The Braves were shockingly quiet this offseason, failing to address several of their needs. Both the starting rotation and bullpen will be relying on unproven guys, and shortstop remains the club’s most glaring weakness. Orlando Arcia is not a starting caliber player. He does provide above average defense, but his offense has been so bad since the first half of 2023 that it really negates anything he brings positively with the glove.
The Braves chose to roll the dice because of his team-friendly contract, hoping Orlando Arcia can positively regress offensively. There’s a chance that happens, but if his Spring Training results are any indication, it’s going to be another subpar year at shortstop in Atlanta. In 15 at-bats, Arcia has just one hit, picking up right where he ended last season. The Braves are going to start him on Opening Day because they don’t have much of a choice, but one does have to wonder just how safe his job is moving forward.
Nick Allen was acquired this offseason and has been a star up to this point in Spring Training, carrying a .471 batting average with a 1.232 OPS. Now, it’s important to take these stats with a grain of salt. Every spring, relatively unheard-of names perform like budding superstars. The odds that Allen will perform this well once the games begin to count are zero. He has 760 career plate appearances and boasts an OPS of .537 with an OPS+ of 55 (45% below league average). That’s about as bad as it gets.
Allen is an abysmal offensive player, but he does provide elite defense, which has been on display in spades as well throughout Spring Training. If Orlando Arcia continues to underperform, Allen’s defense alone will garner him some consideration for playing time. But whether it’s Allen, a mid-season signing or trade, Arcia has to be better, or the Braves will have to scramble to find another option.
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Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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