SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Darius Vines is humble about next spring’s goal, but it remains: He wants to earn a spot in the starting rotation out of camp.
“Definitely,” he said of that being his aim. “I definitely see myself as a guy that can help the team, especially in the rotation. It’s all about just getting out there and (having) pitchability and getting guys out. Try not to control what you can’t control. You just control the controllables and go out there and compete.
“There’s a lot of guys in our organization that are looking for that spot, too, that are good. It’s not a knock on them. Obviously, you want them to do well. So at the end of the day, (you) compete and wherever the dust settles at the end of the day, you just keep grinding. If you’re there, you’re there, and you keep grinding to stay there. And if you’re not there, you just keep grinding to get there and try to stay there.”
Vines is at the Arizona Fall League perfecting his craft. After missing about half of this past season because of a slipped disk in his neck, the Fall League has been productive.
Vines is focused on the present.
But he still is human.
He knows this much: On paper, the Braves have Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Bryce Elder as likely rotation members next season. (This interview was conducted before the Braves decided on Morton’s club option.) That leaves one spot, not counting whoever the Braves might add this offseason.
Could he take it?
He doesn’t know, but he’s going to work his hardest to try and get an opportunity.
But the fact that he’s considered depth for the Braves is a testament to how far he’s come over the past couple of years.
“It means a lot,” Vines said. “I mean ... we have a lot of really good dudes in the organization. Just being able to be mentioned with those guys, and an option, is definitely surreal.”
He remembers when the Braves drafted him in 2019. He looked at their organization. Some pitchers were first-round picks. Others had promising potential. He hoped to one day carve out a role for himself.
He’s done that. In August, he made his MLB debut. He logged 20-1/3 innings in the majors and allowed nine runs.
He hopes to take the next step in 2024.
“Big offseason,” Vines said. “You just want to go in and make an impression at spring training, but it all starts in the offseason.”
Along with Vines, Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd provide depth, as does Allan Winans. AJ Smith-Shawver is the Braves’ top prospect, and Hurston Waldrep, this year’s first-round draft pick, could be in the majors next season. Michael Soroka’s future will become clearer by the Nov. 17 deadline for clubs to tender contracts to players. All of these guys will have the same goal as Vines.
“Honestly, I really try to just be where my feet are,” Vines said, “and kind of control the controllables.”
That means putting his time and energy into now – fine-tuning his mechanics, building and maintaining strength in the weight room, and more. Through three Fall League starts, Vines had surrendered six earned runs over 12-1/3 innings.
When his time in Arizona ends, Vines will head into his offseason armed with major-league experience from 2023. He learned things he couldn’t have known before toeing the rubber in Colorado for his debut.
“I would say probably just being out there and trusting your stuff,” Vines said. “You always think about trying to be perfect and trying to make that right pitch, but you know at the end of the day, if you just execute your pitches, and you think about, ‘Oh, I can’t throw this guy this pitch four times in a row, or three times in a row.’ At the end of the day, it’s just if you execute your pitches, you can get the best guys out.
“I would say the one thing I did learn, honestly, was being able to trust your stuff to get big-league guys out. You go for so long wanting to get into some spring training games and throwing on the back fields against some of these guys. You do, you get your chance. Or you’ll get in the game late in the big-league game, so you’re not really throwing against the actual guys, so it’s like, you don’t really know how your stuff plays. Just being out there and being able to get big-league guys out.”
A memorable moment for Vines that illustrated this: On Sept. 27 versus the Cubs, his final outing of the season, he served up two homers in one inning, but bounced back to strike out Cody Bellinger – a former NL Rookie of the Year and NL MVP – to finish the frame. This was only one at-bat, but it provided Vines with confidence in his stuff.
Vines believes opportunities are earned. They can come unexpectedly.
He feels that if he goes about his business the correct way, his time will come.
“You’re playing for 29 other teams because there’s scouts at every game,” he said. “As long as you’re doing what you’re supposed to do on the field and off the field, in terms of being in the locker room, being a good clubhouse guy and stuff like that, and being a likable, coachable guy, teams are going to want you. Somebody always needs a guy somewhere, at some spot. I feel like just really not trying to focus on the outside stuff, and just kind of focusing on getting better and coming to the field every day with a winning mentality. That can take you a long way. And obviously you got talent because you’re here. Just keep doing what you gotta do, keep getting better and somebody will find you.”
For now, he’s a part of the Braves’ depth. He’s going to continue grinding during this offseason. In 2023, he added a cutter, and he now wants to continue to strengthen it. He also wants to prepare his body for a long season in hopes of avoiding injury. Then there’s the mechanical tweaks, like feeling more athletic during his throwing motion.
We might not have seen the best version of Vines yet.
“I definitely do feel like there is some more in there,” he said. “We’re just here to work and show everybody next year. That’s all you can do.
“I really just want to help this team win, so let’s go win another (World Series). Hopefully I’m here for a long time and we get another one.”
