The Braves will start former Brewer Ben Sheets tonight. Sheets has not pitched since 2010. He blew out an elbow and had to have surgery. He is another one of those comeback rehabilitation projects many general managers are fond of experimenting with during a season. Sheets has been on the disabled list seven times in his career.
But the Braves rotation has been hit with injuries and inconsistency. So the idea of bringing in a veteran pitcher makes some sense. But the trend is trying a re-tread first; it costs less money than trading prospects for an established veteran pitcher.
Teams are guarding the hen house (minor league prospects) closely. The Tampa and Florida model of promoting your minor leagues quickly is becoming standard operating procedure throughout baseball. Teams are also guarding their piggy banks, as the economy is not as robust as economists and bureaucrats claim it to be in this election year. Adding a quality veteran starter will cost you a big bump in payroll and probably two of your top ten system prospects. Many owners and general managers would rather wait out their pitching storm with a comeback player or a rookie than gambling on a trade.
There may be many players available at the July 31 trade deadline. But the market for Buyers seems to be more tepid than previously thought. The Dodgers have been talking to the Cubs for weeks on Dempster and Garza, but no deal is close. The Cubs have no use in not trading their veteran talent, but it appears teams like the Dodgers, who have a several quality minor league pitching prospects, are not willing to give up too much "just to make a deal."
Whether Sheets is ready or able to contribute to the Braves playoff run is to be seen. But the prospect of Sheets being a contributor after a long lay-off is less than 50-50.
