Braves Have Pressing Questions to Answer in Grapefruit League Action

The Atlanta Braves have quite a few unknowns with this roster as we prepare for spring training

The Atlanta Braves, despite relatively little change from last year, aren't a finished product just yet. 

The core of the roster is intact - Atlanta's returning eight of their nine starters from an offense that was one of the best in recent MLB history last season, as well as four of their top starting pitchers last season. The Braves have also added several pieces via trade, most notably leftfielder Jarred Kelenic from the Seattle Mariners and pitcher Chris Sale from the Boston Red Sox. 

But with only 37 players on the 40-man roster (and three of them being 60-day IL eligible in pitchers Ian Anderson, Penn Murfee, and Angel Perdomo), the team's obviously not done adding pieces for 2024. 

Let's look at questions to be answered by the Atlanta Braves in Grapefruit League action:

Who wins the 5th starter's job?

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Bryce Elder, who was a 2023 All-Star on the strength of a strong first half before struggling down the stretch, isn't guaranteed a rotation spot in 2024 after the team added Chris Sale via trade this offseason. 

And that's arguably the way it should be. 

Now, Elder's still the favorite, and he's admitted to be working harader on his offseason conditioning after being "gassed" late last year, but there's plenty of competition for that spot. 

The team's top prospect, non-roster invitee Hurston Waldrep, joins 40-man roster members and fellow prospects AJ Smith-Shawver, Dylan Dodd, Allan Winans, and Darius Vines in the most prolific position battle of Grapefruit League action.

Also notable is Atlanta's said that offseason signing Reynaldo López, who has worked in relief the last few seasons, has been stretching out this offseason and will have an opportunity to contend for a rotation spot as well. 

While Elder's the favorite, by virtue of his MLB experience last season, this will be the biggest and probably final position battle to be decided this spring.  

Where does Reynaldo López slot in to the pitching staff?

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While López will be given a chance to contend for a starting role, there's a strong likelihood that the converted reliever, who hasn't beena. full-time starter since 2019, ends up in the bullpen. 

And if that's the case, what role does he take? 

Atlanta's returning most of their top performers from the pen last season, with closer Raisel Iglesias and setup man A.J. Minter resuming their back end roles. The Braves re-signed Joe Jiménez and Pierce Johnson, and return 2021 postseason hero Tyler Matzek from Tommy John surgery. 

If López isn't a starter, where does he fit in to the bullpen? Having signed a three year, $26M deal, he's being paid like a high-leverage arm - is he the eventual successor to Minter, who is on the final year of club control before reaching free agency? Or is his role designed to be that of a swingman - someone who can stick on the major league roster but both start and relieve, based on the needs of the roster, which is lacking in relievers with minor league options? 

Who wins the backup outfielder job?

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Atlanta's seemingly set for everyday starters in the outfield with the trio of Ronald Acuña Jr, Michael Harris II, and Jarred Kelenic. 

But who mans the bench as the fourth outfielder? 

While not projected to play as much as last year's backup outfielder Kevin Pillar, who got into 81 of the team's 162 regular season games because of now departed Eddie Rosario's issues against left-handed pitching, it's still a role that needs to be filled. 

Forrest Wall is the "incumbent", having made his major league debut on July 22nd last season and sticking on the roster for the postseason. But he's not exactly proven, with a grand total of thirteen MLB plate appearances, two starts, and 30 total defensive innings last season. 

You saw Atlanta's unwillingness to go into spring training without other options come up already this offseason, with the organization trading for J.P Martínez from the Texas Rangers and signing Jordan Luplow to a minor league deal a few weeks ago. 

Whether Atlanta picks from one of their existing options or opts to grab a veteran who is released late in spring training, the Braves figure to be looking for upgrades to their outfield depth for the rest of spring. 

Who is the main backup at shortstop?

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We know that a significant portion of the four player bench will be comprised of catcher Travis d'Arnaud, the backup outfielder (whoever that is), and infielder Luis Guillorme, who is a relatively cheap and high-level infield backup at all non-shortstop positions. 

But who does Atlanta go with at short? 

David Fletcher, the former Angels shortstop who was acquired when Atlanta dumped the salary of Evan White, has over 534 games of MLB experience, including almost 150 at short. 

But he's also owed a combined $12.5M in salary for the next two seasons and another $1.5M in buyout money on the first of two club options, due for 2026. While having that high-level experience on the bench gives some comfort if there's an injury to Orlando Arcia, does Atlanta hope that he instead spends his time playing every day in AAA Gwinnett to rebuild some value and become an attractive trade target to rival teams who suffer an early-season injury? 

Fletcher, who is a non-roster invitee to spring training, provides veteran insurance at the hardest position to fill on the diamond, but would Atlanta be willing to trade him and save the money by installing Andrew Velazquez or Leury García as the backup shortstop? As the Braves are just a few million away from the third luxury-tax tier (and the draft pick penalties that come with it), we'll be watching this one closely. 

Spring Training is almost here! 

Pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday, February 15th to CoolToday Park in North Port for spring training, with full squad workouts starting on Tuesday, February 20th ahead of the team's February 24th Grapefruit League opener.   

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