Braves Opening Day roster now crystal clear

There are still nine days left until Opening Day, but the Braves don’t seem to have any questions about how the roster will look on March 28th in Philadelphia after their most recent round of cuts.

The #Braves today reassigned C Drake Baldwin, C Chadwick Tromp, INF David Fletcher, INF Andrew Velazquez, INF Luke Williams and OF Eli White to minor league camp. Atlanta now has 28 players in camp.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) March 18, 2024

Rotation

1. Spencer Strider
2. Max Fried
3. Charlie Morton
4. Chris Sale
5. Reynaldo Lopez

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After optioning Bryce Elder to minor-league camp, the Braves signaled that Reynaldo Lopez would be the team’s fifth starter to begin the season. The question is how long that might last, but for now, he gets the nod. The other four spots were never up in the air. Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton, and Chris Sale have all looked incredibly impressive this Spring Training. However, who will get the ball on Opening Day? Will Brian Snitker play the seniority card and start Max Fried again, or is it time for a passing of the torch to Spencer Strider, who is arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball right now?

Bullpen

1. Raisel Iglesias
2. A.J. Minter
3. Pierce Johnson
4. Joe Jimenez
5. Aaron Bummer
6. Tyler Matzek
7. Dylan Lee
8. Jackson Stephens

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After the top five, there were some questions about who the Braves would select for the final three spots in the bullpen, and they opted to go with three familiar faces in Tyler Matzek, Dylan Lee, and Jackson Stephens. All three of them have been effective for the Braves in the past, particularly Matzek and Lee, who are coming off significant arm injuries. It’s nice to have them back, but this competition isn’t over just yet. With all of the depth the Braves have in the minors, the end of the bullpen could become a revolving door until they figure out what works best.

Catchers

1. Sean Murphy
2. Travis d’Arnaud

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Infielders

1. Matt Olson
2. Orlando Arcia
3. Ozzie Albies
4. Austin Riley
5. Luis Guillorme

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David Fletcher did everything he could this Spring to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, but at the end of the day, it came down to options. Guillorme doesn’t have any and is on a major-league contract. Fletcher can be stashed in Gwinnett until he’s needed, so that’s what the Braves will do to start the season, but don’t be surprised if that changes at some point.

Outfielders

1. Ronald Acuña Jr.
2. Michael Harris II
3. Jarred Kelenic
4. Marcell Ozuna
5. Adam Duvall
6. Forrest Wall

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I have been calling for it for months, and it finally happened last week, as the Braves added another outfielder by bringing back old friend Adam Duvall. He will platoon with Jarred Kelenic and can back up all three outfield positions, leaving just one more spot on the roster, which will go to Forrest Wall. The Braves rewarded Wall for his stellar Spring, and his speed offers a little more flavor to the bench, as he has swiped over 100 bags in AAA since the start of the 2022 season.

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Photo: Photographer: David John Griffin/Icon Sportswire