Five storylines to look for at Braves spring training
NORTH PORT, Fla. — “Pitchers and catchers report.”
Each year, those four words elicit excitement from those who have waited months for Major League Baseball to return. Pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training is somewhat of a celebration among fans.
Is it the same as live baseball games? No.
Is it the same as opening day? No.
But it’s baseball, and right now, that’s enough.
Monday is this year’s reporting date for pitchers and catchers who are competing in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, though other players are already at the Atlanta Braves’ facility in Florida. (Chadwick Tromp, a catcher, and Alan Rangel, a right-handed pitcher in the minor leagues, are the only two Braves pitchers and catchers playing in the WBC.)
As spring training begins, here are the top five storylines for Atlanta.
› Can the kid win the job at shortstop?
Even as the signs point to Vaughn Grissom becoming the team’s likely starting shortstop, the 22-year-old must still win the job over Orlando Arcia.
Grissom made his MLB debut last summer — after a broken foot took starting second baseman Ozzie Albies out of the lineup — and he wound up starting 39 games at second and one at shortstop, his primary position in the minors.
While Grissom’s superiors have lauded his offseason work, they have stopped short of crowning him. At the winter meetings, Braves manager Brian Snitker said he must still see Grissom play the position — and put his eyes on the situation as a whole — before making any determinations. And all offseason, general manager Alex Anthopoulos has said nothing is set in stone.
When shortstop Dansby Swanson departed Atlanta after six-plus seasons, signing a lucrative deal with the Chicago Cubs in December, it opened the door for Grissom to win the starting shortstop job.
If Anthopoulos didn’t truly think Grissom could play the position, perhaps he would have brought in a free agent or traded for another shortstop to go along with him and the 28-year-old Arcia. Veteran players Elvis Andrus and Jose Iglesias are still on the market.
Arcia and Grissom couuld share time as well, but it seems the Braves have put their faith in Grissom. Now it’s up to him to validate that belief. › Who’s No. 5?
If you don’t think the fifth and final spot in the starting rotation is important, then you should go back to the first part of 2022, when the Braves shuffled options in and out as they struggled to find a solution to their pitching problem.
This is one of the key battles in camp, and the two apparent frontrunners will be Ian Anderson and Mike Soroka — who also happen to be best friends — but don’t count out Bryce Elder just yet.
“I think it’s a good problem to have,” third baseman Austin Riley said of the multiple contenders for the fifth spot. “It’s a long season, and I imagine we’re going to, at some point, need all those guys to help. That last spot will be a tough one. I know they’re all looking forward to it, getting into spring and getting rolling.”
Nonetheless, the Braves appear to be in a good spot with starting pitching. Not only do they have ace-level talent with Max Fried and Spencer Strider, they have a quality starter in Kyle Wright, an experienced one in Charlie Morton and multiple depth options. Starting pitching should not be their main concern.
› What about left?
Eddie Rosario? Jordan Luplow? Kevin Pillar? Sam Hilliard? Eli White?
The Braves have options in left field, and spring training could be when someone begins to separate himself on what Snitker called “a long list.”
“We’ll figure it out, and it’ll work and it’ll be fine,” the manager said. “We’ve got a lot of really good options, I think, right there. I think Eddie’s probably looking forward to getting going and starting out good again — because we’ve seen what he can do and what he can bring.”
Rosario seems likely to be the starter if he returns to form, but watch out for Luplow, who plays great defense and might have more in his bat than he has shown. Pillar is a veteran but a nonroster invitee, while Hilliard has tools and White is fast with a good arm.
›
Marcell Ozuna has drawn self-inflicted criticism for his on-field struggles and off-field situations. The Braves, however, have stuck with him. They believe he could have a good year.
Ozuna figures to be a designated hitter this year because the Braves have better defensive options for left field. His bat has always been his strongest point, and the Braves felt encouraged by his September performance last season, as well as some of his exit velocity figures.
Fans and media alike
Whither Ozuna?
will be watching Ozuna in spring training to see if he begins to live up to his contract. The Braves still owe him $37 million through the rest of it, and that’s if they don’t pick up the option for 2025.
If he bounces back, Atlanta’s lineup gains another dynamic.
› Relief riddles
Barring injuries, Raisel Iglesias will be the closer, and Joe Jiménez, Collin McHugh and A.J. Minter will also be in the bullpen. It becomes intriguing after that.
The final four spots could go different ways.
If Nick Anderson pitches like he has in the past, he should earn a spot. So, too, should fellow righty Kirby Yates, though he must show a return to the form he displayed before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Lefthander Dylan Lee pitched really well in 2022 as part of Atlanta’s bullpen. Lefty Lucas Luetge, acquired in December, had two great seasons for the New York Yankees before Atlanta traded for him. The Braves believe Dennis Santana, acquired from the Texas Rangers in November, has the stuff to be a late-inning reliever if he’s at his best.
Oh, and you also have Jesse Chavez, 39, who is a nonroster invitee after signing a minor-league deal this offseason. He played a key role last year, his third stint in Atlanta.
You can even throw Jackson Stephens, who is back on a split contract, into the mix.
So let’s see how the bullpen shakes out.