Braves pitchers have issues

Take a peek at the Braves’ starting rotation, and you’d have to concede the division to them -- if this were, say, the turn of the century. Take a peek at John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Mike Hampton now, and you wonder.

You don’t wonder so much about Smoltz. He’s 40, but he went 14-8 with a 3.11 earned-run average last year, his third consecutive season above 200 innings after four arm-saving seasons as a closer.

You wonder some about Glavine. He’s 42, and he did go 13-8 in 200 innings, but his 4.45 ERA was almost a full point above his career average. He had a 6.10 ERA in September and, with the division title on the line for the Mets, he gave up seven runs in one-third of an inning.

And you certainly wonder about Hampton. He’s 35, three years removed from his last major league pitch, seven years removed from the last time he threw 200 innings, nine years removed from his 22-4 season.

If the Braves hold up into July, you’ve got to think they’ll bring back Greg Maddux.