President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos conceded final week that the seat choices for the 2024 program aren’t as vigorous as they possibly may well, be essentially since of one issue:
Atlanta’s position player center plays basically each single day, and so there’s not a part of openings for at-bats or protective innings to be had among the seat alternatives. And that’s what is making assigned hitter Marcell Ozuna’s proceeded work at to begin with base unimaginably valuable.
The 33 year-old Ozuna, who won a Gold Glove within the outfield prior in his career but made as it were two cautious appearances final season has proceeded final season’s pregame work at to begin with base in spring preparing.
Ozuna was captured on film by the Atlanta beat taking groundballs and doing cautious drills behind starter Matt Olson at to begin with base, comparable to what he did in pregame drills and indeed for the pre-NLCS squad recreations final season.
Director Brian Snitker affirmed that this wasn’t fair a hone thing for Ozuna, but that you’d see him playing a few infield defense amid spring preparing.
Which cautious flexibility, on the off chance that it works out, is nothing but a great thing for the Braves program – Matt Olson played each single amusement final season (and the year some time recently, and the one before that – Olson’s final missed diversion was May 1st of 2021, where Seth Brown begun at to begin with base over him), but the few times he’s gotten time off late in a diversion whereas in Atlanta, Austin Riley has been the essential reinforcement behind Olson, requiring another move at third base.
And with the potential setup of Atlanta’s seat, having your DH be able to take reps at to begin with base is valuable. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who has played to begin with base in his career (he made 16 begins there in 2019, whereas with the Tampa Narrows Beams), is bolted into a spot, as is utility man Luis Guillorme. Given Anthopoulos’ discourse approximately “speed” being a calculate within the outfield seat spot, Forrest Wall’s the coherent choice to open the season on the seat, taking off as it were one spot either for an infielder that would be the essential reinforcement at shortstop or another outfield and/or squeeze hit choice.
