Atlanta Braves starting pitchers Mike Minor and Brandon Beachy have a few things in common. They're both young talented hard-throwing pitchers with a chance for a great career. They were even roommates last year. And this year they will both probably be in the Braves starting rotation on opening day. Of course, how each of them approach whether they will make the rotation or not is where they differ greatly.
As SBNation-Atlanta pointed out earlier tonight, Mike Minor has apparently suggested that if he's not in the rotation, then he should be traded. Here is the quote:
"But after a month or two, somebody’s got to go [when Hudson returns]," Minor said. "Overall, it’s not really – it’s about making the team, but if … I can control my third pitch and have a decent fourth pitch, then there’s no reason I shouldn’t pitch in the big leagues somewhere. If they don’t have room for me here, then there’s no reason they shouldn’t trade me or just do something with me."
Now we'll probably find out tomorrow that he was put on the spot by a reporter, so he'll walk that comment back and try to run away from it -- and he should. That kind of talk is certainly not the way Braves players usually carry themselves. I'm pretty sure that Minor's manager doesn't want this kind of attitude or entitled approach to making the team in his clubhouse. He'd prefer Brandon Beachy's approach:
"Knowing Beachy, he still thinks he has to make this club," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "In his mind, which is a good mindset to have, is ‘I have to make the starting rotation.’ He's not going to let his guard down."
The difference in those two mindsets is night and day. Minor feels he's entitled to a rotation spot, based on his own judgements, while Beachy goes out and competes for one even though he's penciled in as the third or fourth guy in the rotation.