While others were getting more mention in discussions of Braves spring surprises and roster battles, versatile Pedro Ciriaco kept hitting and hitting, and showing he could play every position the Braves asked him to play. He’s about to be rewarded with a spot on the opening-day roster.
Ciriaco, who has spent big parts of 10 seasons in the minor leagues and came to camp as a non-roster invitee on a minor league contract, will be named to the Braves’ roster as a backup outfielder and infielder, barring anything unexpected before the official announcement Sunday.
The Braves did not have any trade talks brewing as of Saturday afternoon, a person familiar with the situation said.
Ciriaco, 29, hit .373 (22-for-59) with four extra-base hits (one homer), 10 strikeouts and a team-high 15 RBIs in 26 games this spring, and finished with a .387 on-base percentage and .492 slugging percentage.
The Braves had been considering Joe Benson or Todd Cunningham for the last available position-player job on their roster. But they decided Ciriaco’s better offense and major league experience outweighed the fact that Benson and Cunningham are proven defensive center fielders who could back up Eric Young Jr.
Young is the Braves’ every-day center fielder Melvin Upton returns from a foot injury, likely during May.
“Ciriaco’s had a hell of a camp,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He also has a track record – 400-plus plate appearances in the big leagues, if I’m not mistaken, and he hit .270. That plays into it. He can be one of those hybrid guys that can play the corners in the outfield, he can every position in the infield like (Phil) Gosselin.”
Gonzalez and his coaching staff discussed the final roster moves while on a bus ride back from Friday night’t game against the Orioles at Sarasota, Fla., and on Saturday morning Cunningham was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett and non-roster invitee Benson was reassigned to Gwinnett.
Ciriaco has a .270 career average with 34 extra-base hits (four homers), a .299 on-base percentage and 31 stolen bases in 188 games (498 plate appearances) during parts of five major league seasons with the Royals, Pirates, Red Sox and Padres, including a .293 average with 19 extra-base hits in 76 games for Boston in 2012.
He’s played seven positions in the majors including 30 or more games at three infield positions and a total of nine games at three outfield positions in three games (one start) in center in 2012. Ciriaco played 25 games for the Royals last season, batting .213 (10-for-47) with two doubles and four steals.
He hasn’t played any center field this spring, and Gonzalez said the Braves could use utility man Phil Gosselin in center to get through a game if Young got hurt, then call up a center fielder from the minors by the next day.
Benson made a big splash late in camp and was moved from minor league camp to the major league clubhouse Thursday, a day after homering off Phillies ace Cole Hamels in Benson’s first start of the spring. He added a four-hit game that included a game-ending single Thursday against Baltimore.
Benson hurt his cause a bit Friday night when he struck out looking in both of his plate appearances against the Orioles, when Gonzalez brought him off the bench to see how he’d do as a pinch-hitter. He struck out with speedster Young at third and one out in the eighth inning, giving him seven strikeouts in 19 at-bats.
“I told Joe today when we talked, there’s no roster that’s set from opening day until the end of the season,” Gonzalez said. “You have left an impression on all our coaches with the way you’ve played, and if something happens Joe Benson is on everybody’s minds. That’s how much of an impression he left with us.”
Cunningham had a solid spring (.306 with two doubles and a .417 OBP in 49 at-bats), but the fifth-year minor leaguer doesn’t have power or exceptional speed, and the Braves liked the idea of having a more experienced player in that bench role (Cunningham is 2-f0r-8 in eight major league games, all in 2013).
Their other backup outfielder will be versatile veteran Kelly Johnson.
