Pitchers and catchers have reported for spring training and for many Atlanta Braves’ fans, the timing is just right as the NFL season has just ended and the NBA season is well into the second half of their season. And while there is no news worth reports coming out of Northport, Florida, the excitement for the start of the 2024 is building up for Atlanta fans after a 2023 season that ended in disappointment after the Braves’ historical season came to an end at the hands of the Phillies in the National League Championship Series.
On Thursday, Braves’ general manager/President of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos joined The Steakhouse as he checked in from CoolToday Park and spoke with Steak Shapiro and Sandra Golden about a variety of topics but none more important than how he and the Braves’ staff are paying close attention to the pitching and who may end up in the fifth starter position. “We’ve got a lot of really talented, young arms, the depth of our farm, the depth of our young talent is on the mound and that’s by design. We had Bryce Elder, who’s an All-Star and he’s competing, so it’s a really good spot to be in,” Anthopoulos told the midday duo.
As the Braves GM continued, he shared that one of the biggest reasons for the focus that the Braves will have on the pitching staff is because, admittedly, he believes that as the team’s general manager, he has to make sure he’s providing Manager, Brian Snitker the necessary tools to be a successful franchise. “If I don’t give him a good relievers, he can only do so much,” Anthopoulos told Shapiro and Golden, adding that often times he would apologize to Snitker for the lack of depth among their relievers. “I think depth in the bullpen is critically important, it ‘ll keep guys fresh, keep guys healthy,” Anthopoulos said.