The Atlanta Braves are clearly a top-five team this season, with a great top end of the rotation and a complete lineup with legitimately nine hitters who could finish with double-digit home runs. With these expectations, however, come far smaller margins of error for a team looking for its third World Series title and its second in the last three seasons.
While Orlando Arcia is the most obvious player under pressure in the first month of the season the utility player’s new contract should offer a level of stability, even if Atlanta opts to go in a different direction at short.
Looking at Atlanta’s active roster, five players stand out as possible cuts at the end of April. Including a highly-paid veteran who was an important part of Atlanta’s long-term core.
off-the-field concerns</a> have arisen.</p>
<p>Already due to this, there was some thought the Braves would simply cut Ozuna, eating the final two years of the contract. There has to be some belief that Ozuna is playing for his job in the first weeks of the season.</p>
<p>While Atlanta might be patient considering the contract, if Ozuna doesn’t rebound, it would be surprising not to see the team move on from a player who is already a liability as a defender and must carry his value with his bat.</p>
<p>Far too often in key situations, Ozuna has come up short since the 2020 season, failing to put anything close to the numbers he produced in the pandemic-shortened year. Ozuna’s history suggests he is a far better hitter than the numbers he has put up each of the past two seasons. If that doesn’t prove to be the case quickly, don’t be surprised if the Braves decide it is time to move on.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #58595b" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://calltothepen.com/2023/04/03/3-atlanta-braves-playing-roster-spot-april/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Number Two </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_523739" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<a href=https://calltothepen.com/2023/04/03/3-atlanta-braves-playing-roster-spot-april/"https://calltothepen.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2018/08/20377148.jpeg">
<span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 5 Atlanta Braves who must step up in 2023 </a> </div>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—>">