Braves News: Austin Riley goes yard, bullpen competition heats up, more

"The Braves have four bullpen locks or near locks with Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee. If they choose to run with a 6-man rotation to start the season, they would only have 3 spots left in the bullpen. Joel Payamps seems a likely member of the bullpen, while Hayden Harris, Daysbel Hernandez, James Karinchak, Ian Hamilton, Jose Suarez, Joey Wentz, and potentially even Jhancarlos Lara are real options for the bullpen."

"Harris, Hernandez, Dodd and Lara all have options, so they could very easily find themselves in AAA, though Dodd especially and to a lesser extent Harris and Hernandez may have real claims to a top 7-8 option on the 40-man. Hamilton and Karinchak are on minor league or split contracts, which sometimes include options for veterans to opt out if they don't make the active roster, so they may be effectively out of options."

"I am intrigued by Karinchak if he can look anything like his old dominant self. Hamilton has been good in the past, but we need to see which version of himself he looks like. Wentz could make sense as the de facto 6th member of the rotation who could easily convert to a solid lefty reliever with some stamina for multiple innings as needed."

The Braves have established four bullpen locks: Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, Aaron Bummer, and Dylan Lee. With a potential 6-man rotation, only three additional bullpen spots remain available. Several pitchers are competing for these positions, including Joel Payamps, Hayden Harris, Daysbel Hernandez, James Karinchak, Ian Hamilton, Jose Suarez, Joey Wentz, and Jhancarlos Lara. Some candidates have minor league options and could be assigned to AAA, while others lack options and face different roster constraints. The front office must balance preserving depth with selecting the strongest performers. Notable prospects include Karinchak, who could return to dominance, Hamilton, whose form remains uncertain, and Wentz, who could serve as a sixth rotation member or versatile reliever.

Read at Battery Power