After going through a spring training that consisted of several roster battles, the Atlanta Braves' Opening Day roster has, more or less, been revealed.
Sean Murphy's injury opened the door for top prospect Drake Baldwin to make the team, and Baldwin ran with the opportunity he was given, posting a rock-solid .378 OBP and walking more than twice as often (7) as he struck out (3). He's going to be Atlanta's starting catcher on Opening Day.
On the pitching front, AJ Smith-Shawver out-dueled several starting pitchers to win the final spot in Atlanta's rotation. The bullpen has a look different than many expected as well, with two non-roster invites, Hector Neris and Enyel De Los Santos, making the team.
While Atlanta's Opening Day roster is set, it will take more than the 26 players on the initial team to get through a full 162-game regular season. Most players on the Opening Day roster will be on the active roster when the regular season comes to an end, but these three players, at the very least, will likely not.
3) Drake Baldwin will stick around even after Sean Murphy returns from injury, putting Chadwick Tromp on the cut line
Had Murphy not suffered his injury, the Braves likely would've sent Baldwin down to Triple-A, giving him a chance to play regularly. The injury did happen, though, and Baldwin is going to get a chance to play regularly at the major league level.
If Baldwin does struggle, the Braves can and will send him back down to the minors by the time Murphy returns from the IL. I don't expect that to happen, though. Baldwin is considered one of the top catcher prospects in the game for a reason, and he has done nothing but produce on the diamond. In addition to his solid showing in spring training, Baldwin had a .891 OPS in 72 Triple-A games last season. He's ready to face MLB pitching, and will likely prove he belongs.
The Braves can still send him down, citing a desire to play both Murphy and Baldwin regularly, but if Baldwin proves he belongs, it'll be really tough to send him down. With that in mind, the Braves can and should part with Chadwick Tromp once Murphy comes back assuming Baldwin proves he's ready for the majors.
This wouldn't be the easiest decision as Tromp is out of options, meaning he'd have to clear waivers for the Braves to send him down to Triple-A, but even if they lose him, they have guys like James McCann and Sandy Leon at the Triple-A level more than capable of providing depth. It would not be surprising to see Tromp get DFA'd if McCann gets off to a good start at Triple-A, either, even before Murphy gets back from the IL.
2) Jose Suarez's stint with the Braves will be short-lived
The Braves made a surprising trade on Sunday, sending Ian Anderson to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Jose Suarez. The Braves trading Anderson wasn't shocking as he's out of options and was unlikely to make the team based on how he pitched in spring training, but trading him for Suarez, a pitcher who might be even worse than Anderson, was a bit of a curious decision.
As recently as 2022 Suarez pitched well for the Angels, but he has posted a combined 6.91 ERA in 33 appearances (10 starts) over the past two seasons at the MLB level, and he had a 6.55 ERA in six spring training appearances. We've seen the Braves turn careers around, and they might do the same with Suarez who does have some talent, but I'm going to have to see it to believe it.
Suarez has the benefit of being out of options, so the Braves risk losing him if they want to send him back down to Triple-A, but there's little reason to expect much from him at this point. At the very least, when Spencer Strider makes his return from the IL, Suarez could be the pitcher that the Braves part with.
1) Bryan De La Cruz will lose his roster spot when Ronald Acuña Jr. makes his return
Another star player set to miss the beginning of the season is Ronald Acuña Jr., one of the best players in the sport when healthy. Fortunately, Acuña isn't expected to miss much more than the first month of the season, which is awesome for the Braves.
Once Acuña does make his return, he's going to play right field and take over as the team's leadoff hitter. He will also have to replace someone on the active roster. Bryan De La Cruz will likely be that someone.
De La Cruz showed some potential as a member of the Miami Marlins, but struggled mightily after getting traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates at last year's trade deadline, and wound up having to settle for a one-year, split contract with the Braves. This essentially means he's going to make more money when he's at the MLB level than when he's in the minors.
De La Cruz will get a chance to play against left-handed pitching as a platoon partner with Jarred Kelenic, but once Acuña comes back, there isn't really a need for him. Kelenic can be the team's fourth outfielder, meaning De La Cruz wouldn't really have a chance to see the field much. De La Cruz being the only player who has options among those expected to make the Braves bench makes this decision an even easier one to make.