Inbox: Which young starters will stick?

Have the Braves privately lost faith in Aaron Blair, Matt Wisler, Tyrell Jenkins, Ryan Weber, Rob Whalen and John Gant as starters? — Alex R., Washington

They’ve obviously shown their concerns, as they have parted ways with former pitching coach Roger McDowell and made it clear they want to add at least two starting pitchers this offseason. But I think the focus here should be on Blair and Wisler. Gant and Jenkins project as relievers, and Weber might simply be a valuable swing man. I’ll keep an open mind regarding Whalen, because he was essentially gassed by the time he got his unexpected call to Atlanta.

Though Wisler has been inconsistent over both of the past two seasons, there is still plenty to like about his potential. He says all of the right things, and his arsenal is certainly strong enough for him to be successful. The primary concerns about both Wisler and Blair focus on their mental toughness and the level of aggression they took to the mound on a consistent basis this year.

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If Blair grows into his big frame during the offseason and returns with the slider he suddenly found against the Tigers during this past season’s final weekend, he’ll definitely give Wisler some competition in the battle for the rotation’s final spot. But while both of these young hurlers still have time to develop, they can further motivate themselves this winter with the reminder that Sean Newcomb, Patrick Weigel and possibly Max Fried could be ready to join Atlanta’s rotation at some point next year.

Will the Braves look to upgrade third base and second base with the lack of catcher options and the money they have to spend, or do they trust their results from the last 50 games of 2016? — Brad S. Billings, Mont.

We all recognized that second baseman Jace Peterson and third baseman Adonis Garcia were much improved once they returned from their demotions to Triple-A Gwinnett this year. But as the …

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