After going through spring training which consisted of several roster battles, the Atlanta Braves‘ Opening Day roster has, more or less, been revealed.
Sean Murphy’s injury opened the door for top prospect Drake Baldwin to make the team and Baldwin ran with the opportunity he was given. He will be Atlanta’s starting catcher on Opening Day.
On the pitching side, AJ Smith-Shawver out-dueled several starting pitchers to earn the final spot in Atlanta’s rotation. The bullpen looks a little different than many expected as well, with two non-roster invites, Hector Neris and Enyel De Los Santos, making the team.
While Atlanta’s Opening Day roster is set, it will take more than the 26 players on the initial team to get through a full 162-game regular season, as the Braves know all too well. Most players on the Opening Day roster will be on the active roster when the regular season comes to an end, but these three players will likely not.
Three Braves Who Made The Opening Day Roster But Won’t Last
José Suarez
The Braves made a somewhat surprising trade on Sunday, sending Ian Anderson to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for José Suarez. It wasn’t necessarily surprising that Atlanta traded Anderson as he’s out of options and was unlikely to make the team based on how he pitched in spring training, but trading him for Suarez was a bit of a curious decision.
Suarez has posted a 6.91 ERA in 33 appearances, with 10 starts over the past two seasons at the MLB level, and this spring he had a 6.75 ERA in seven appearances. We have seen the Braves turn careers around many times before, and they might do the same with Suarez, but it’s understandable to be skeptical of that happening.
Suarez has the benefit of being out of options, so the Braves do risk losing him if they want to send him down to Triple-A, but there are not many reasons to expect much from him at this point and someone will be giving their spot up to Spencer Strider when he makes his return from the IL. Suarez could be the pitcher that the Braves part with.
Chadwick Tromp
Had Murphy not suffered his injury, Baldwin likely would’ve started his season in Triple-A, allowing him to play regularly. Now because of the injury, Baldwin is going to get the chance to play regularly at the Major League level instead.
If Baldwin does struggle, the Braves can and likely will send him back down to the minors by the time Murphy returns from the IL. This seems unlikely to happen, as Baldwin is considered one of the top catcher prospects in the game for a reason and he has done nothing but produce on the diamond. In addition to his solid spring training, he also had a .891 OPS in 72 Triple-A games last season. All signs point to him being ready for MLB pitching.
With that in mind, the Braves can and should part with Chadwick Tromp once Murphy comes back. This would be a tough decision to make as Tromp is out of options, meaning he would have to clear waivers for the Braves to send him down to Triple-A, however even if they lose him, they have guys like Sandy León and James McCann at the Triple-A level more than capable of providing the depth the Braves would need. Tromp is also a candidate to get designated for assignment if he struggles early on with the Braves and James McCann gets off to a good start for Gwinnett, even before Murphy gets back.
Bryan De La Cruz
Another star player to miss the beginning of the season is Ronald Acuña Jr., a five-tool player who is one of the best players in baseball when healthy. Fortunately for Braves fans, Acuña isn’t expected to miss much more than the first month of the season, which is much-needed good news for an Atlanta team that has World Series aspirations.
Once he does make his return, he will be playing right field and likely reclaim his role as the team’s leadoff hitter. He will also have to replace someone on the active roster and Bryan De La Cruz is the top candidate. De La Cruz showed some potential as a member of the Miami Marlins but struggled greatly after getting traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates at last year’s trade deadline. He ended up settling for a one-year, split contract with the Braves. This essentially means he will be making more money when he’s at the MLB level than when he’s in the minors.
De La Cruz will likely get a chance to play against left-handed pitching as a platoon partner with Jarred Kelenic, but once Acuña comes back, there won’t be room for him. Michael Harris, Ronald Acuña Jr., and the switch-hitting Jurickson Profar will be playing every day, and Kelenic will be first in line whenever any of those guys need a day off. Marcell Ozuna was also one of the best hitters in baseball last season, so he has the DH position locked up. De La Cruz is the only player who has options among those expected to make the Braves bench and this makes the decision to send him down an even easier one to make.
Main Image: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
