SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As we sit here today, we know which roles Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Spencer Strider – to name four – will play for the Braves.
We cannot yet say the same about Vaughn Grissom, whose situation might depend on what happens this offseason.
We know only this: The Braves are trying to find playing time for Grissom. They believe he has talent and potential.
“We are now talking about ways to get him into the lineup,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Wednesday at the general managers’ meetings here in Scottsdale.
The question: How?
In his post-elimination video conference call, Anthopoulos said the Braves see Grissom as an infielder. If that is the case, he might have a difficult time seeing the field because the Braves’ starters play every day. Their infield appears set, with Riley at third, Orlando Arcia at shortstop, Ozzie Albies at second and Matt Olson at first.
The Braves have an opening in left field. Riley once played in left field, as did Chipper Jones. During one answer to a Grissom question, Anthopoulos praised Grissom’s offensive production at Triple-A Gwinnett, which included a .330 batting average and a .920 OPS.
“He’s open to playing anywhere, he’s expressed that to us,” Anthopoulos said when asked if Grissom could play in left field in 2024. “We want to make sure just to continue to get him reps in the infield. That’s something that we’ve talked about, just being able to move him around all over the place to get his bat in the lineup. …
”(Left field) could happen, but we’re not committed to that. But the fact that he can play short, second, third – we think he’s absolutely athletic enough if we want to put him out in the outfield.”
Grissom’s defense might not be on par with that of Nicky Lopez, the utility infielder acquired from Kansas City at the deadline. But perhaps Grissom would be a backup infielder on the roster? It’s tough to tell.
Asked if the Braves are committed to carrying Lopez in the same role next season, Anthopoulos said: “He did a great job for us. We brought him in, he did a phenomenal job. I know he enjoyed being here, we enjoyed him being here. Beyond that, we’ll see how things go.”
If everything from 2023 stays the same in 2024, it seems like it might be difficult for Grissom to play more unless he were to become the left fielder.
So how will the Braves get him more starts?
“I think it just comes down to what we end up (doing), if we think there’s players that are available this winter in trade or free agency – we’ll see where the team is at,” Anthopoulos said. “But look, Vaughn’s a young player, the upside is huge. The bat is really, in our view, is really elite. We know he’s an internal option to find playing time for him.”
If you were to speculate and try to chart more playing time for Grissom, you might think of a few different scenarios:
- Maybe the Braves put him in left field. He might not be the everyday option, but he sees more time in the lineup nonetheless. He’s athletic enough to handle this.
- If Lopez were non-tendered, Grissom could take his roster spot. In this scenario, perhaps the Braves’ regulars each take a handful of days off throughout the year, and this helps Grissom play more than Lopez, Ehire Adrianza or Charlie Culberson did. And while you never wish for injuries, they do occur. If Grissom is on the roster, he’s versatile enough to fill in at multiple positions.
- If Arcia struggles, Grissom could take his job. This most likely would require Grissom to prove his defense has improved.
- Perhaps Grissom is a trade chip used to acquire pitching, a left fielder, or both. Other clubs could use an athletic and versatile infielder with a high-upside bat.
All of this is to say: Grissom’s situation could play out in many different ways.
“We’re talking about ways to get his bat in the lineup for us,” Anthopoulos said.
We don’t yet know how the Braves will do this, but everyone seems to agree on this: Grissom is too good to spend another season at Triple-A.
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