04 April 2004
The Braves finalized their 25-man Opening Day roster yesterday. Here's the list, with links to ESPN profiles:
Rotation
Russ Ortiz
Mike Hampton
Horacio Ramirez
John Thomson
Jaret Wright
Bullpen
Antonio Alfonseca
Juan Cruz
Will Cunnane
Kevin Gryboski
C.J. Nitkowski
Chris Reitsma
John Smoltz
Lineup
Rafael Furcal
Marcus Giles
Chipper Jones
Andruw Jones
J.D. Drew
Johnny Estrada
Adam LaRoche
Mark Derosa
Bench
Julio Franco
Jesse Garcia
Mike Hessman
Eddie Perez
DeWayne Wise
Disabled List
Armando Almanza
Paul Byrd
Eli Marrero
Optioned to Minors
Tim Drew
Ryan Glynn
Trey Hodges
Wilson Betemit
Damon Hollins
Ryan Langerhans
Jorge Velandia
Released
Gary Matthews Jr
Franco, Nitkowski, and Wise were the only non-roster invitees to make the team. Nitkowski likely made the squad due to Almanza's injury, and Marrero's strained abdominal muscle made room for Wise. Wright gets the nod as the fifth starter due to Byrd's inability to pitch for the next few months.
Byrd underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2003 and is currently projected to return by midseason; however, skeptics argue that Byrd will not be effective on the mound in 2004 and should plan a full comeback for Spring 2005. If he chooses to maintain his current pace for a July return, his rehab starts should be at the Rookie level where he can concentrate on rehabilitation, not AA or AAA where he would be under too much pressure to pitch beyond his limits.
At least one news report has argued that Hodges was sent to the minors because he had an option left on his contract while Cunnane didn't, meaning that Hodges wouldn't have to clear waivers. However, Nitkowski's call-up suggests that Hodges simply didn't make the cut this spring. Betemit, Hollins, and Velandia are also starting the season as full-time players in the minors.
Others who were invited to camp but never seriously contended for spots on the big league roster are listed on
ESPN's list of the Braves' recent transactions.
Also, top prospects Andy Marte and Jeff Francoeur each played well in the spring and are expected to make a splash in Atlanta either in September or sometime in 2005. Watch for those names in future organizational reports.
