2019 Braves Spring Rotation Preview: Fifth starter battle provides camp intrigue

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The Atlanta Braves enter spring training with a familiar group on the mound four 2018 regular starters and a merry-go-round of young arms now considered MLB-ready. The organization features 10 starting pitchers, many of them top prospects pressing for opportunity, with big-league starting experience, excluding right-handed starter Kyle Wright who debuted as a reliever last season.Atlanta variety of options provide ample intrigue entering camp with a fifth rotation spot left open by Anibal Sanchez departure and the search for a top-of-the-rotation complement to Mike Foltynewicz underway.Key additions N AKey Departures Anibal Sanchez Storylines To Watch1 https://www.bravesgearfansstore.com/Sonny_Jackson_Jersey-83. How will Braves handle fifth starter spot The Braves exited the 2018 postseason with Touki Toussaint and Max Fried in their bullpen, but general manager Alex Anthopoulos preference is to keep his stockpile of young starters stretched out, if possible. Toussaint and Fried co-headline the wave of early-season starting options already in-house for Atlanta alongside Mike Soroka, a group rounded out by top prospects Wright, Bryse Wilson, Luiz Gohara and Kolby Allard. With the midseason pickup of Kevin Gausman and Julio Teheran return for his ninth season with Atlanta, those names appear to be fighting for one available spot early on barring an acquisition, injury or trade.Atlanta could turn to a de facto six-man rotation with a revolving door of young starters particularly with left-hander Sean Newcomb ERA improving from 5.61 with four days rest to 3.20 with an extra 24 hours last season using player options and the injury list to shuttle arms between Triple-A and the majors Greg Maddux Jersey.Still, Toussaint, Soroka and Fried stand at the front of the pack.The Braves will likely elect to exercise caution with Soroka, who is returning from season-ending shoulder inflammation, leaving the young postseason roster inclusions as Opening Day favorites. Toussaint may have the highest ceiling of the group and a 3.33 ERA in his first five MLB starts proved his repertoire can befuddle major-league hitting, but Fried numbers were even better when healthy last season and hed add a second southpaw to the rotation.The Braves have decisions to make but, in this case, a wealth of promising options might mean there not a bad choice.The NL East features nine starting pitchers who have made All-Star appearances since 2016 and the winners of the past four NL Cy Young Awards.Which rotation is shaping to be the division best coryjmccartney and Zach_Dillard make their picks https://www.bravesgearfansstore.com/RA_Dickey_Jersey-25.