NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Martín Pérez vividly remembers the conversation he had with Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos in January.
“He said, ‘I don't talk to guys who have a Minor League deal, but I think you can help us here, and I want you on my team,’” Pérez said. “So, when he told me this, I said this is going to be my team.”
Pérez will soon learn whether he will indeed begin this season within the Braves’ organization. The 34-year-old pitcher has six years of Major League service and he finished last year with an MLB deal. So, when he signed a Minor League deal with Atlanta this year, he became an Article XX(B) free agent.
All players who fall into this category must be told by Saturday if they will be placed on their current team’s Opening Day roster. If a player isn’t guaranteed a spot in writing by that date, the team must either grant the player his immediate unconditional release or agree to pay the player a retention bonus of $100,000 (to be paid on or before April 15 of the upcoming season).
The Braves players who fall into this category are Pérez and bench candidates Dominic Smith and Kyle Farmer.
Pérez auditioned one last time on Wednesday, when he allowed one run and six hits over 3 2/3 innings in a 3-2 Grapefruit League win over the Phillies at CoolToday Park. He was removed with two outs in the first inning and returned to pitch around trouble during each of his final three innings. He allowed four earned runs and 13 hits over 12 2/3 Grapefruit League innings this spring.
There was nothing glowing about his performances. But he’s healthy after dealing with elbow and shoulder issues with the White Sox last year. And with three starters suffering significant injuries since the start of camp, the Braves’ rotation is anything but healthy.
So, is there a spot on Atlanta’s roster for Pérez?
• Starting rotation: Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López, Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder
• First six spots in the bullpen: Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, Tyler Kinley, Dylan Lee, Aaron Bummer and Joel Payamps
• Top candidates for the final two spots: Pérez, José Suarez, Didier Fuentes, Dylan Dodd and JR Ritchie
Suarez is out of options, so he would likely be claimed by another team if he isn’t placed on the Opening Day roster. He strengthened his candidacy by throwing four scoreless innings against the Phillies on Sunday.
Of course, if going on Spring Training results alone, Fuentes would get one of those two spots. The 20-year-old hurler recorded eight strikeouts over four scoreless against the Phillies on Wednesday. He hasn’t allowed a hit or issued a walk while recording 17 strikeouts over nine innings in three Grapefruit League appearances.
But Fuentes, who ranks as the Braves' No. 3 prospect, could benefit from the opportunity to further develop his splitter and simply get more experience at the Triple-A level.
Ritchie (Atlanta's No. 2 prospect) has also impressed during his first big league camp. But unlike Fuentes, he isn’t on the 40-man roster, so his Opening Day roster bid seems to be an even greater longshot.
The Braves play 13 straight days to begin the regular season. So, they could choose to carry Suarez and Pérez to simultaneously fill the roles of a sixth starter and swingman. If they end up going with a six-man rotation, there would be a need to also carry a long reliever whose presence could increase the odds that every starter makes their first couple starts with an extra day of rest.
Dodd has options remaining, meaning he could be sent down without passing through waivers. But he remains a roster candidate because he has the ability to work multiple innings if necessary.