The Braves came into the offseason with what many thought was a short to-do list, but that has changed in a dramatic way in the wake of a few developments.
Joe Jimenez’s surgery, along with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider’s respective rehabs, have made the bullpen, rotation, and outfield major concerns going into the 2025 campaign.
Alex Anthopoulos not only has to potentially replace Max Fried and Charlie Morton, but he’ll need to prepare to be without Strider for a portion of the season. Atlanta’s GM will also have to find another high-leverage reliever to replace Jimenez and maybe two with A.J. Minter testing free agency.
The outfield, with Acuna out for some amount of time, is also a position of concern. Right field is going to need a full-time starter until Acuna is healthy. Even then, are we sure the Braves are going to be trotting him out there every day following his second torn ACL?
That doesn’t even include left field, which was a black hole for the club in 2024. What are the Braves’ intentions there? Jarred Kelenic being relied upon in an everyday role would be a gamble, and the latest comments from Alex Anthopoulos make it seem like Kelenic is on the outside looking in.
“Look, at the end of the day, the only locks, when everyone is healthy, for the outfield – just the way the year ended – are Ronald (Acuña) and (Michael) Harris (II),” Anthopoulos said to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
That doesn’t sound like a GM who is confident in their left fielder. How could he? Kelenic finished with a .231 average, a .286 on-base percentage, and 133 strikeouts. While he did post a career-high 15 home runs, it wasn’t enough to overlook the other shortcomings. Fortunately for Kelenic, it doesn’t seem like his opportunities have completely disappeared in Atlanta.
A combination of Ronald Acuna Jr.’s injury, Michael Harris missing time, and Atlanta’s other roster needs mean Jarred Kelenic will certainly have a role for the Braves in 2025, as Anthopoulos alludes.
“And he’s still a young player. And when we acquired him, the thought was (for him) to hit at the bottom of the lineup. Our offense was so prolific the year earlier that we just wanted him to play good defense and be a contributing bat for us. There were ups and downs, but he’s gonna continue to get opportunities with us,” Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote in another piece.
From where I sit, Jarred Kelenic is going to have a significant role at the beginning of the season. That will be his opportunity to prove he can be a contributor on this club. But when the Braves get healthier, mainly Ronald Acuna Jr., the opportunities could vanish. They certainly will if Kelenic struggles again, as he did down the stretch last season.
