Spring training is finally here, meaning Opening Day is less than two months away. For the Atlanta Braves, Opening Day cannot come soon enough. The Braves were as unlucky as any team in the sport in 2024, and are looking to prove that they are legitimate World Series contenders once and for all.
Once Opening Day finally does get closer, the Braves, like every other team, will have to make difficult decisions when it comes to deciding who cracks their initial 26-man roster. There are usually at least two or three tough decisions any front office has to make when deciding who makes the team and who does not.
Braves fans likely won't want to see any of these three players on the team's Opening Day roster, but there's a good chance all three of them will make the cut.
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3. Anderson Pilar has a chance to make the roster after being selected in Rule 5 Draft
The Braves made two selections in the Rule 5 Draft over the offseason, the first being Anderson Pilar, who was taken from the Miami Marlins organization. The rules behind players taken in the MLB portion of the Rule 5 Draft are very clear — any player drafted must remain on the team's 26-man active roster or the Injured List for the entire first season after being selected.
If Pilar really struggles in spring training, the Braves can choose to place him on waivers and eventually offer him back to the Marlins, but chances are, if they selected him, they'll want to see what he can do at the start of the year - especially with the Braves making no major bullpen additions.
This can change if the Braves do finally make a major bullpen addition, but for now, Pilar seemingly has a great shot to make the team's Opening Day roster. Braves fans presumably won't want him to, as he has not thrown a single pitch at the MLB level and has just 15 minor league innings under his belt. However, the fact that the Braves would lose him for nothing if they choose not to roster him, gives him the inside track to make the team and even stick around for the entirety of the 2025 campaign.
2. Chadwick Tromp is more likely to make the Braves Opening Day roster than Drake Baldwin
When the Braves declined Travis d'Arnaud's club option, some Braves fans were excited thinking that the team's top prospect, Drake Baldwin, was going to have a legitimate chance to make the team's Opening Day roster. As fun as it'd be to see Baldwin in Atlanta, it's unlikely for a couple of reasons.
The Braves likely want Sean Murphy, a 2023 All-Star, to play a ton, as he's the most proven catcher in their organization by far. Murphy is coming off a down year, but he also missed substantial time due to injury. Assuming he can stay healthy, why can't he bounce back and play like the All-Star he was just a couple of years ago?
Relatedly, if Baldwin was to make the team, the Braves would want him to play a lot. Well, with Marcell Ozuna locked into the DH spot every day, the Braves can't play both Murphy and Baldwin regularly. With that in mind, it's far more likely that, at least to start the year, the Braves will prioritize having both catchers play often with Murphy starting at the MLB level and Baldwin appearing in Triple-A.
Instead of having Baldwin play just once or twice a week at the MLB level, Chadwick Tromp can do that, while giving Baldwin the opportunity to play regularly in Triple-A, a level in which he has just 75 games of experience at. Baldwin is 23 years old at the end of the day - there's no reason to rush him.
1. Braves fans will have to trust Ian Anderson whether they want to or not
Once upon a time, Ian Anderson was one of the most exciting young starting pitchers in the National League. Not only was he one of Atlanta's best pitchers in both 2020 and 2021, but he was dominant in October in both years, playing a role in the Braves' World Series win in 2021. Since then, though, Anderson has not made his mark at the MLB level.
The right-hander struggled mightily in the 2022 campaign, posting a 5.00 ERA in 22 starts before being sent down to Triple-A. Unfortunately, he has not pitched at the MLB level since.
Anderson underwent Tommy John Surgery after making just one Triple-A start in 2023, and made 15 starts, all in the minor leagues, last season. He hasn't been effective and hasn't pitched much recently, but Anderson is out of options, meaning that the team cannot send him down without exposing him to waivers.
Understandably, Braves fans are not enamored with the idea of relying on a pitcher who hasn't succeeded at the MLB level since 2021 in their rotation, but what's the alternative? Guys like Bryce Elder, AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep might be more exciting, but they're all unproven and all can be optioned. Roster flexibility is key, especially when it comes to pitching. Given that, the Braves are more likely to roster a player out of options like Anderson, especially when they lack a clear better alternative.
This can change if the Braves finally add an external rotation option, but with all of the best options off the board, it's probably likely that Anderson will make the team's Opening Day roster.