Braves Rumors: 3 players who won’t be on the roster by July 1
By Mark Powell
The Atlanta Braves roster should look much, much different by July 1, if only because of some simply turnover and players returning from injury.
As the trade deadline creeps closer, expect Alex Anthopoulos to exhaust all of his options prior to making a deal, which would require him to part ways with prospects and/or assets. The Braves are one of the best teams in baseball, and barring anything unforeseen, will be buyers come late July.
Pitching, for one, remains their greatest concern. The bullpen is an uncertainty, as Raisel Iglesias and A.J. Minter have been anything but reliable. The starting rotation, minus Max Fried and Kyle Wright, is shorthanded. So far, Atlanta has done what it can to address those issues in house.
On Tuesday, the Braves called up prospect A.J. Smith-Shawver to pitch out of the bullpen. His near-13 K/9 in the minor leagues should lend itself well to getting big outs in critical moments. Jared Shuster and Mike Soroka, both called up from the minors to fill out the rotation, have pitched well so far.
Still, it’s unlikely the Braves go through June and July without external additions. How big those trades turn out to be depends on how these depth pieces perform.
Note: All of these players are on the 26-man roster. This list infers they will either be optioned and kept on the 40-man, optioned altogether, DFA’d if they are out of options.
3 Braves who won’t be back: Charlie Culberson
Atlanta Braves fans love Charlie Culberson, but he has yet to take a big-league at bat with the team since being signed, and doesn’t have a real place on this roster. His primary positions are third base and left field. While Atlanta can offer him some playing time for the time being, eventually that will disappear, especially once Travis d’Arnaud returns from injury, thus removing his DH opportunities.
His teammates love having Culberson back in the fold, as he was a Brave from 2018-20.
“I mean, I know what he’s done, and how much he’s meant to this organization. So for us to pick him up and him to be back up here with us, it’s pretty special for all of us,” d’Arnaud said. “He’s beloved (in Atlanta). And he’s a great dude, always cheering for you, always on your side. Just a fun person to be around, too.”
Letting Culberson loose, or trying to option him to the minors, could end poorly in the clubhouse. Look for the Braves to give him a chance, but it’s hard to find a consistent roster spot for Culberson on this team, and for good reason.