Make a Trade or Promote from within?

Well the Mike Hampton injury has rattled the pitching depths once again. Hampton was supposed to become a legitimate part of this year's team, and he still could be that. Now the latest is that he could miss up to two months, but I think it may take even longer. Remember the guy wasn't 100% coming into Spring. If he heals properly from this current injury he's going to have basically restart his training again until he feels 100%. Will we ever see a 100% healthy Mike Hampton again? Even so, if he gets back on track and things fall in place, he could be starting games sometime in June. That's my guess after training/rehab starts/pen sessions. In the meantime....

What does the team do? We've had a battle between Lance Cormier and Kyle Davies for the 5th spot. Today, their's another spot available so, do they become the 4th and 5th starters? We don't know yet. Atlanta does have other pitchers that could "spot" start for a while. One guy that made this infamous last year was Oscar Villarreal. Oscar pitched his 5 or 6 innings before letting the pen takover. He did fairly well in his outings. Another possibility is having Anthony Lerew make some starts. This guy has almost maxxed out his minor league tickets. Don't forget about Matt Harrison, he's had a couple of starts this Spring. Harrison is more of a long shot right now, and I think he has a better chance to see some action in '08.

What about the free agent market? slim pickens. I think that a trade is more likely than a FA signing. Isn't this all ironic how the Pavano rumble began, then Hampton gets hurt, and the now the Braves need a pitcher. The team will certainly explore trade options, but I don't think there going to get much because of the budget constraints. That especially goes true for the Pavano situation. The Yankees would like if some team pays most of his remaining salary. That's where it falls apart for Atlanta. There's always room for negotiation, right? Either way I stick to promoting from within.