Spring Training is finally here.
It was a busy offseason once again for John Coppolella’s club, and that should be far from a surprise. The club added a trio of veteran starters to solidify the starting rotation with Jaime Garcia, Bartolo Colon and R.A. DIckey.
They signed Sean Rodriguez to primarily play second base. Then Rodriguez got hurt in a car crash involving a stolen police vehicle, so they added Brandon Phillips from the Reds.
Atlanta also added to its minor league system with the additions of Alex Jackson, Luiz Gohara and Luke Jackson.
As players arrive in Florida this week, here are a few key storylines to keep an eye on.
Ozzie Albies, his elbow and 2nd base
All eyes will be on Albies as he arrives in camp after suffering a broken elbow late in the 2016 season. All reports have indicated his recovery has gone well this winter. He won’t appear in any games early on, but that was probably to be expected.
Expectations are sky-high for Baseball America’s #11 prospect, though it’s important to remember Ozzie just turned 20 years old and has plenty of room to grow.
The addition of Phillips likely keeps Albies in Gwinnett for at least a couple of months, if not a majority of the season. Regardless of when Ozzie makes it to Atlanta, it’s crucial that he be fully recovered from the elbow injury.
The bullpen battle
The Braves have a ton of bullpen options, and that’s an encouraging thing. Jim Johnson, Arodys Vizcaino and Ian Krol are the only three true locks to make it assuming they’re healthy and not traded by opening day. I wouldn’t be stunned if Vizcaino was flipped, but that’s a discussion for another day (or the comments section below).
Mauricio Cabrera and Jose Ramirez can throw the ball a million miles an hour but have had control issues in the past. Paco Rodriguez and Jesse Biddle have big time stuff from the left side but have injury concerns. A.J. Minter has already been compared to Craig Kimbrel. And between Chaz Roe, Armando Riviero, Jason Hursh, Blaine Boyer and a few others, there will be plenty of righties battling for the final few spots.
Matt Kemp’s conditioning
This will be a thing for as long as Kemp’s in Atlanta. I’m looking forward to the daily photos of Kemp already. Let’s hope it doesn’t escalate to Fat Chipper levels.
Who’s the 4th outfielder
The Braves are thoroughly screwed if Ender Inciarte gets hurt. If they want to stay in the hunt this year and play .500 ball, they’re going to need 150+ games from Ender. There are no other serviceable options.
There’s been talk of Jace Peterson filling in center field, but that is far from ideal. He hasn’t regularly played the outfield in years. Micah Johnson was acquired from the Dodgers and has some minor league experience in the outfield, though he’s far from a true center fielder. Matt Kemp could slide over ... just kidding. That would be bad.
It’s not a major issue as long as Ender stays healthy. But should he get hurt — and he’s missed ~30 games in each of the last two season — the Braves would have a big problem on their hands.
What else will you be keeping an eye on during the spring?
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