Why the Braves Should Promote JR Ritchie Over Relying on Pérez or Suarez | Atlanta Braves Podcast

Host Lindsay Crosby argues the Braves are making a mistake by planning to rely on Jose Suarez or Martín Pérez for the fifth starter role after Spencer Strider’s injury, while keeping Didier Fuentes in long relief and then sending him back to Gwinnett. Crosby proposes a better alignment: put JR Ritchie in the rotation, use Suarez (who is out of options) as a long man alongside Fuentes, and keep Pérez in the minors since his opt-out deadline has passed. He weighs pros/cons, including Fuentes’ limited pitch mix and past struggles, Ritchie’s ground-ball profile and PPI eligibility, and the downside of adding Ritchie to the 40-man and potentially burning options early. He also notes the weak free-agent market (headlined by Lucas Giolito) and suggests the Braves’ strong spring offense could buy needed rotation wiggle room amid MLB-leading starter injuries.

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