This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it repeatedly in your inbox.
NORTH PORT, Fla. — It’s actually enjoyable to see what Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley and the Braves’ different high hitters are doing in Spring Coaching. However roster battles additionally present ample intrigue throughout camp.
The Braves may use inside candidates to fill their bench or they could find yourself going with a participant who’s launched from one other workforce’s camp in some unspecified time in the future over the subsequent few weeks. Regardless, what occurs throughout these early days of the Grapefruit League season will form how Atlanta’s roster seems to be on Opening Day.
Here’s a take a look at among the main questions the Braves will face concerning their bench:
What number of backup infielders needs to be carried?
This isn’t a battle between Luis Guillorme and David Fletcher. Barring an damage, Guillorme will probably be on Atlanta’s Opening Day roster. So the query is: Ought to the Braves carry a further backup center infielder?
Guillorme has come to camp in higher form than he was the previous couple years. However although he has the vary to play each center infield positions, Fletcher is the higher defensive participant. However Fletcher was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett in December, so he would should be added to the 40-man roster spot if the membership opts to place him on the Opening Day roster.
Carrying each Guillorme and Fletcher appears to create some roster redundancy. So the Braves may look to higher fill this spot.
May they accomplish that by carrying Forrest Wall?
Fairly actually, it makes excellent sense to hold Wall, whose main worth comes from his great velocity. There was a time when groups may waste a regular-season roster spot by carrying anyone who would basically solely be used as a pinch-runner. However that was earlier than groups had been utilizing each a 26-man roster and a common designated hitter.
If the Braves may go greater than two months with out utilizing a backup infielder final yr, they’ll actually fill a spot with Wall, who was profitable with 5 of his six stolen base makes an attempt on the huge league degree final yr. He was profitable with 52 of 60 makes an attempt for Triple-A Gwinnett.
Who would be the backup outfielder?
Even with the presence of Wall and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, there’s seemingly a necessity to hold a main backup outfielder. With Acuña and Jarred Kelenic in a position to play middle if vital, the backup wouldn’t essentially have to have the ability to play throughout the outfield. However many of the present candidates can.
Like Wall, J.P. Martinez is already on the 40-man roster. So, he may very well be thought-about the favourite, until the Braves select to get him common at-bats on the Triple-A degree. In that case, they’d possible want to offer a 40-man spot to both Eli White or Jordan Luplow.
Who will possible be on the Braves’ bench when the common season begins?
Backup catcher Travis d’Arnaud and Guillorme will fill two of the 4 bench spots. It additionally appears like Wall could be an ideal match for that twenty sixth spot. So as an alternative of giving the backup outfielder spot to an inside candidate, I’m going to foretell that spot is stuffed by anyone who’s at present in one other camp.
