This website started around seven years ago, and that means we were about 15 years too late to ever do a WORLD SERIES MAILBAG!
So we’re doing one now. We took questions from our Facebook group and Twitter, here’s what Outfield Fly Rule readers are thinking about prior to tonight’s Game 1 showdown with the Houston Astros.
You can submit your questions for future “Answer On the Fly” posts via the following ways:
- Email us
- Tweet us (@OFRSports)
- Post them in the Outfield Fly Rule Facebook group.
Q: Should the Braves pitch Ynoa or a bullpen game at any point in the series, or stick with a 3-man rotation? Who are the Braves best DH options throughout the series? – @VT00Murdoch
Andy: Ynoa will not be available after having been removed from the NLCS roster for shoulder inflammation. He’s done. My guess is that we’ll have another Jesse Chavez-led bullpen game for Game 4 unless that’s an elimination game. The Braves are 4-1 in games that have used Chavez as an opener, so why mess with success? As for the DH, I think it’s Jorge Soler‘s job.
Matt: This is where wrapping up the NLCS in six games was so important. If Charlie Morton have had to go in a game seven, that would have created a scenario with likely two bullpen games for the World Series. The Braves can piece together a game like that as they did in the NLCS but having to do it twice would have been problematic.
Q: Who replaces Camargo on the roster? – M. Peterson
Andy: I’d guess Terrance Gore. My second guess would be Shea Langeliers. My third guess is that they’ll stick with Camargo.
Matt: I’ll also go with Gore. They could boot Camargo in favor of another reliever but who would they add? Richard Rodriguez? They might as well add someone who only does one thing well but he does it VERY well.
[Ed Note: Just prior to publishing, reports indicated Terrance Gore is replacing Johan Camargo]
Q: Will Luke Jackson’s role be diminished? – J. Crane
Andy: I think he will play an important role in the bullpen, as he has all season. With only two left-handed batters playing everyday for the Astros, the Braves right-handed relievers will need to step up.
Matt: No. Even with Luke’s issues in the NLCS, he’s still the best righty reliever on the roster. Jacob Webb and Jesse Chavez are medium-leverage arms and Chris Martin could possibly be left off the WS roster.
Q: Way-too-early free agency predictions! What will AA do with all these outfielders??? – N. Lyle
Andy: I think he’ll re-sign a couple. Duvall seems the most likely given his potential mutual option actually being picked up and his demonstrated ability to hold down centerfield if necessary. Rosario, Soler, and Pederson have all improved their stock and with Acuna coming back it’s unrealistic to think the Braves will keep them all. There’s also other outfielders who could be in play in either free agency or trade.
Matt: My guesses are Adam Duvall due to the mutual option and Jorge Soler since the DH is likely coming to the NL. Rosario could be playing himself into a multi-year deal elsewhere while Joc’s $10 million option may be a little too rich for AA’s blood, particularly as a platoon player.
Q: It looks like Snit will go Morton, Max, Anderson and….? Will Chavez get to be an opener again or do they lean on Smyly to open against the Astros in Game 4? – M. Young
Andy: If we’ve seen anything from the Braves in the last month, it’s clear they don’t view Smyly as an opener, much less a starter.
Matt: I think they stick to the same script they used in the NLCS, Chavez as the opener then Smyly as the bulk innings guy. The difference this time around is they’ll get to do it at home as opposed to a hostile environment like the NLCS.
Q: Does Luke Jackson make a return next year? It’s almost as if him and Smith switched. Luke was great in the regular season and Smith was horrible most of the year, and playoffs they switched around. Do you guys see the Braves shoring up the bullpen in the off-season, or do they fill another position first. – J. Charles
Andy: I don’t see a reason why Jackson wouldn’t be back. He’s under team control. There’s always off-season tinkering to do with the bullpen, but as it stands the core of Smith, Matzek, Jackson, and Minter will almost certainly return.
Matt: As Andy said, the four core arms will return along with the likes of Jacob Webb and Edgar Santana. The biggest offseason decision for the pen will be whether to keep Richard Rodriguez around. RichRod pitched so poorly late in the season that he wasn’t added to either the NLDS or the NLCS roster. MLBTR has Rodriguez making around $3.1M next season so the Braves will have to determine if they want to take on that price tag.
Q: Will Soler rejoin the starting lineup? – O. Conklin
Andy: He’ll almost certainly be the DH in Houston. In Atlanta, I could certainly see him starting if left-hander Framber Valdez somehow gets a start, likely with Joc Pederson sliding to the bench.
Matt: If Soler performs well during DH duty in Houston, he will likely nudge Joc Pederson to the bench. Rosario is performing too well while Adam Duvall is the closest thing to a CF among that group.
Q: Is there a place where Ian Anderson goes second and Max Fried goes third just because of the DH? – N. Hiltgen
[Ed Note: Just prior to publishing, Atlanta has announced that Max Fried will be the Game 2 starting pitcher]
Andy: I don’t think that’s bad thinking, not just because of getting Fried in the line-up, but it also sets him up for a potential Game 7. Unfortunately, that would put Anderson on short rest, and they won’t do that.
Matt: I don’t see that happening. As we’ve learned over the years, Brian Snitker doesn’t like to color outside the lines too often so he’ll likely run the same rotation that he did in the NLCS.
Q: Can we get just a general breakdown on the Astros and how we might match up against them. Haven’t paid much attention to them this year. – M. Smith
Andy: The Astros have a very potent line-up without many weaknesses. They lead all of baseball in runs per game in 2021, and you don’t really need many more stats than that. The Braves pitching staff will have their work cut out for them. I mean… the AL batting champion, Yuli Gurriel, typically hits 7th in the order. Their best hitter this postseason has been young DH Yordan Alvarez, but he’ll have to play the field when the series comes to Truist Park, so we’ll see if that may disrupt them.
With their top starter Lance McCullers Jr. out of commission, the Braves do have the starting pitching advantage, though their rotation is young and talented. I’d characterize the bullpens as close to dead-even in talent.
Q: Does Richard Rodriguez make the World Series roster? – M. Peterson
Andy: I do think they’ll add a right-hander to the roster for this round. I don’t know if it will be Rodriguez, who only had 9 strikeouts since August 1. He just hasn’t demonstrated the ability to miss bats enough to trust in a series like this one.
Matt: No. The Braves could use another reliable righty reliever but Rodriguez isn’t it right now. I believe he’s done for the season and hopefully he will rediscover his magic during winter ball.
[Ed Note: Just prior to publishing, reports indicate that Kyle Wright will be added to the roster, replacing Jacob Webb]
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