If you had Robbie Erlin as the first pitcher from outside the Atlanta organization to make a start for them in 2020, congratulations. You are a wizard.
Everyone else, though, may be a bit confused, and perhaps perplexed, as to how Erlin is today’s scheduled starter for the series finale in Miami, but that’s the world we find ourselves in. Erlin spent his entire career through 2019 with the Padres, but elected free agency when he was outrighted to the minors at the end of last season. He likely would’ve been non-tendered anyway, as the Padres were apparently loath to pay more than a million or two for a reliever with still-good peripherals (82 FIP-, 93 xFIP-) when he was giving up both hard contact and runs (126 ERA-, .