Today, the Braves announced they have optioned Chadwick Tromp to Gwinnett. They have also reassigned three pitchers — Blake Burkhalter, Roel Ramírez, and Brooks Wilson — to minor league camp. The total number of players remaining in major league camp now sits at 61.
So far, there have been no surprises, which is to be expected so early in Spring Training. Chadwick Tromp is a solid option as a third catcher, but he was never going to make the major-league roster with Travis d’Arnaud and Sean Murphy in the fold.
The pitchers reassigned also had no chance of making the Opening Day roster. Blake Burkhalter is a promising young arm that was selected in the third round by the Braves in last year’s draft. The fact that he was even invited to Spring Training tells you how highly they think of him. He pitched one scoreless inning with two strikeouts.
Roel Ramírez is a 27-year-old that’s already made his major-league debut, but he owns an 81.00 ERA over just two appearances. I don’t see much of a future with him in the organization. Brooks Wilson, however, is a different story.
Wilson was nasty on the farm for the Braves in 2021, posting a 2.34 ERA between Mississippi and Gwinnett in relief. I thought there was a chance he could have an impact last season out of the Braves bullpen, but Tommy John surgery early in the year prevented that from happening. Wilson is still recovering, but if injuries arise in the bullpen later in the year, don’t be surprised if he makes his major-league debut.
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