Strategy Maybe: SOMETHING DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT ABOUT JARRED KELENIC as Braves Opening Day Roster now Crystal Clear
Jarred Kelenic has an option. That is fact. Jarred Kelenic is also batting very poorly in practice games. Also fact. Jarred Kelenic is supposedly going to platoon with Adam Duvall. Is that a fact? It’s been said, yes, but real games haven’t started. So…not fact yet. Will Alex Anthopoulos stick with the plan, or could he do something that he’s done with 2 other players?
THE CASE OF ADAM DUVALL
In July of 2019, the Braves traded Lucas Sims, Matt Wisler, and Preston Tucker to the Reds for Adam Duvall. Unfortunately, Duvall was horrible, and carried a .344 OPS in 57 PAs. When 2020 rolled around, Duvall still had an option and Anthopoulos used it, sending Duvall to Gwinnett for most of the season.. They had identified a problem in his swing and wanted him to work it out AAA. Needless to say, he worked it out (.965 OPS in 429 AAA PAs). At the end of July, he was recalled to Atlanta where he carried an .882 OPS for the rest of the year. Since 2019, he’s averaged around an .800 OPS.
THE CASE OF ORLANDO ARCIA
In April of 2021,4 games into the season, the Braves traded Patrick Weigel and Chad Sobotka for Orlando Arcia. Arcia, in a ridiculously small sample, was horrible for the Brewers and they were ready to move on. At the time, it felt like an odd trade to make, but the plan became clear when Arcia was immediately sent to AAA. The Braves sat Arcia down with a plan to completely change his swing. A month later, Arcia made his debut with Gwinnett. Like Duvall, Arcia flourished with the new swing, he dropped his hands quickly to get the bat into the zone longer, and he carried a .932 OPS in 229 AAA PAs. In his 6 years with Milwaukee, he carried a career .658 OPS in 1876 PAs. In Atlanta, that OPS has been .728 in 845 PAs.
WILL THERE BE A CASE OF JARRED KELENIC?
Surprisingly, at least to me, the Braves decided to go with 5 outfielders on the roster: Forrest Wall, Jarred Kelenic, Adam Duvall, Michael Harris II, and Ronald Acuña Jr. The plan is for Duvall and Kelenic to platoon, but is that just AA saying what Kelenic wants to hear for now, rather than the actual truth? If the Braves, like they did with Duvall and Arcia, are truly revamping an entire swing, would it be wise to send Kelenic to AAA to get comfortable with the swing, then come up crushing? There’s no doubt that the defensive side will be fine should they choose this strategy.
What are your thoughts on the matter?
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Braves Opening Day roster now crystal clear
There are still nine days left until Opening Day, but the Braves don’t seem to have any questions about how the roster will look on March 28th in Philadelphia after their most recent round of cuts.
Rotation
- Spencer Strider
- Max Fried
- Charlie Morton
- Chris Sale
- Reynaldo Lopez
After optioning Bryce Elder to minor-league camp, the Braves signaled that Reynaldo Lopez would be the team’s fifth starter to begin the season. The question is how long that might last, but for now, he gets the nod. The other four spots were never up in the air. Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton, and Chris Sale have all looked incredibly impressive this Spring Training. However, who will get the ball on Opening Day? Will Brian Snitker play the seniority card and start Max Fried again, or is it time for a passing of the torch to Spencer Strider, who is arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball right now?
Bullpen
- Raisel Iglesias
- A.J. Minter
- Pierce Johnson
- Joe Jimenez
- Aaron Bummer
- Tyler Matzek
- Dylan Lee
- Jackson Stephens
After the top five, there were some questions about who the Braves would select for the final three spots in the bullpen, and they opted to go with three familiar faces in Tyler Matzek, Dylan Lee, and Jackson Stephens. All three of them have been effective for the Braves in the past, particularly Matzek and Lee, who are coming off significant arm injuries. It’s nice to have them back, but this competition isn’t over just yet. With all of the depth the Braves have in the minors, the end of the bullpen could become a revolving door until they figure out what works best.
Catchers
- Sean Murphy
- Travis d’Arnaud
Infielders
- Matt Olson
- Orlando Arcia
- Ozzie Albies
- Austin Riley
- Luis Guillorme
David Fletcher did everything he could this Spring to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, but at the end of the day, it came down to options. Guillorme doesn’t have any and is on a major-league contract. Fletcher can be stashed in Gwinnett until he’s needed, so that’s what the Braves will do to start the season, but don’t be surprised if that changes at some point.
Outfielders
- Ronald Acuña Jr.
- Michael Harris II
- Jarred Kelenic
- Marcell Ozuna
- Adam Duvall
- Forrest Wall
I have been calling for it for months, and it finally happened last week, as the Braves added another outfielder by bringing back old friend Adam Duvall. He will platoon with Jarred Kelenic and can back up all three outfield positions, leaving just one more spot on the roster, which will go to Forrest Wall. The Braves rewarded Wall for his stellar Spring, and his speed offers a little more flavor to the bench, as he has swiped over 100 bags in AAA since the start of the 2022 season.
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