A handful of players from the Braves organization will compete in this year’s World Baseball Classic.
One is a superstar, another might start on opening day. The final two are lesser-known names who could appear in the majors if necessary.
As The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday, star outfielder Ronald Acuña will play for Team Venezuela, something that became official when MLB Network released the WBC rosters Thursday evening.
Eddie Rosario will play for Team Puerto Rico. Rosario is among the players who will compete for the Braves’ left field job.
Catcher Chadwick Tromp, who played sparingly in the majors last season, will play for The Netherlands in the tournament. Right-hander Alan Rangel, who was called up last year but did not debut, is on Team Mexico.
Tromp and Rangel both will be in big-league camp with the Braves (Rangel will be a non-roster invitee).
Acuña and Rosario are locks to make the Braves’ opening-day roster. It would be a surprise if Tromp or Rangel made it.
All four players will spend a few weeks of spring training with the Braves before departing for their respective WBC teams in early March.
Tromp and Rangel must report to North Port by Feb. 13, the report date for pitchers and catchers who will compete in the WBC. Position players playing in the tournament – Acuña and Rosario – must report by Feb. 16.
The Braves’ pitchers and catchers – all of them, not just those competing in the WBC – will have their first workout Feb. 16. The first full-squad workout will come Feb. 21.
This year marks the fifth time the WBC will be held. It will begin March 8 and will end with the championship game March 21.
There are 20 teams in this year’s tournament, five in each of four pools. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the eight-team, single-elimination stage.
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