Meet the 2016 Braves

I'm a day late, there's 161 games left though so let's meet this year's Braves. 

Wait, I'm getting word in my ear 4 of the 5 guys on this 2016 card are gone? Ok let's see some guys still on the team. 

Freddie Freeman is far and away the best player on the Braves and he may not even make the All Star team. He homered yesterday though so maybe he'll have a good season like his 2013 year: .319/.396/.501, 23 HR, 121 RBI

Here's the rest of the starting infield. Let's hope good things happen here.

Adonis is playing third for now, he's got some power - 10 homers in 200 at bats last year. He hit one yesterday so we'll see.

Starting outfielders. This might work if Olivera hits, Inciarte figures out lefties and Markakis regains some power. That's alot of its. I think Markakis gets traded if he shows any value to make room for Mallex Smith. 

The Braves cut Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn and Emilio Bonifacio eating $30 million total. These are the guys  they're rolling with to start the year. Obviously Francoeur offers the feel good story potential.  Stubbs hasn't hit in a couple years but he's a RH bat that plays CF so here we are.

Kelly Johnson will play everywhere but SS, center and catcher. Flowers is the back up catcher and apparently a good pitch framer.

Rounding out the bench is Georgia boy Gordon Beckham.

Julio the ace? We'll see, looked good yesterday despite the usual long balls.

The rest of the rotation. I'm excited to see Wisler progress, Norris I have no expectations for (read bad) and Perez looks more like a reliever to me. The Braves don't need a fifth starter until the 12th so they'll be carrying an extra bullpen arm until then. 

Speaking of which here they are. John Gant makes the jump from AA to be the long man. Winkler looked fantastic in his debut yesterday throwing 11 pitches, 10 of them strikes, striking out the side. Ramirez throws really hard, that's about all I know about him. 

The only lefty on the club.  EOF returns, he was awful last year and the year before. 

Alexi Ogando had a good spring to make the club. 

Vizcaino is the best pitcher here and Fredi Gonzalez has said they will use him in high leverage situations and did so yesterday. Johnson and Grilli are the wily vets in the pen.

26th man Chachin will take somebody's spot once a 5th starter is needed. 

Once Folty is healthy he should enter the rotation as well. 

Aaron Blair could make it up this year to start as well. Jenkins and Mallex will almost definitely debut as well. Hopefully Newcomb and Ruiz bust out but we'll see, they're both starting in AA and AAA respectively.

Thanks for reading, Go Lightning!