Three Takeaways From Braves Lead Up to Spring Training

The Atlanta Braves are on the cusp of switching from offseason mode to season mode. The trucks are loading for the trip to North Port, Fla., to prepare for the regular season. It might be as cold as it could get in either Atlanta or Florida right now, but that feeling of almost spring is starting to break through.

In the lead up to action getting started, there are few things to take away from what has been happening, or not happening. Here are three takeaways to get your late morning started.

They Should Be Adding a Starter Any Time Now, Right?

It's February. We're a week away from pitchers and catchers reporting. Some free agents still need to find a place to play. Players sign during spring training, but the longer the wait is, the less time teams have to work with them before the games actually matter.

Not having a Spring Training can make a difference. That wasn't just something that Brian Snitker would say to assure a pitcher would be fine. The more work that goes into preparation now, the less of a headache the team should have later.

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So, it wouldn't be too surprising if something were to happen soon. When? Couldn't tell you for certain. But it has to be soon. Will it be Lucas Giolito or Chris Bassitt? They wouldn't mind it, apparently. But we won't know for sure until it happens.

Ronald Acuña Jr.'s WBC Participation Should Bring More Confidence

They trust him to go and play in meaningful games during Spring Training. This is compared to last season, when he wasn't able to play in the controlled environment of a game in North Port.

Acuña looks like his All-Star self. He'll get more reps down in Miami and for a bit after in North Port before going to Atlanta for Opening Day. It allows for more confidence that he'll be able to utilize all of his tools pain-free.

He did a lot with the guardrails still up. There will still certainly be precautions they take at times to ensure he stays healthy. It wouldn't hurt to check if he is a DH at all during the World Baseball Classic.

However, they can pull back a bit, and they should. The Braves are in a better position when he's able to let loose.

Walt Weiss Chatter is Quiet For Now, But It'll Be Back

There was talk about his standing when discussing a potential manager and when he got hired. He affirmed what he believed he could do during the Winter Meetings. For the most part, the chatter has died down.

It will likely stay that way for the spring, but there is some curiosity about what goodwill he can build down in North Port. While we're nearly two months away from Opening Day, there is still a curiosity over how much a solid start helps.

Does it simply have to be better than 0-7? Do the Braves have to be truly strong out of the gate? Perhaps, we won't even have a full idea in year one (the most likely answer, regardless).

It's obvious, but all of these different situations will help guide the narrative of his tenure as manager. The resumption of chatter is pending, but it's more of a wait-and-see for when it starts and what the discussion will be.

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