Inbox: How will Braves fill in roster holes?

Do you see the Braves adding two bench pieces? Adding a power-hitting outfielder would help the roster.
-- @BradSebek
This seems highly unlikely, and quite frankly, there is a chance the Braves won't end up making any additions to alter their four-man bench, which currently projects to be Jace Peterson, Chase d'Arnaud, Emilio Bonifacio and Kurt Suzuki. Right now, Peterson and Suzuki are essential locks, and Bonifacio is pretty close to gaining this status.
d'Arnaud is 3-for-23 (with two strikeouts) since he missed nearly two weeks of camp while battling the flu and bronchitis. He doesn't have an option remaining, so the Braves could lose him if he's not placed on the Opening Day roster. d'Arnaud's defensive versatility does at least offset the loss of Sean Rodriguez, whose presence would have negated many of the concerns surrounding the bench.
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There's no doubt the Braves could benefit from adding some power potential to what stands to be an offensively challenged bench. But when going with a four-man bench, you have to also seek candidates who possess some defensive versatility. So while there's a chance you'll see the addition of at least one bench piece, it would be much easier to target a power bat if Atlanta was leaning toward going with a seven-man bullpen and a five-man bench. As of now, it appears the club is sticking with the plan to go with eight relievers.
Who are the Braves likely to acquire/sign for the last outfield spot?
-- @TylerJGoff
If the Braves are going to make an addition, they'll likely target out-of-option players who will not be roster fits with their current club. Earlier this week, I mentioned Clint Robinson, who is battling Adam Lind for one of the last spots on Washington's roster. Robinson does have more versatility than Lind, given the fact you could at least stick him at a corner outfield spot if necessary.
The Phillies' Daniel Nava and the Cubs' Matthew Szczur are a couple outfielders who might soon become available, but the question will be whether either provides enough of an upgrade to warrant the cost to acquire them. With Szczur, the Cubs seem willing to keep him and thus would likely ask for more.
Any chance we could trade one of our older starters in the rotation to give the younger guys a spot at some point?
-- @jacob_kirchoff
You can certainly assume this will occur at some point, but there will be a number of variables -- including the team's success, the results produced by some of these veterans and obviously the strides made by Sean Newcomb, Aaron Blair and the other starting pitchers who are waiting in the wings.

From an immediate standpoint, it made perfect sense for Atlanta to add three veterans -- Bartolo Colon, Jaime Garcia and R.A. Dickey -- to stabilize the rotation. Blair and Matt Wisler have spent the past few weeks proving they need some more development at the Minor League level.
But as you continue to look at the big picture that has developed within this rebuilding process, the Braves would be wise to open one of their rotation spots as soon as they are confident Newcomb, Blair or maybe even Max Fried (at some point during the latter portion of the season) are ready to pitch at the big league level. Getting at least one or two of them in Atlanta's rotation this year could at least lessen the severity of growing pains felt during future seasons.
What is the long-term plan at catcher?
-- @ATRyanT
At this point last year, I might have simply responded to this question with a blank stare and a shrug of the shoulders. But over the course of the past 12 months, the Braves have addressed this glaring need by taking a chance on Alex Jackson, drafting Brett Cumberland and most importantly adding Abrahan Gutierrez in last summer's impressive international haul.
Gutierrez has the most significant upside of any catcher within Atlanta's system, but at 17 years old, he's a long way from the big league club. In the meantime, the Braves will have to bank on the quick development of Jackson, an intriguing 21-year-old power-hitting prospect who has moved back to catcher since being acquired from the Mariners this past offseason. Early reviews of Jackson have been favorable as he has shown an ability to adapt back to the position he held before Seattle made him an outfielder.
Cumberland struggled during his first pro season (producing a .657 OPS in 45 games with Rookie-level Danville), but it's far too early to give up on the 21-year-old. The same can be said of 20-year-old Lucas Herbert, a 2015 second-round pick who may have to repeat with Class A Rome this year.
Two other catchers to keep an eye on are Jonathan Morales and Kade Scivicque. They might project as backup options, but both caught manager Brian Snitker's attention during Spring Training.
How soon do we see Rio Ruiz if Adonis Garcia struggles?
-- @Blake_Jones10

Given the strides Ruiz has made over the past year, thoughts of a change should simply hinge on when he provides indication he is ready to be an everyday player at the Major League level. He homered 10 times and produced a .756 OPS for Triple-A Gwinnett last year, but he also had a .203/.229/.293 line in 133 plate appearances against left-handers.
There's a chance Ruiz could return to the Majors at some point this year. But for now, the 22-year-old needs to be utilized as an everyday player.