The Atlanta Braves infield situation seems to be in good shape except for a lingering question at third base. Johan Camargo appears to be the top candidate but the possibility remains that the Braves will look outside the organization for an answer. Freddie Freeman is back at first while Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson begin their first full season in the major leagues together up the middle. Even with the question mark at third base, there is a lot to like about Atlanta’s infield situation.
Freddie Freeman
Freddie Freeman is by far the cornerstone of this group and the team in general. He took his game to an MVP-caliber level in 2016 and was on pace to do so again last season before a broken wrist sidelined him for a month. He returned and admitted that his wrist still wasn’t 100 percent yet still hit .292/.375/.515 with 14 home runs over the final 80 games.
Freeman told reporters at the team’s ChopFest event that he spent the offseason focused on getting his wrist stronger. He indicated that he started hitting earlier than normal and did so in cold temperatures, reporting no pain in the wrist. Freeman also underwent Lasik surgery, eliminating the dry eye problem that he had from time to time associated with wearing contacts.
Ozzie Albies
Ozzie Albies comes to camp this time around not looking to earn a job but rather penciled in as the starter. Albies was promoted on August 1 and replaced Brandon Phillips as the everyday second baseman. It didn’t take him long to get comfortable either, hitting .286/.354/.456 with nine doubles, five triples and six home runs in 57 games. Albies was worth 1.9 fWAR, which was the fifth-best mark on the team despite only playing the final two months of the season. The Braves will be looking for more of the same in 2018.
Dansby Swanson
The 2017 season wasn’t a lot of fun for Dansby Swanson, who struggled for most of his first full season in the big leagues. Swanson came in with a ton of expectations and seemed to collapse under the weight of them. He hit just .232/.312/.324 and eventually found himself back in Triple-A. He hit better upon his return to the majors and will have something to prove coming into spring training this season.
Most projection systems see a somewhat better sophomore season from Swanson. He won’t have the same spotlight on him this time around but could find himself on shaky ground should he struggle again.
Johan Camargo
Atlanta’s third base situation is going to be one worth monitoring throughout Spring Training. The Braves have been rumored to be on the lookout for someone to serve as a stopgap at the third base position. If they are unable to find someone to fill that role, then Johan Camargo is likely to get the first opportunity.
Camargo has always been thought of a defensive first player and his versatility is one of his strongest attributes. However, he came into his own at the plate last season hitting .299/.331/.452 in 82 games. He eventually displaced Swanson at shortstop before a freak injury sidelined him for most of August. He returned in September playing mostly at third base and hit .321/.345/.446 over his final 18 games. While some of his peripheral stats indicate that he shouldn’t really be expected to replicate his 2017 batting line, and there are some concerning small sample-splits when Camargo has faced righties, he should be expected to provide passable production if plugged in at the hot corner.
Camargo put up a strong showing in the Dominican Winter League and seems poised to show that he can function as an everyday player. Most projection systems are skeptical that he can continue to hit at the same rate as last season but at this point he has all but earned the opportunity to be the first option.
Rio Ruiz
Rio Ruiz is another name to keep an eye on as he has some big league experience but will need to show enough to warrant his inclusion on the roster. Camargo is a switch-hitter who feasted on left handed pitching but hit just .254 as a left-handed hitter. That would seem to set Ruiz up as a logical platoon partner. The problem is that he didn’t really hit at all at the major league level putting up a .193/.283/.307 line in 173 plate appearances while beating the ball into the ground over and over again.
Ruiz is a solid enough defender but will have to show that he can handle, and elevate, major league pitching if he wants to stick with the big club. If he can, then a platoon situation with Camargo could be in order. If he can’t, then his opportunities with Atlanta could evaporate.
Charlie Culberson
The Braves acquired Charlie Culberson as part of the Matt Kemp trade. He spent most of 2017 at the Triple-A level for the Dodgers but came up big in the postseason when he was pressed into service. Culberson appeared in 10 playoff games for the Dodgers and went 8-for-16 with a homer. Given that new GM Alex Anthopoulos came from the Dodgers organization, there is a chance that he saw something in Culberson.
But, this is also the time to point out that Culberson has 197 career games at the major league level under his belt and has failed to make any mark, evidenced by his career .229/.269/.321 line. His versatility is his biggest strength and appears to have the inside track to a bench job as a utility player.
The Braves are also bringing along three additional infielders as non-roster invitees. The biggest name of this group by far is third baseman Austin Riley.
Riley began the 2017 season at High-A where he hit .252/.310/.408 with 12 home runs in 81 games. He picked it up after a promotion to Double-A Mississippi, hitting .315/.389/.511 with eight more homers. He continued to turn heads with a successful performance in the Arizona Fall League.
Riley will likely get some opportunities in the spring but likely won’t be in Atlanta until September or even sometime next season. His emergence is the driving force behind the Braves considering only stopgap options at third base so it will be an interesting storyline to track his progress during spring and throughout the season.
Also coming to camp are 28-year old Christian Colon and 33-year old Sean Kazmar. Colon signed a minor league contract with the Braves this offseason after splitting the 2017 season between the Royals and Marlins organizations. He appeared in just 24 games at the major league level last season but has 142 games of experience under his belt. Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Colon is a good-gloved utility infielder who can’t really hit. Kazmar, meanwhile, has spent the last five seasons at Gwinnett. He hit .284/.310/.416 in 99 games last season.
Spring Training Outlook
Freeman and Albies are entrenched at first and second while Swanson is a safe bet to open the season at shortstop. The biggest question mark remains at third where Camargo, Ruiz and Culberson are the top in house options, although Riley appears to be the future. It’s unclear whether the Braves are considering a position battle to determine how playing time at third base will be divvied out, and it’s also unclear whether there will be any last-minute rabbits pulled out of hats to provide a steadier option at the hot corner and leverage Camargo as the utility infielder instead.