Braves Likely Opening Day Roster

In light of recent developments over the last week, the Braves Opening Day roster is pretty much set, providing Alex Anthopoulos doesn’t have some more tricks up his sleeve in the coming days.

Rotation

1. Chris Sale
2. Spencer Schwellenbach
3. Reynaldo Lopez
4. Grant Holmes
5. AJ Smith-Shawver

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The battle for the fifth spot in the rotation went down to the final week, but the Braves ultimately couldn’t justify keeping Ian Anderson around with the way he performed this spring. His control was non-existent, and he wasn’t missing any at-bats. Now, he’s in Los Angeles with the Angels, a rebuilding club that can allow Ian Anderson to figure it out at the major-league level.

The trade leaves the highly touted AJ Smith-Shawver as the final man in the rotation, and Braves Country should be excited about his potential. His fastball has been sitting in the high-90s all spring, and the secondary offerings appear to really be coming around. Smith-Shawver could become a staple in the Braves rotation for years to come, giving Atlanta an incredibly powerful group of starting pitchers, especially when Spencer Strider returns.

Catcher

1. Drake Baldwin
2. Chadwick Tromp

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It’s official: Drake Baldwin will be the Braves starting catcher until Sean Murphy returns from a cracked rib he suffered earlier in Spring Training. Chadwick Tromp will begin the season as the backup, but things will get really interesting if Baldwin starts off the season hot. I’m not sure the Braves will want to send him back down to Gwinnett. Regardless, it’s a good problem to have.

Infield

1. Orlando Arcia
2. Austin Riley
3. Ozzie Albies
4. Matt Olson
5. Nick Allen

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Not much to see here. The Braves starting infield has been known for months, and Nick Allen locked down the utility infield spot with his performance this spring.

Outfield

1. Michael Harris II
2. Jurickson Profar
3. Jarred Kelenic
4. Bryan De La Cruz
5. Marcell Ozuna
6. Eli White

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Eli White’s performance this spring should be enough to land him a spot on the Opening Day roster. However, with the late offseason addition of Alex Verdugo, this could be switched up in the near future.

Bullpen

1. Raisel Iglesias
2. Daysbel Hernandez
3. Dylan Lee
4. Pierce Johnson
5. Aaron Bummer
6. Hector Neris
7. Enyel De Los Santos
8. Jose Suarez

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Providing there are no more moves, this is going to be the Braves bullpen on Opening Day. The club selected the contracts of Hector Neris and Enyel De Los Santos last week, and several beat writers have confirmed the newly acquired Jose Suarez will begin the season with the team. However, Craig Kimbrel was also recently signed. As he ramps things up, he could be in Atlanta before the end of April. The backend of the Braves bullpen could be a revolving door for a while.

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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire