The Braves have young players or prospects competing against veterans for several spots on the major league roster, and president of baseball operations John Hart said the kids could have an advantage if a race is close.
“We’re going to try to put the best club out there,” Hart said, “but if you look at it and you’re not sure, we would certainly want to err on the side of the young player, to get them involved this year. If it’s close. If it’s not close, shoot, we’ll go with the veteran guy and let the younger players continue to develop and mature. I’m Ok with that as well.
“But an honest answer is, we would prefer to take a guy that we think has a chance to be a big player in our future, that has a lot of talent, a lot of ability. And at some point you’ve got to break these guys in. At some point you’ve got to give them that opportunity to go to the next step in their career.”
That statement will cause some to speculate that second baseman Jose Peraza, the Braves’ top-rated prospect, could have an edge over a veteran such as Alberto Callaspo on the opening-day roster. But that still seems unlikely, given Peraza’s age (20) and the fact that he only 195 plate appearances above Single A.
Without giving specific names, Hart indicated he was referring more toward competitions such as a left-field platoon job — rookies Zoilo Almonte and Eury Perez are candidates along with veterans including Eric Young Jr. for the spot opposite right-handed hitting Jonny Gomes. There are also rookies competing against veterans for spots on the pitching staff, and rookie Jace Peterson, acquired from the Padres in the Justin Upton trade, is competing for a utility infield job.
Manager Fredi Gonzalez has said he might use platoons at several positions this season, unlike the Braves of recent years.
“I think there could be some growing pains with some (young) guys,” Hart said. “But again, I think that Fredi having a little more maneuverability in his roster can allow him to develop a guy up here. There’s a lot of ways to develop young players, you don’t have to run them out there in 158 games. You can spot them, you can look at matchup.
“Look at the body language of guys. Are they getting a little rundown, is the game getting a little fast for them? And we tried to provide some players out there that have a chance to help us win, but they may not do it every day. They may be a part of (a platoon).”
