Atlanta Braves: The Rebuild is Not Over Yet

The Atlanta Braves rebuild is beginning to come to a close but it isn’t over just yet.

Spring Training has gotten underway for the Atlanta Braves and there seems to be a lot of optimism surrounding a team that is still in the midst of a rebuild. For those who believe that this Braves roster is a contending one it is time to pump the brakes a bit and realize that the Braves rebuild isn’t over just yet.

A roster that is ready to contend for postseason play doesn’t load up on short deals with veteran players who are expected to fill in starting roster spots for a short time. Bartolo Colon and Brandon Phillips may help the Braves to some marginal improvement but their main incentive is filling seats at the new stadium.

It is also in the Braves best interest to improve slightly and give the appearance of trying to compete. Moving into a new stadium after such a disappointing season the Braves are going to have to show some improvement to keep fans coming to the park. Adding veteran talent will do that for a time.

Once that time is up the Braves will likely continue the trend they have set the last few seasons dealing veteran players for prospects and calling up their young talent. This season should be the last time that the Braves use this tactic considering how much talent should be ready from the Braves system for the 2018 season.

While it may be tempting to buy into the Braves being contenders it is important to remember that not only do they have two forty plus starters in the rotation they also lack depth in the bullpen or a proven bench.

Next: Braves Off-season Targets

The Braves are improving in one of the fastest rebuilds in Major League history but they are not there quite yet.