The Atlanta Braves' infield hasn't given the franchise the expected 2025 production in the first months of the season. Third baseman Austin Riley is the one outlier from Atlanta's four Opening Day infielders. Both Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies have gone through up-and-downs early in the season. Leaving former Atlanta starting shortstop and current depth piece, Orlando Arcia. The Atlanta shortstop lost his job to one of the better stories of the season in Nick Allen.
Allen spent the first three weeks of the season using his limited starts to take the starting role from Arcia. While the shortstop is never going to be a star offensive producer, he has been far more consistent than Arcia and has been an inarguable defensive upgrade. Add in Allen's speed and ability as a baserunner, and it is clear why Atlanta opted to bench Arcia. Leading to one unfortunate fact for the utility player.
Orlando Arcia is Robbing Atlanta of a Valuable Bench Spot, Demanding the Braves Pivot
The Atlanta Braves already have defensive replacements in Stuart Fairchild and Luke Williams on the team's bench. Having Orlando Arcia is redundant and uses a valuable roster spot for a player who has a chance of playing a role. However, Atlanta isn't likely to have an easy time moving a $2 million dollar contract for a player that carries value only as a utility option.
Still, the team's sense of urgency after a 0-7 start should demand that they pivot in another direction. Nick Allen has put together a large enough sample size to believe the shortstop is going to maintain this level of production moving forward. Whether it is a trade or attempted demotion, the Braves need to add someone to their bench capable of contributing and move away from Orlando Arcia.
The shortstop had a great first half of the 2023 season after taking over for Dansby Swanson. Since that time, the offensive results have been bad enough that you can no longer justify keeping his glove in the lineup. This is especially the case with the emergence of Nick Allen, who has been an upgrade in every way. It is time for the Braves to make a tough decision and move on from the former starter.