Covering the bases on the Atlanta Braves: Chris Sale, Jesse Chavez and trade targets (2024)

Sean Murphy blasted a homer 449 feet during a rehab assignment that may have served as a warning shot for the rest of the league. The Atlanta Braves are 27-18 despite an offense that’s all jabs, no haymakers. What’s going to happen when the power flips back on? Let’s explore in this Braves briefing, where The Athletic’snational reporters and columnists weigh in on Atlanta’s path ahead.

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Power rankings: Atlanta Braves are No. 5

For this week’s Power Rankings, we picked each team’s most impactful prospect who could debut this season. While we generally avoided prospects who’ve already reached the majors, a few standouts were included.

Record: 27-17 (as of Tuesday am)
Last Power Ranking: 2

Prospect to watch:RHPHurston Waldrep

Atlanta’s starting rotation contains aSpencer Strider-sized hole. (Extra points if anyone can fill the mustache.)Bryce Elderhas struggled in the majors. NeitherDylan DoddnorAJ Smith-Shawverhas wowed observers in the minors. So maybe Waldrep, a first-round pick in 2023, can make a big jump from his current perch in Double-A Mississippi. He possesses a nasty splitter, which aids a fastball featuring excellent velocity but so-so movement. The splitter might be enough to merit a big-league audition unless the Braves attempt to fill that Strider-sized hole at the trade deadline. — Andy McCullough

The latest hits

ICYMI, our national writers weighed in with what they are hearing and seeing

1. The tour guide

In Tyler Kepner’s weekly Sliders column, he detailed a Braves reliever who seems well-qualified to serve as stadium docent.

Jesse Chavez seemed unlikely to ever set foot in a major-league clubhouse, let alone dozens of them. Chavez, who turns 41 in August, entered pro ball as a 42nd-round draft choice of theTexas Rangersin 2002 — and he’s still here, relieving for theAtlanta Braves.

As the oldest player in the National League, Jesse Chavez had a fitting response when asked recently to name his favorite MLB clubhouse: “Any one with a nap room,” he said, laughing by his locker at Citi Field. Chavez travels with hip-high recovery boots for his legs, and when he puts them on, he figures, why not doze off?

In his waking hours, though, Chavez is a keen observer. He’s played for nine teams (including six separate tours with Atlanta) and pitched in 34 ballparks, retaining vivid memories of each clubhouse.

Some are close to the action, like in Milwaukee, where the clubhouse door opens directly to the dugout. Others are distant, like the old Metrodome in Minneapolis, with 33 stairs and a hallway separating the clubhouse and dugout. Some offer cheesesteaks (Philadelphia), others offer haircuts (Miami) — and some (like Anaheim, Chavez says) need an overhaul.

Here’s a five-stop, behind-the-scenes tour from anenduring right-hander:

Wrigley Field, Chicago: “That’s a maze. You don’t want to forget something up there. And you’ve got to watch your head, too. I got a blown save there once — it stinks that you can get a blown save when you get an out, giving up somebody else’s run — but I had one, and I was (upset). I was going up the tunnel to go get mad in the clubhouse, and boom — I stovepiped my head. Hit it pretty bad and turned right back around, like, ‘Can’t be mad no more.’”

Comerica Park, Detroit: “When I got hit on the shin last year, it was in Detroit. That was the worst — oof. I couldn’t put any pressure on my leg, and it ended up being a microfracture. They have a lot of stairs there, and the (chair lift) didn’t work, so (coach) Sal Fasano had to carry me up. I’m 180. He could carry me up there with one arm. Maybe one finger.”

Nationals Park, Washington: “In the lunchroom, they have these old photos. We actually take all the young kids on the team in there and try to guess each one. They’ve got a little lounge area, a TV room with a couch, it’s nice. They’ve got good memorabilia in there too, but they took a lot of it out when people started taking things.”

Progressive Field, Cleveland: “We play Golden Tee all the time at home, and in Cleveland they have all those games. If you want, they have a full book of Nintendo and Super Nintendo games. You can buy the consoles from (the clubhouse manager) and he’ll bring the games to you the next day.”

Oracle Park, San Francisco: “Luis Gonzalezonce put a golf ball in the chili pot, just to see if it would still be there on getaway day — and it was. And then I guess when they went back to play them again, sure enough, it was still in there. Now, on top of the chili pot, there’s a golf ball.”

2. Jim Bowden has the answers

Jim Bowden, a national writer for The Athletic and a former MLB Executive of the Year, fielded 20 reader questions about the trade deadline. And the Braves were a hot topic:

For an underperforming but loaded roster, in what spots do the Braves try to improve without mixing things up too much? — Matthew P. … What are the chances the Braves shake something up with their core starting nine should they continue to underperform? — Josh R.

