The fifth starter spot, the bench, and the revamped coaching staff will all be a focus in February and March
Atlanta Braves pitchers and catchers will report to North Port on Wednesday, with position players scheduled to join them by next Monday, February 19. The first full squad workout will take place on February 20, and believe it or not, the Grapefruit League opener is just a couple of weeks away: February 24.
The Braves are coming off a season where they won 104 games and set multiple offensive records, but once again bowed out in the Division Series when they fell to the Philadelphia Phillies. Atlanta’s Front Office was busy this offseason, acquiring outfielder Jarred Kelenic and veteran left-hander Chris Sale. Alex Anthopoulos also spent a portion of the offseason fortifying the bullpen with the additions of Aaron Bummer and Reynaldo Lopez, along with the returns of Pierce Johnson and Joe Jimenez. Early projections peg the Braves to be essentially the best team in the majors, with comparatively massive World Series odds.
The Braves have progressed to the point where their roster is largely set and there aren’t a ton of storylines heading into Spring Training. However, below is four things to keep an eye on as camp gets underway.
Who will win the fifth starter job?
The first four spots in Atlanta’s rotation are set, barring any sort of injury, with Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton and Chris Sale. The fifth and final spot, though, appears to be up for grabs. Bryce Elder was Gwinnett’s Opening Day starter in 2023, but was called up soon after and ended up making 31 starts while logging a career-high 174 2/3 innings. Elder struggled in the second half and that high innings total could have been a contributing factor. His 2023 performance might give him a slight edge in the competition, but he probably isn’t assured of a spot.
Atlanta signed Reynaldo Lopez to a three-year deal this offseason and then announced that they were going to stretch him out during the winter and give him a chance to start. Lopez came up as a starter, but hasn’t worked in a traditional-style, “go as far as you can” starting role since 2020. (He did have a number of starts in 2021, but they were often shorter-stint outings.) He’s emerged as an effective reliever with a power arm over the last two seasons. It is unclear how the acquisition of Chris Sale might affect Lopez’ role. If the Braves are intent on giving him a look, then it makes sense to do so early. Whether he ends up in the rotation or the bullpen, Lopez will play a meaningful role on the club, perhaps as a highly effective multi-inning arm.
Top prospects AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep will also be in camp. Smith-Shawver made his major league debut as a 20-year old in 2023. Both appear ticketed to start the year in the minors, but Smith-Shawver in particular could be in play if an injury were to occur in camp. The Braves haven’t been shy about promoting prospects if they think they’re ready, and that might apply to Waldrep, but it’s hard to see him leapfrogging Elder and Smith-Shawver right now — but he’ll have weeks of Grapefruit League action to change this, if he’s capable.
Other starter options include lefty Dylan Dodd, along with right-handers Darius Vines and Allan Winans. All three saw action last year and are projected to open the season as depth at Gwinnett. Another name to keep an eye on is Huascar Ynoa, who missed all of the 2023 season while recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Ynoa made 17 starts in 2021 and opened the season in the rotation in 2022 before he was sent back to Triple-A.
Bench spots up for grabs
Atlanta’s prospective bench for 2024 might not come fully into view until closer to the end of Spring Training. Travis d’Arnaud will serve as half of the catcher combo with Sean Murphy. Luis Guillorme signed a major league deal and appears to have a leg up on everyone else for one bench spot. Atlanta acquired veteran infielder David Fletcher from the Angels in a salary-swap trade and then outrighted him off the 40-man roster. Fletcher will be in camp as a non-roster invitee and will compete for a spot on the bench.
Atlanta’s outfield is set with Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, and Jarred Kelenic, right to left. The backup outfield spot is up for grabs. Both J.P. Martinez and Forrest Wall are on the 40-man roster and will be in camp. Both of those guys are lefty bats and have options, so they may be ticketed for Gwinnett. Jordan Luplow and Eli White are in camp again for the second straight season. Both of these are righty hitters and could pair nicely with Kelenic in left if the Braves wanted to sit him against a left-handed starter. White had a big spring in 2023 and saw some brief
action with the Braves before a shoulder injury ended his season; he has one option year remaining and could return to Gwinnett. Luplow was in camp last year on a major league deal and was expected to pair with Eddie Rosario in left, but an injury early in camp set him back. He failed to make the Opening Day roster and was subsequently designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. Luplow is on a minor league deal this time around, and failed to impress in the majors yet again last year, so expectations should be quite modest at this point.
