The Atlanta Braves roster should look much, much different by July 1, if only because of some simply turnover and players returning from injury.
As the trade deadline creeps closer, expect Alex Anthopoulos to exhaust all of his options prior to making a deal, which would require him to part ways with prospects and/or assets. The Braves are one of the best teams in baseball, and barring anything unforeseen, will be buyers come late July.
Pitching, for one, remains their greatest concern. The bullpen is an uncertainty, as Raisel Iglesias and A.J. Minter have been anything but reliable. The starting rotation, minus Max Fried and Kyle Wright, is shorthanded. So far, Atlanta has done what it can to address those issues in house.
On Tuesday, the Braves called up prospect A.J. Smith-Shawver to pitch out of the bullpen. His near-13 K/9 in the minor leagues should lend itself well to getting big outs in critical moments. Jared Shuster and Mike Soroka, both called up from the minors to fill out the rotation, have pitched well so far.
Still, it's unlikely the Braves go through June and July without external additions. How big those trades turn out to be depends on how these depth pieces perform.
Note: All of these players are on the 26-man roster. This list infers they will either be optioned and kept on the 40-man, optioned altogether, DFA'd if they are out of options.
3 Braves who won't be back: Charlie Culberson
Atlanta Braves fans love Charlie Culberson, but he has yet to take a big-league at bat with the team since being signed, and doesn't have a real place on this roster. His primary positions are third base and left field. While Atlanta can offer him some playing time for the time being, eventually that will disappear, especially once Travis d'Arnaud returns from injury, thus removing his DH opportunities.
His teammates love having Culberson back in the fold, as he was a Brave from 2018-20.
"I mean, I know what he's done, and how much he's meant to this organization. So for us to pick him up and him to be back up here with us, it's pretty special for all of us," d'Arnaud said. "He's beloved (in Atlanta). And he's a great dude, always cheering for you, always on your side. Just a fun person to be around, too."
Letting Culberson loose, or trying to option him to the minors, could end poorly in the clubhouse. Look for the Braves to give him a chance, but it's hard to find a consistent roster spot for Culberson on this team, and for good reason.
Braves who won't be back: A.J. Smith-Shawver
Eventually, A.J. Smith-Shawver could earn a full-time spot in the Atlanta rotation, but that time is not now. Expect the Braves to shuttle Smith-Shawver to and from Gwinnett quite a few times in his initial ascent to the big-league level, especially as some of their pitchers come off the injured list. Unless Smith-Shawver absolutely lights the world on fire as he has at other levels with his 12.9 K/9 rate in the ATL, then it'll be tough to keep him up in the bigs thanks to basic roster limits.
Thankfully enough, Smith-Shawver has plenty of options left, and some Triple-A experience could do him some good as well. For now, though, Smith-Shawver is just happy to earn the opportunity.
"It's kind of surreal," he said. "The Braves had a lot of people that helped me develop and really guided me. I didn't really know exactly what I was doing when I first got into it, and I think the guys around here, around this organization, really gave me the right tools to compete and gave me the opportunity."
Atlanta sees Smith-Shawver as a hybrid starter and/or relief pitcher, depending on where he is needed. Assuming the entire rotation stays healthy as is, he's needed more in the 'pen at the moment. Brian Snitker ensured the media that Smith-Shawver will get at least one start in this year, though.
"We're going to pitch him out of there for a while, kind of like we did with Spencer [Strider] last year," Snitker said. "Try and get him multiple innings when we can. I think his future's going to be starting, but this is a way to kind of break him in."
Having a player like that is a good problem to have. Getting him innings at a consistent rate may be a problem if likes of Dylan Lee and Michael Tonkin come back anytime soon.
Braves who won't be back: Kevin Pillar
A veteran like Kevin Pillar could come in handy if the Braves are able to keep him around, but they may not be able to, at least not on the 26-man active roster. Pillar doesn't receive all that much playing time despite being able to play most outfield positions. He's no longer an electric centerfielder, as he's slowed a bit and better suited for the corners. His bat doesn't allow more ABs than, say, a Sam Hilliard or Eddie Rosario.
Atlanta's left field situation is a sad one, and it's another reminder that Alex Anthopoulos has some serious work to do. Whether that problem is solved this month or next, Pillar likely is not the answer at the position.
Pillar's team-first mentality has been a hit with his Braves teammates, and there's certainly a spot for him in the clubhouse if they are able to keep him around, or perhaps pass the veteran through waivers. That'll be easier said than done, though, as Pillar is at least replacement level. Those players tend to get scooped up.
"The conversations with Alex about what I really wanted to get out of the last couple of years of my career — I told him that I'm ready for this role, I'm ready to embrace it," Pillar said, per The Athletic. "He knows me really well. I still want to play every day, but I'm also in a position maturity-wise to understand I have a role. There's players on this team that are everyday players. I play when they ask me to play. I prepare myself for opportunities."
Pillar is in a really good place mentally. Perhaps Atlanta finds a way to get him more consistent at-bats, but for now, it's unclear exactly how he'll end the month on the roster.
