As with every team going into spring training, the Atlanta Braves don’t have all 26 Opening Day roster spots locked up with a player already. Unlike most however, almost all of the starting roster spots are in fact locked in, barring an unfortunate spring injury. In this post we will look at the roster spots up for grabs on the position player side.
Second Catcher
Sean Murphy is coming off a disappointing, injury-plagued season. That said the plan will be for him to get the majority of time behind the plate. With Travis d’Arnaud not being brought back for a sixth season with the Braves, the job of second catcher is now up for grabs.
The favorite for the spot, as reflected in the OFR Spring Training Player Tracker, is veteran Chadwick Tromp. Tromp has played in the Braves organization the last three seasons after having come up with and making his major league debut with San Francisco. Tromp is someone the Braves feel comfortable entrusting the pitching staff with and is rock-solid defensively. At the plate Tromp won’t provide the team with much production, but will also not be an embarrassment either. With Atlanta clearly wanting Murphy to command at least 65% of the catching duties this season, Tromp isn’t a bad option to take on the other 35%. To add to this, Tromp is out of minor league options. If the Braves elect not to go with Tromp, they will have to designate him for assignment to get him back to triple-A Gwinnett, exposing him to a waiver claim by another major league club.
The Braves are bringing in four other catchers on non-roster invitations. Two of those, veteran Sandy León and prospect Adam Zebrowski, the tracker give a near-zero chance of making the squad out of spring training. León was the primary catcher for the 2017 World Champion Red Sox, but other than a career year in 2016 has never been much of an offensive threat. León is in camp to be a steady, veteran presence for young pitchers and catchers. On the reverse side of the coin, Zebrowski hasn’t played above the double-A level. Zebrowski has shown solid power potential in the lower minors, but has not demonstrated on-base skills enough to be thought of as a potential major league starting catcher. Zebrowski is in camp to learn, observe, and fill in later innings in Grapefruit League games before likely returning to double-A for more seasoning.
The other two invitees are prospect Drake Baldwin and veteran Curt Casali. Baldwin is the consensus top prospect in the Braves system by national prospect writers, possessing an impressive combination of hitting and defensive skills. However, with the presence of Sean Murphy, it is unlikely that the Braves would want Baldwin only picking up one or two starts out of five in a given week. He still has some aspects to his game that could use ironing out in the minor leagues (specifically his footwork to improve the accuracy of his throws to second base on stolen base attempts). If there is an injury to Murphy, or if for some reason the Braves elect to have a more 50/50 catching share, it could be that Baldwin would leap up past Tromp to take this roster spot, but otherwise it is more likely Baldwin will return to triple-A to begin the season.
Casali has played in parts of 11 seasons in the major leagues and was recently signed to a minor league deal. Casali is the main competition to Tromp if the second catcher spot is a true back-up role, but the likely role for Casali at the start of 2025 will be taking over Tromp’s old role as Baldwin’s primary back-up in triple-A Gwinnett.
Right Field
Ultimately it is expected former MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. will resume his spot in right field upon completion of his rehab from ACL surgery from last May. The team has already ruled Acuña out for Opening Day however and he seems to be tracking for a May 2025 return. Until then, the team will need to make due in right field with other options.
The most likely of the possible fill-ins is Jarred Kelenic, either taking the job outright or as the left-handed hitting part of a platoon. Other than a blistering-hot June in 2024, Kelenic’s first year with Atlanta was disappointing but the team has a lot of incentive to give Kelenic another shot at proving he can be a major league starting outfielder.
If the Braves decide to platoon Kelenic with the right-handed batter there are three options in camp to choose from. The most likely would be free agent signee Bryan De La Cruz, whom Braves fans would most remember as a Miami Marlin starting in 2021. De La Cruz is a strong defensive outfielder and has power, swatting a career-high 21 home runs last season. De La Cruz has demonstrated on-base skills enough to hold down a starting outfield spot, but against left-handed pitchers he has shown to be slightly better than average. De La Cruz was signed to a major league contract, but it is not guaranteed so the Braves will not have to pay out the full amount if they elect to cut him in spring training. He also has options and can be stashed at triple-A for depth.
Eli White, who has played in part-time roles in Atlanta the last two seasons, is another potential platoon-mate with Kelenic. White is a strong defensive outfielder at all three spots and also has some experience at second base, giving him a second path to the roster in a utility role. He has demonstrated reverse splits in his somewhat limited major league experience to date, making him an awkward fit for a platoon role. White is out of options so would have to pass through waivers to be sent back down to triple-A.
De La Cruz’s main competition for platoon/fourth outfielder is probably former Miami teammate Garrett Cooper. Cooper has bounced around organizations since an unlikely All-Star selection in 2022, playing for four different teams in 2023-24. Last season was rough for him, but he owns a solid .265/.333/.427 major league batting line. Cooper has mostly played first base in the major leagues since 2021 so he would need to come into camp ready to run in order to be considered for an outfield role, but the close wall in right field at Truist Park has a way of helping less-rangy outfielders. Cooper has hit left-handed pitching well in his career and has a lane to the roster as a pure bench bat even if he doesn’t get a share of a right field platoon.
