Braves hope to bolster bench

Postseason loss to the Dodgers showed team how much it needs to improve.

CARLSBAD, CALIF. — The Braves consider catcher and corner outfield their top offseason priorities, but improving a poor bench is also high on the list.

General manager Alex Anthopoulos acknowledges the bench as a weak point this year. The Braves constantly shuff l ed through a throng of less-thanideal bench bats, with Charlie Culberson the lone redeeming quality.

“We definitely need to improve our bench, no doubt,” Anthopoulos said Tuesday from the general managers meetings. “That’s another area that — there’s no doubt our bench was thin this year. It was thin the entire year. So part of it was last offseason, we didn’t want to spend signifi-

cant dollars on the bench. I don’t think anyone wants to spend significant dollars on the bench.”

Matt Adams, who hit 19 homers as a semi-regular for the Braves in 2017, was non-tendered last winter due to defensive limitations. The organization attempted to reacquire him through waivers, though he ended up with another former employer, the Cardinals.

A player of that mold makes sense offensively, with the Braves lacking pinch-hit power. But Adams is still a defensive liability, so it’s unclear if he’d be reconsid- ered for a third time. They ultimately added a player cut from a similar cloth in Lucas Duda, who’s also a free agent.

There have been sugges- tions of adding a third base- man and moving Johan Camargo to a super utility role, but Anthopoulos crushed that speculation by offering his support for the incumbent infield.

When the Braves assem- bled their postseason roster, their bench consisted of catcher Rene Rivera, infielder Ryan Flaherty, speedy outfielder Lane Adams and Duda. It exacerbated the gap between the Braves and eventual National League champion Dodg- ers. It illustrated the importance of depth, and why the Braves simply weren’t near that level just yet.

“We’ve just got to kind of get stronger to compete in that situation,” manager Brian Snitker said after the Braves were eliminated. “Because (the Dodgers are) really strong and deep. And we’re not there yet. We will be. We’ll get there.”

Ideally, the Braves add another Culberson-type. One capable of handling several positions. For as solid as Culberson was offensively last season, the team acquired him with defense in mind.

Houston’s Marwin Gonzalez, the 30-year-old Renaissance man, is a free agent. His fit is natural for a franchise seeking versatility, although he’ll be paid in the realm of a starter.

He still makes sense for the Braves in that respect, but it’s not improving the bench if he’s paid as a starter.

This would be less con- cerning if Adam Duvall had panned out. Acquired just before the trade deadline, Duvall hit a dreadful .132 with 17 strikeouts, three walks and no RBIs in just 37 plate appearances. He was a Gold Glove finalist, but that’s all attributed to his work in Cincinnati.

Duvall appeared in just 33 games with the Braves. He’s one of three pure outfield- ers on the current roster, but Anthopoulos pointed out the obvious: He hasn’t shown enough to be trusted with a consistent role.

“He didn’t play up to what he was capable of,” Antho- poulos said. “I think the big- gest adjustment — I don’t want to speak for him here — he went from being an every-day player, you look at his games played 2016-17, he was a guy who’d play a lot of games. … To have to adjust and not play as often.”

Nov. 30 is the deadline to tender Duvall a contract, but those deals are non-guaranteed. The Braves haven’t made a determination yet.

But they’ve clearly identified the bench as an area of need. While they neglected it last offseason, they’ll address it this time around, even if it’s later in the offseason.

“I think now, going into this season, we’ll be much more open-minded,” Anthopoulos said. “But I don’t think we’ll commit to bench

Dansby Swanson, 24, will be entering a pivotal year as the Braves try to determine his offensive ceiling. He hit .238 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs in 136 games last season.

dollars early in the process rather than filling some of the more important areas.”

Swanson has wrist procedure: Dansby Swanson underwent a procedure to remove a loose body from his left wrist Monday, the Braves announced.

The shortstop is expected to be ready for spring training.

The procedure was performed in Atlanta by the Braves’ head physician, Gary Lourie.

Swanson missed the end of the regular season and the playoffs after he suffered a torn ligament in his left hand in the season’s final trip.

Swanson, 24, will be entering a pivotal year as the Braves try to determine his offensive ceiling. He hit .238 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs in 136 games last season.

Front-office hire: The Braves have hired Mike Fast, former Astros director of research and development, as a special assistant to the general manager.

Fast announced the move Wednesday afternoon on his Twitter account. His title was confirmed by a person familiar with the hiring.

Since joining Houston in 2012, Fast has been credited as one of the key analytical minds in the Astros’ rise to prominence. He led their analytics team and played a significant role in how that data translated to the field.

He also contributed to player evaluations and transactions, according to the Astros’ website.

Fast spent 17 years as a semiconductor engineer. He wrote for Baseball Prospectus before joining general manager Jeff Luhnow’s staff in Houston. The team won the World Series in 2017.

It was unclear what prompted Fast’s departure from the Astros, but it was universally considered a big loss for one of the deeper front offices in the sport.

Fast’s hiring is a significant development as Anthopoulos reworks the organization with an analytical interest.

CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM The Braves acquired Charlie Culberson for his defense, but he became a big contributor with the bat. His 12 home runs were nine more than he’d hit in any previous season.