The Atlanta Braves return to ESPN's Wide World of Sports complex, which has served as their Spring Training home since 1998.
photo by Tim Evearitt
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Though there is certainly reason to be skeptical about what 2016 may bring, there is great anticipation as the Braves prepare to open Spring Training and embark on a journey that will bring them one step closer to what could be a very bright future.
There are concerns about a young rotation that will likely experience a lot of change throughout the season, and there is reason to wonder if a healthy Freddie Freeman will be enough for the team to overcome some of its offensive inadequacies.
As the Braves distance themselves from the often turbulent 2015 season, they find themselves renewed by the optimistic energy this time of year creates throughout the baseball world.
Atlanta's first Spring Training game is March 1, against the Baltimore Orioles.
After extending their rebuilding process with a couple more significant changes this offseason, the Braves are looking forward to the opportunity to start anew with a different cast of characters who will attempt to push the organization toward the better days that should lie ahead.
The latest chapter of the rebuild further unfolded when Braves pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training on Friday. This group will stage its first workout on Saturday, and the club's first full-squad workout is scheduled for Thursday.
There will be a different feel as the Braves welcome 10 of their top 13 prospects to big league camp this year. Though Dansby Swanson, Sean Newcomb and many of the other members of this select group are not considered candidates for the Opening Day roster, they will certainly draw interest, as club officials and fans attempt to get a feel for what might unfold in 2017, when the team hopes to once again become a legit playoff contender.
Though expectations for the regular season might not be great coming off a frustrating 67-win season, there is still a sense of excitement floating around Braves camp. Julio Teheran, A.J. Pierzynski, Tyler Flowers, Tyrell Jenkins and Swanson are among the notable players who made appearances earlier this week.
Swanson's early arrival gives him a chance to grow accustomed to new surroundings and experiences. This will be the first Spring Training for the heralded shortstop, who was taken by the D-backs with the first overall selection in the 2015 Draft, and then was acquired by Atlanta via the blockbuster deal that sent Shelby Miller to Arizona in December.
Approximately a month before trading Miller, the Braves dealt National League Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Angels in exchange for veteran shortstop Erick Aybar and two highly-regarded pitching prospects -- Newcomb and Chris Ellis.
With Swanson (ranked 10th) and Newcomb (ranked 19th), Atlanta gained two of MLBPipeline.com's top 20 prospects. Two other members of the Top 100 will also be in big league camp -- shortstop Ozzie Albies (30th) and Aaron Blair (61st).
The prospects are sure to garner plenty of attention, but as the Braves attempt to prove their doubters wrong, there will also be great interest placed on the health of Freddie Freeman, who was bothered by a right wrist injury for most of last season's final four months.
Like Freeman, Jason Grilli will attempt to return to form as he accepts the challenge to recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon at 39 years old. His progress will serve as one of the many intriguing storylines that will unfold as the Braves spend the coming weeks getting a better feel for both their immediate and long-term futures.
---- Source: MLB.com