Atlanta Braves Spring Chop: 1 week to go, but roster is a mess

There were already a number of questions about who might fill the last slots on the bench and rotation, but today’s news just amped up the issues.

Maybe we should start with what we already know:  barring something unfortunate, the Atlanta Braves definitely have around 20 position of their 25 man active roster ready to send in to the commissioner’s office for next week.

Those names are…

• INFIELD:  Freeman, Albies, Swanson (you’ll note that I omitted the 3rd base position) (3)
• CATCHERS:  Flowers, Suzuki (2)
• OUTFIELD:  Tucker, Inciarte, Markakis (3)
• ROTATION:  Teheran, Foltynewicz, McCarthy, Newcomb (4)
• BULLPEN:  Vizcaino, Minter, Freeman, Ramirez, Moylan, Winkler (6)
• OTHERS:  Kazmir, Culberson (2)

That’s 20 names.  Here’s one reason why the other five spots are in flux:

That almost certainly puts Rio Ruiz on the opening day roster – especially since he’s finally warming up with his streaky bat, though the Braves do have a couple of other options:  Charlie Culberson and Christian Colon.  If you prefer the letter ‘C’ over ‘R’ then those guys are for you.

Culberson will be on the roster as the super-sub either way.  Colon has played well, and has more major league experience than Ruiz, but 3B is not his natural position.

As part of all this mix, Danny Santana has been doing some work at third base – so as if there was any doubt, it seems that the Braves are working through Plans B, C, D, and E themselves.

So there’s 1 name:  Ruiz.  4 to go.

The Outfield

There is a combination of factors that will likely bring both Preston Tucker and Lane Adams to Opening Day – not the least of which will be the delay in Ronald Acuna‘s arrival.  More on that in a bit.

Adams has finally starting hitting, which has been a factor that put his status in considerable limbo for a while – despite already being on the 40-man roster.  But it appears he will have a few more days to convince the coaches that he should stick around.

If that vote turns out to be close by mid-April, Adams would get the nod since he’s out of minor league options and Tucker isn’t.  But that being the case, let’s move on to another name after listing Adams as name #22 with 3 to go:

Danny Santana

If Camargo were healthy, then he probably starts in the minors.  However, Satana has been hitting and he has the ability to play virtually any position on the diamond.  He is currently on a minor league contract (i.e., not on the 40-man roster), but at the moment, he is being seen as a backup option for third base… perhaps even sharing time with Ruiz (Santana is a switch-hitter, but is better from the left side… and Ruiz bats lefty).

I’ll throw Christian Colon in here, too, though he is likely the backup-option-to-the-backup-option.  Colon has exclusively been an infielder… any position there other than first base… but as noted, he has major league experience – at the highest levels, in fact.

Santana:  #23 – 2 to go.

Getting Trickier

I get the impression that the Braves would like to have Anibal Sanchez in the mix – at least as a long reliever if not for a chance at that fifth starter role.  The underlying assumption here is that Sanchez would be getting some Gwinnett time to get ready before being added to the club in mid-April, but that’s not necessarily the plan.

Another candidate to allow Sanchez to compile some innings between now and then?  Matt Wisler – he pitched well in Spring and is on the 40 man roster.

Sanchez is not on the 40-man roster, so that’s also a factor.  So for a moment, let’s try another name:

Chris Stewart.  The Braves need to make a decision on Stewart fairly quickly.  His $575,000 contract is non-guaranteed, and he’s in the window where Atlanta could cut him while paying off 45 days of termination pay.

But as Dave O’Brien suggests rightly (link on his tweet above; subscription required), Atlanta might chose to carry him on the roster for a week or two because “it could be easier to get Stewart through waivers after the season begins and teams have firmed up their rosters”.

So….maybe Sanchez or Wisler, plus Stewart for #24 and #25?

Inciarte, Markakis, Tucker, Adams, Santana… that’s five.  If you want a sixth, then that gets complicated.

The Complications

Right now, there are 39 names counting against the 40-man roster.  Sanchez and Santana would require 2 slots.  Adding another outfielder (Dustin Peterson? Ezequiel Carrera?) would require a third slot.

Oh, and Ronald Acuna Jr. will need a slot around mid-April.

There are some candidates to be outrighted:

That buys back 2 slots.  Ryan Schimpf (mentioned in the tweet Bowman was replying to) would be a third, giving Atlanta 4 slots to work with if they want to play it that way.  That might just do it.

April 13

The planets are converging and April 13 is the date of the alignment.

The major league season is 186 days long this year.  For service time purposes, players may only accumulate 172 days of service during any given season. If you have 171 days of service, then you still don’t get ’rounded-up’ to the next full service year…. you simply have 171 days and that’s it.

This number has a long history to it, but suffice it to say that it hasn’t changed in decades, despite a lengthened season on the calendar.

On April 13th, 171 days will remain in the season.

That’s also the date in which Daniel Winkler will finally be an official member of the Atlanta Braves.  In case you forgot by now, he was a Rule 5 draftee from Colorado way back in 2014.  2 significant injuries later, he’s now just a couple of weeks from being official – which removes the requirement that the Braves carry him on the major league roster.

So on that date, I expect Winkler will be ‘rewarded’ with a trip to Gwinnett… unless he’s pitching lights-out or something… and he can slap hands with Ronald Acuna Jr. on I-75 as they pass each other.

That will guarantee the Braves ‘control’ over Acuna through the 2024 campaign.

April 10

More from Tomahawk Take

• Show the bullpen some love
• Braves News: Atlanta’s left field situation, Dansby negotiations, more
• Alex Anthopoulos discusses the Atlanta Braves payroll, rotation, Grissom, Swanson, Acuña, and more
• Braves News: Braves 2023 rotation speculation, Correa deal on hold, more
• Atlanta Braves: Current Left Field Mix

It’s on April 10 that the Braves will first need a fifth starter.  If my guess is right, then they will choose between Scott Kazmir and Anibal Sanchez at that time, with both already being on the 25-man active roster.

Somewhere around then, they could re-assess the need for an extra catcher and opt for an extra bullpen arm instead… particularly if Winkler is departing on the 13th.

The other possibility – if Winkler is doing well – is that catcher Chris Stewart could be the one trading places with Acuna.

OR:  On April 6th, Johan Camargo will likely be eligible to be taken off the disabled list and then chaos will reign supreme once again.

Next: All about the level of competition

That’s my best guesses right now.  Subject to change at any moment.