LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- When the Braves claimed Christian Walker off waivers from the Orioles on Feb. 25, they viewed him as an option to provide organizational depth while playing first base for Triple-A Gwinnett. But a little more than a week later, they took him off their 40-man roster.
Consequently, Walker was claimed off waivers by the Reds on Monday afternoon. As the Braves spend the next few weeks looking to strengthen their bench, they can now do so with the flexibility afforded by the two vacant spots on their 40-man roster.
It doesn't appear the Braves have any imminent deals cooking, and there obviously wasn't a definitive need to open a spot on their roster. But they simply didn't see the need to continue carrying Walker, who went 2-for-16 with a home run in Grapefruit League play.
Walker has hit 18 home runs at the Triple-A level in each of the last two seasons. While the 25-year-old first baseman has some power potential, he hasn't necessarily shown enough in that department to compensate for the fact he has struck out in 24 percent of his plate appearances in that span.