NORTH PORT, Fla. -- It¡¯s been assumed Drake Baldwin will serve as the Braves¡¯ primary catcher while Sean Murphy misses the first week or two of the regular season with a cracked left rib. But the intention to place Baldwin on the Opening Day roster became official on Friday, when Atlanta purchased his contract from Triple-A Gwinnett.
¡°There¡¯s no question he¡¯s ready for it,¡± Braves veteran starter Chris Sale said. ¡°We¡¯re in a good position no matter who is out there. But just his attitude, his character and his demeanor, he¡¯s as prepared for this as anybody.¡±
Baldwin ranks as baseball¡¯s No. 62 prospect and the Braves¡¯ No. 1 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 23-year-old Wisconsin native will make his Major League debut on Opening Day, when he serves as Sale¡¯s catcher. He took full advantage of the opportunity he was given after the club learned Murphy would be sidelined a month to six weeks after cracking his rib on Feb. 28.
¡°He¡¯s a phenomenal catcher,¡± Braves right-hander Spencer Strider said. ¡°I love throwing to him. He has a very good personality. He¡¯s friends with everybody. He¡¯s very, very communicative and very social. He¡¯s a phenomenal player with a great swing. But he just has the presence of a guy that has experience.¡±
Baldwin had a feeling good news was awaiting when Braves bench coach Walt Weiss signaled for him to come to manager Brian Snitker¡¯s office early Friday morning.
¡°It¡¯s nice to officially hear it and talk to Snit and have him tell me,¡± Baldwin said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know for sure. It¡¯s nice to know I¡¯m going over to San Diego [for Opening Day against the Padres].¡±
Baldwin texted his mother, Bridgette, asking her if she had time to talk before beginning her duties as a teacher in Sauk Prairie, Wis. She immediately called back and began making plans to be in San Diego for Thursday¡¯s big event.
It¡¯s notable that Sale and Strider focused on the defensive skills Baldwin has shown over the past few weeks. The young catcher has always been lauded for his bat, which helped him produce a .891 OPS in 334 plate appearances for Gwinnett last year. But his most significant strides have been made defensively.
When Spring Training began, the assumption was Baldwin would make his MLB debut at some point this year. The timeline was accelerated, and there is now reason to think that he could stay in the Majors when Murphy returns, even if he was playing just once or twice a week. The Braves believe Baldwin could benefit from being around big league pitchers, who could help improve his game-calling skills.
Bullpen set?
The Braves also essentially set their bullpen on Friday, when they purchased the contracts of veteran relievers Héctor Neris and Enyel De Los Santos. Neris, who posted a 1.71 ERA for the Astros in 2023, was a late arrival to camp. But he showed enough over the past week to give the team confidence he is ready. De Los Santos consistently flashed an upper-90s fastball while allowing just two earned runs and two hits over 6 2/3 innings this spring.
The only remaining question is how the Braves might use Ian Anderson and No. 3 prospect AJ Smith-Shawver. Carrying an extra starter will provide insurance as the team plays a game during each of the season¡¯s first seven days. If a long reliever isn¡¯t needed, there¡¯s a chance both could end up making a start within the first six games. This would allow Sale to make his second start with an extra day of rest.
¡°[Whoever is] slotted to be number five can be available for one, really, and go a couple innings if we see fit,¡± Snitker said.
After Sale threw four scoreless innings against the Rays in Friday afternoon¡¯s 7-3 win over the Rays at Charlotte Sports Park, Smith-Shawver entered and allowed three runs (two earned) over four innings. Both will now enter Opening Day with an extra day of rest. But Anderson would be on regular rest for the season opener after he follows Reynaldo L¨®pez against the Tigers in Lakeland on Saturday.
Regardless of how they are used, it looks like Anderson and Smith-Shawver will both open the season on Atlanta¡¯s roster. The first four starters will be Sale, L¨®pez, Spencer Schwellenbach and Grant Holmes.
Verdugo report
Since Alex Verdugo signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract on Tuesday, there¡¯s been reason to wonder how he could fit with the Braves. The 28-year-old outfielder provides insurance in case of an injury or another disappointing season from Jarred Kelenic. And if he¡¯s needed at the big league level, it seems he could add some personality to Atlanta¡¯s clubhouse.
¡°That¡¯s a fun guy to have in the clubhouse,¡± said Sale, who played with Verdugo in Boston. ¡°He can mix it up. It's not going to be boring with him there. You're talking about a guy that in the outfield can be a Gold Glover. He runs the bases well, as well. And when he gets hot, that¡¯s a tough out. I think that¡¯s a good pickup. If we need him, he can be there for us.¡±