Braves News: Alex Anthopoulos discusses Vaughn Grissom’s ascent, PECOTA projections, and more

Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos caught up with ESPN’s Buster Olney to discuss the newly-implemented extra inning rules, Vaughn Grissom’s call to the big leagues, and more.

The biggest question of the offseason revolved around the shortstop position. Would the Braves re-sign Dansby Swanson? If not, would Vaughn Grissom take over? Is he ready?

“We’ll see what we see and our manager will make the call there,” Anthopoulos said when asked about Grissom’s role at shortstop. “We’re not committed to anything at this point.”

“We’re not replacing a player. We’re replacing the season that the player had,” he added. “Dansby Swanson was a six win player. That’s not saying we’re expecting everyone to reel out six wins every year. That doesn’t mean we’re expecting to come close to that, but maybe other areas of the ball club can make up for that. I fully expect for us to not be as strong at shortstop in 2023.”

Brian Snitker has discussed possibly splitting the job between Vaughn Grissom and Orlando Arcia. The current plan is to see how major league camp goes and make what may be a game-time decision.

More Braves News:

As preseason projections continue to roll out, PECOTA predicted that the Braves will reach 92 wins in 2023, finishing second place in the NL East.

Pitchers and catchers are set to report to camp on Wednesday, although several have already arrived. Here are a few quick thoughts on each pitcher and catcher that will report by Wednesday.

The Daily Hammer Podcast looks at a potential six-man rotation and discusses why it may be the best option for the Braves.

MLB News:

Our MLB Team by Team season preview continues with the 2023 Seattle Mariners.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Randal Griuchuk underwent surgery for a bilateral sports hernia last week. His estimated recovery time is six weeks.

Major League Baseball is planning to put emphasis on the balk and illegal pitch rules in 2023. This enforcement comes as a result of the new pitch clock.

The San Diego Padres agreed to a four-year deal with righty Michael Wacha. The 31-year-old could earn more than $24M.