The Braves’ biggest need is another starting pitcher. Losing Spencer Strider to season-ending elbow surgery created a huge hole. They also could use one more reliever. In terms of position players, they’re good enough to win the World Series as is. There’s no chance they shake up their core starting nine, nor should they.

Other than Zach Eflin, what are some realistic starting pitcher trade options for the Braves to pursue? — Justin F.

Jesús Luzardo of the Marlins, Erick Fedde of the White Sox, JP Sears of the A’s, Tyler Anderson and Patrick Sandoval of the Angels, Jack Flaherty of the Tigers, Chris Bassitt of the Blue Jays and Luis Severino of the Mets.

3. A bygone Brave’s legendary ‘firehouse’ shot

Oddibe McDowell played for the Braves in 1989 and ’90, hitting 14 homers over 585 at-bats across two seasons. But years earlier, he belted one that left him with a tall tale to tell. Our Steve Buckley caught up with McDowell for this story about fabled homers across America. McDowell’s contribution to long-ball lore traces back to Veterans Field in Chatham, Mass., on June 26, 1984.

Former big-league outfielder Oddibe McDowell, now in his 10th season as baseball coach at McArthur High School in his native Hollywood, Fla., apologized for having only a few minutes to talk, what with practice beginning soon. But when he was asked about the home run he hit for the United States Olympic baseball team in 1984 to settle matters in an exhibition game against the Cape Cod League All-Stars, McDowell responded in a way that made it seem he wasn’t in much of a hurry anymore.

“Oh, the firehouse,” he said over the phone, laughing softly.

Yes, the firehouse. And then McDowell relayed an anecdote from a few years back about a friend who was planning a trip to Chatham, Mass., a touristy little town on the southeast tip of Cape Cod.

“I said to him, ‘Ask the people about the home run I hit to the firehouse,’” McDowell said. “I told him I played there once and caught hold of a ball and it just went a long, long ways.

Just how far of a shot was it? To assist with this story, a dream team of Cape Cod League stalwarts, including league historian Mike Richard, longtime publicist John Garner, Chatham Anglers president Steve West and field director Robby Grenier — joined by retired Chatham Fire Dept. chief Pete Connick — took part in a mission to measure the distance of McDowell’s home run. They began at home plate, continued beyond the 357 sign in right-center, and stopped at the spot where it’s believed the ball one-hopped the old firehouse. Their finding: 502 feet.

(For the full story, click here.)

Viral moment of the week

Remember this guy? That swing sure looks familiar, and it should be back in Atlanta soon.

A MURPHY MASH 💣

Sean Murphy drills a @SoFi NO-DOUBT blast 449 feet in his first rehab at bat with the Stripers! pic.twitter.com/ikYb6IIXXj

— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) May 21, 2024

Baseball beat

Our beat writer David O’Brien picked out what you need to know

• Catching up with how some notable prospects are doing, for better or worse.
• Travis d’Arnaud left Friday’s game with dizziness and a head contusion.
• In fact, Sale is untouchable, which is why he topped our four takeaways.

Did you catch this?

Last summer, when MLB announced the 2023 All-Star rosters, the Braves dominated the selections. Eight players — eight! — made the initial cut. There’s no chance of a repeat this year as the Braves’ list of All-Star candidates looks like a three-man fieldof Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Marcell Ozuna.

But Sale’s performance, in particular, looks so robust that teammate Charlie Morton suggested that the left-hander can aim for another kind of elite company. Morton thinks Sale could wind up in Cooperstown.

As O’Brien wrote:

After making just 56 starts from 2019 through 2023 and going 17-18 with a 4.16 ERA in that period, Sale is back throwing fastballs in the mid-to-upper-90 mph range, complementing a slider that’s about as devastating as any pitch in the majors.

“I mean, he’s pretty nasty,” Morton said, smiling and confirming that, yes, he meant Hall of Fame push for Sale. “You look at the body of work, and you look at how he’s throwing the ball. … He’s one of my favorite pitchers — of my generation he’s one of the guys that I’ve really looked forward to seeing throw. And to have him as a teammate is pretty cool.”

Chris Sale, Wicked 86mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/5kRQ1ysfc5

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 20, 2024

When Sale was traded to the Braves in exchange for infield prospectVaughn Grissomin late December, he didn’t fret but instead switched his attention to doing all he could to prepare to help a team that’s done a lot more winning and contending in recent years than the Red Sox. He signed a two-year, $38 million extension with the Braves a week after the trade, both parties showing a commitment and the deal giving Sale a chance to focus solely on pitching and not worry about where he might be in a year.

Field notes

And now, a quick word from the comments section

(Top photo of Chris Sale: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)