FanPost

ROSTERBATION: The Roster is Nearing Completion...

475+ comments in the last thread, so it's time for a new one.

It's not even 2011 yet, but it sounds like Frank Wren is done:

"I think from a team and roster perspective, we're ready to go. "We'll probably make some few tweaks, but I wouldn't anything real big."

If that's true, I still feel like we're just one player away from really having "it". Perhaps it's a super-utlility guy or maybe a solid center fielder to replace McLouth if/when he sucks, but it still feels like we're just a little ways away from having a complete team.

Chipper Jones is going to miss time, and that means Prado will move to 3rd. Who plays left field? We all saw last year that Eric Hinkse is a bench player and not an everyday starter. A guy like Matt Young could fill in, but we still have no idea if he can hit Major League pitching. Joe Mather could also be an option, but again, we have no clue if he would be at least serviceable on an everyday basis.

This team needs an outfielder to platoon with McLouth and play left field when Chipper inevitably gets injured. If not, we'll be looking at a repeat of 2010 in our outfield.

As we stand now, it looks like 22 or 23 spots are set on our roster:

McCann
Freeman
Uggla
Chipper
Gonzalez
Prado
McLouth
Heyward

Ross, Mather, Hinske, Hernandez*, Young*

Hudson
Hanson
Lowe
Jurrjens
Minor/Beachy

Kimbrel
Venters
Linebrink
EOF
Moylan
Sherill
Proctor*

* = Not a lock, but they're probably the early favorites.

Wren can rest assured that our pitching is more than ready to go. We have six starting pitchers who could start from Opening Day, and it sounds like Teheran and Delgado could come up at the All-Star Break if needed. And of course there's always a guy who comes out of nowhere and could fill in for a start or two if needed.

Our bullpen has a very nice blend of young and old guys, and I think it'll be just as good as last year. If 2010 was any indication, Craig Kimbrel should be filthy from Day 1. Then it's up to Jonny Venters, Scott Linebrink and Eric O'Flaherty to handle the 7th and 8th innings, with Moylan and Sherrill coming in as one of the better ROOGYs and LOOGYs in baseball. I'd rather have Martinez in our 'pen instead of Proctor, but hopefully Proctor can re-gain his form and be a solid guy for us.

Our lineup looks very solid if we're all healthy, but that probably isn't going to happen. Discuss in the thread what we need to do...

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