLB The Show, you can just simulate the playoffs, it’s human nature,” Morton remarked in an interview. You want your ‘desire’ right now. Thankfully, we are still in reality. We have to go through the process so that if and when we win the division, we can look around the room and see the tarp up, there’s a toast, there’s a sense of accomplishment, and it’s as if we have been here before. Now let’s figure out how to get it done this year.

Anthopoulos and the rest of the Braves’ front office have learned that roster construction requires focusing on the big picture in a profession where you are ultimately judged by the end result. The excitement of winning the World Series in 2021 lasted about three days before the GM meetings and offseason began, demanding their complete attention. In the early October exits that followed, they discovered that the only difference between winning the World Series and losing in the first round is more time to prepare for the winter — but also more time to stew.

“As a front office, you kind of mope and feel sorry for yourself but then, ‘Hey, the offseason is here, we have to build a team,'” Anthopoulos told ESPN. “You don’t forget, but you have to turn the page because all your competitors are doing the same thing.”

If six consecutive division titles sounds impressive, consider heading into work every day and staring up at the 14 banners the Braves won between 1991 and 2005. The standard of success is sustained motivation within the organization. It also keeps everyone humble, from front-office executives to on-field athletes.

“We think six is a lot, right?” Morton stated. “You can acknowledge the past because you are actually standing on their shoulders. However, as a group, you must navigate your own path. That’s something that happens year after year. It’s a delicate balance because you want some of the guys involved to remain in the room. You have to be careful about who you move and what those individuals mean in the clubhouse.

That is Anthopoulos’ job. He was praised for signing his talents to multiyear contracts, but he still needs to strike the correct balance season after season. Losing in October in consecutive years can alter your perception. The Braves’ GM attempts to remember a simple principle.

“[Former executive] Pat Gillick said this, turning 20% of your roster over each year is a good idea,” Anthopoulos remarked in an interview. “There are five players. We don’t force moves, but the way the game is put up, they will happen anyhow.

This summer, that upheaval came from a flurry of deals aimed mostly at increasing pitching depth. Chris Sale, Aaron Bummer, and Reynaldo Lopez joined the pitching staff, while outfielder Jarred Kelenic was acquired in a trade with Seattle. Anthopoulos made a half-dozen transactions this winter to strengthen the nucleus of the squad, which includes Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley, Olson, and Ozzie Albies.

However, losing their ace early in the season means the greatest decisions may come in the days leading up to this summer’s trade deadline, when the front office must decide whether to bolster the pitching staff or stick with what the Braves have. The timing allows the front staff to do all it takes to field the strongest squad possible when the games are most important in October.

“What team would you rather have going into the playoffs?” Morton asked rhetorically. “The 2021 or 2023 Braves?” Last season, we won 104 games but came up short. When you get there, there’s no way to tell. There is no way to predict how the opening few games of a five-game playoff series will proceed. You can only do your best for six months. That’s our goal every year.”