Atlanta’s Opening Day Roster Is Set, Pending Veteran Adds After Spring
Opening Day in Atlanta The Atlanta Braves have selected their 26 players, barring any veteran additions after spring training. That is, unless a veteran becomes available between now and Opening Day.
Perhaps the Atlanta Braves have assembled their Opening Day roster.
Atlanta is down to just twenty-eight players in camp after optioning a few players to AAA Gwinnett on Monday. Two pitchers, Angel Perdomo and Penn Murfee, are hurt and will go on the injured list prior to Opening Day.
This indicates that the three main positional contests are over, with Jackson Stephens (long man in pen), Forrest Wall (last bench slot), and Reynaldo López (fifth starter) becoming victorious.
Unless the team brings in a veteran before Opening Day, that is.
With just thirty-eight players on their 40-man roster, the Braves can add up to five players if they move Ian Anderson, Murfee, and Perdomo to the 60-Day IL, freeing up three more spaces.
And that’s something to keep an eye out for this weekend. Any player signed to a minor league contract as an Article XX(B) free agency has a universal opt-out deadline of Friday at 2 PM ET due to a stipulation in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The team has until Sunday, the 24th at noon to decide whether to add a player to the 40-man roster or not if they indicate that they wish to opt out.
(An individual with more than six years of service who ended the previous season either on an MLB roster or the injured list is considered an article XX(B) free agent.)
Forgot to add the above tweet is just AL guys, here's the NL:
Elvis Andrus
Carl Edwards Jr.
David Peralta
Garrett Cooper
Tony Kemp
Curt Casali
Ji-Man Choi
Chase Anderson
Brad Miller
Jesse Winker
Matt Barnes
Eddie Rosario— Jon Becker (@jonbecker_) March 19, 2024
Furthermore, that clause is included in the contracts of a number of players who aren’t eligible to be XX(B) free agents; however, this list isn’t readily searchable because it’s typically not disclosed at signing.
As you can see, Atlanta could theoretically find a place in the organization for players at any position, should they so choose.
It’s possible that longtime pals Jesse Chavez and Kevin Pillar (White Sox), as well as Phillies starter Jake Odorizzi and Nationals outfielder Eddie Rosario, will become available.
When considering players that Atlanta could actually add, I would keep an eye out for someone with the versatility of Garrett Cooper (Cubs), who has played first base as well as corner outfield. Cooper is a better player than Luke Williams, who the Braves had on their roster for a number of months last season.
I could have seen Atlanta sign an experienced outfielder like Jake Marisnick (Angels) before Adam Duvall signed, but I think he would have preferred a major-league contract.
However, don’t expect many signings that would jeopardize the major league roster. Many of these players clearly want a chance at playing time, and Atlanta’s president of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos, has previously acknowledged that the team has a “weak” bench due to the lack of playing time available and that many players who could have joined the team instead chose to pursue better opportunities to get on the field.