Other outfielders in camp include minor league free agent signees Carlos Rodriguez, Conner Capel, and Jake Marisnick. Rodriguez and Capel are both are left-handed hitters and would not be candidates to platoon with Kelenic. To make the roster either would have to clearly out-play Kelenic or Kelenic would have to suffer an injury. Marisnick will be 34 years old on Opening Day and is looking to add to his 11 seasons playing in the major leagues after spending all of 2024 in the minors. Capel and Marisnick are in camp on a minor league deals while Rodriguez can be optioned.
Fifth Infielder
Perhaps the most up-for-grabs spot on the position-player side of the roster is that of back-up infielder. Last season, near-simultaneous wrist injuries to starting second baseman Ozzie Albies and third baseman Austin Riley exposed the lack of depth on the roster after the starters as the team was forced to sign veteran cast-offs like Whit Merrifield and Gio Urshela and bring up prospect Nacho Alvarez Jr. before he was ready for the majors. The Braves are going to be looking for options for not just the major league roster but at triple-A if there are injuries again so they don’t have to go outside the organization for temporary fill-in.
Nick Allen was picked up by the Braves early in the offseason in a trade with the Athletics. Allen had spent parts of the last three seasons with Oakland and is a very strong defender at shortstop and has experience at third and second as well. He has not hit well in his major league opportunities to date, but the 26-year-old has hit .307/.394/.435 at the triple-A level, giving an indication that there may be more in his bat than he has shown. If Arcia has to leave the game with an injury, or just needs a day off, playing Allen at the position would maintain defensive stability.
Allen will be competing primary with former Guardians farmhand Christian Cairo. Cairo was selected by Atlanta in the most recent Rule 5 draft. By those rules, Cairo will have to spend the entire 2025 season on the major league 26-man roster (or injured list) or be offered back to Cleveland. Cairo made it to triple-A last year and is considered a strong defender at all three infield skill spots and a strong baserunner as well, helping out in his potential utility. Cairo has not produced much at the plate however, though he has shown good command of the strike zone and bat-to-ball skills.
Luke Williams appeared in 34 games with the big-league Braves last season, appearing at five positions. Like Allen, Williams has had triple-A success (.272/.351/.433) that hasn’t translated to the majors. Williams isn’t as good defensively at shortstop as Allen or Cairo, but otherwise has more versatility, seemingly as comfortable in an outfield corner as an infield corner. It is because of this that Williams may have a better lane for the utility spot on the roster than the fifth infielder, which would make his primary competition Eli White rather than Allen and Cairo. Like White, Williams is out of options and would have to be exposed to waivers to get him back to triple-A.
Other infielders in camp are major league vets Eddy Alvarez, José Devers, Charles Leblanc, and prospect Nacho Alvarez Jr. None of these have a current strong case to make the squad and all seem to be ticketed for triple-A barring an exemplary spring training performance.
Eddy Alvarez has had limited opportunities the last four seasons in the majors with three different teams, the last being the New York Mets. The 35-year-old more likely will fill the Sean Kazmar-type of veteran at triple-A Gwinnett. Devers, 25, likewise has utility in being able to play multiple positions, but has not produced offensively in the upper minors. The Braves will see if they can unlock something with him at triple-A. Leblanc, 28, has likewise had a few limited major league opportunities and seems more likely ticketed for a utility role in Gwinnett at third, first, and second base.
Nacho Alvarez is the top infield prospect in the system and will come into camp looking to wow coaches into giving him an opportunity to usurp Orlando Arcia from the starting shortstop job. It is a longshot given Arcia’s strong baseline defensive floor. Alvarez would have to demonstrate not only that he would be significantly better than Arcia at the plate, but that he could hold down the shortstop position well enough not to negatively impact the team’s run prevention strategy. The tracker currently has Alvarez at a 15% chance, which is completely this scenario as it is unlikely the team would want Alvarez to make the team just to sit on the bench. If that does come to pass, Arcia would likely remain on the team as the fifth infielder, pushing everyone else down the depth chart.
Utility Player
After the nine starting position players (including designated hitter), the second catcher, and then back-ups for the infield and outfield, there is one roster spot left over for another position player. The Braves typically have used this spot in recent years for a pinch runner — Forrest Wall, Luke Williams, and Eli White have filled this spot most often. Wall is no longer in the organization but both Williams and White are and both are out of options. It helps if this player can play multiple positions, and both Williams and White fit this as well. Williams can play all four infield positions and both corner outfield spots, though is at best average at any particular spot and below average at shortstop. White can play all three outfield spots at an above average level and can also be an emergency second baseman. While both are above average baserunners, White has an edge there.
If the team decides to go in a different direction with this spot, Garrett Cooper could be a choice as more of a classic pinch-hitter that could come off the bench and win a game with an extra-base hit. The Braves haven’t really had a dedicated bench player like that (other than when using the other catcher not starting on that day, or the non-starting half of a platoon situation) since trading out Pablo Sandoval in 2021. Cooper does have some utility as someone who can play and outfield corner and first base, perhaps giving manager Brian Snitker more security to let Matt Olson come out of games in later innings of blow-outs without rolling the dice with someone like Marcell Ozuna at first or moving Austin Riley across the diamond.
A wild card for this spot would be Christian Cairo if he doesn’t win the fourth infielder spot outright, but shows enough promise that the club doesn’t want to risk surrendering his rights back to Cleveland. Given that this scenario would likely mean that either or both of Williams and White would be exposed to waivers, it doesn’t seem likely.
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