755 Forever

The Braves were three outs away from sweeping the Mets, but A.J. Minter blew the save in Sunday night's 4-3 loss. Eric & David begin with Minter's struggles in the closer role and explain why he was put in the game in that spot before ultimately giving up Brandon Nimmo's walk-off homer. (06:00) Austin Riley exited the game early on Sunday due to left side tightness and is currently day-to-day. He was replaced by the recently acquired Zack Short. (14:00) Max Fried had a no-hitter going on Saturday afternoon, but was lifted after throwing 109 pitches through seven innings. Atlanta was one out away from a combined no hitter, but Raisel Iglesias allowed a solo homer to J.D. Martinez in the 4-1 victory. The Braves have not had a no-hitter since Kent Mercker threw one in 1994. (25:30) Atlanta has one of the best records in baseball despite the offense under performing. Ronald Acuña Jr.'s OPS is only .714 this season and David notes how the winning thus far is more because of pitching than hitting. (31:00) The team returns to Truist Park for a three game series. vs. the Cubs. Later this month the Braves will play in Pittsburgh and they might face Paul Skenes. The hosts discuss what they've seen from last summer's #1 overall pick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves authored a two game sweep this week over the Red Sox after a rough trip in Seattle and Los Angeles. David & Eric begin with Chris Sale, who earned the win on Wednesday night against his old team. Sale struck out ten batters in six innings in the 5-0 victory. (05:00) Marcell Ozuna homered twice on Wednesday night and David lays out just how incredible his numbers at the plate have been since May of 2023. Ozuna currently leads baseball with 12 home runs, just ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker. (13:00) More on Sale's numbers for this season. He is tied for 3rd in the National League in wins with five and leads the team with the lowest WHIP (0.98). (17:15) Tyler Matzek was placed on the IL and it was listed as elbow inflammation. Taking his roster spot is Ray Kerr, he is a left handed pitcher who Atlanta acquired in a trade with the Padres in December. (20:00) The Braves trail Philadelphia by two games in the division as the Phillies recently had a seven game win streak snapped. (23:00) Matt Olson had a pair of hits in the series and his currently hitting just at .200. He has had a lot of hard hit balls lately that have died at the warning track. Olson has gone 26 consecutive games without a homer. (29:00) Explanation of the recent trades where the Braves sent Luis Guillorme to the Angels and acquired Zack Short from Boston. Short is not a hitter, but provides a better option to backup Orlando Arcia when needed. Arcia homered on Wednesday and went back-to-back with Ozuna, the first time this season the offense has pulled off that feat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves lost all three games over the weekend at Dodger Stadium and enter Monday 2.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. David (From LA) & Eric begin with Saturday's 11-2 blowout loss where Bryce Elder allowed seven runs in just over three innings of work. (08:10) Pierce Johnson is headed to the IL with elbow inflammation and was replaced on the roster by Jackson Stephens. (13:10) Shohei Ohtani hit three homers over the weekend vs. Atlanta pitching, including a pair in Sunday's 5-1 Dodger victory. One of his homers came against Max Fried in the bottom of the 1st. (19:00) The offense only scored a combined six runs over the weekend. Matt Olson's struggles continue as he is hitting .197 this season. He went 1 for 10 in this series and has not homered since April 7th. (25:30) Ronald Acuña Jr. had a better offensive series as he homered and collected five hits. David notes how loud the boos were from the LA crowd after the MVP went deep. (36:40) Orlando Arcia has been playing top notch defensive at shortstop so far this season. David notes his metrics are very impressive and are higher than Dansby Swanson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves lost the first two games in Seattle and won 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon on the series finale. David & Eric begin though with the local TV situation in Atlanta as the standoff between Bally Sports and Comcast/Xfinity meant on Wednesday that many local fans were unable to watch the game on cable or on MLB.TV due to blackout rules. The only current solution is to stream the games through DirecTV Stream or Fubo. (15:45) As April has come to a close, Marcell Ozuna is prime contender to win Player of the Month. It will likely either be him or Mookie Betts of the Dodgers. They will play against each other this weekend in Los Angeles. (20:45) Ronald Acuña Jr. played in all three games this series and struck out a combined eight times. He has struck out 38 times so far this season and the team has only played 29 games. (28:00) Matt Olson is also struggling as his batting average is currently at .206. He only had one hit in Seattle and has not had a multi hit game since April 14th. (31:30) Chris Sale earned the win on Wednesday as he struck out nine Mariners in five frames of work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves took two out of three over the weekend vs. the AL Central leading Guardians. Eric & David discuss the final leg of a 7-2 homestand. Austin Riley closed it out with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th for a 4-3 victory in the rubber match. (05:00) Atlanta had their hands full in their 4-2 loss on Saturday as Cleveland's starter Tanner Bibee struck out nine while lasting seven innings. (09:00) Chris Sale and Charlie Morton each threw really good outings in the first two games of the series. They both struck out six batters their appearances Bryce Elder had a decent outing on Sunday as he gave up two runs, but not as effective as his previous start vs. last place Miami. (17:30) Ronald Acuña Jr.'s slow start continued as he went 1 for 13 over the weekend with six Ks. He is hitting .255 on the season thus far. (24:30) Matt Olson and Riley each had big hits on Sunday, but neither have been stellar at the plate recently. Olson is hitting just .212 so for on the year. (30:00) David came away impressed with some of the tags that the Braves made over the weekend to catch Cleveland stealing multiple times. He notes that Walt Weiss made this a point of emphasis in Spring Training this year. (42:00) The Braves hit the road as they play three games each in Seattle at the Dodgers. It will be Jarred Kelenic's first time facing the Mariners since being traded after last season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves took all three games in Atlanta against the last place Marlins as they have the best record in baseball. David & Eric begin by joking about the spoiled fans who were aggravated at the bullpen faltering in the top of the 9th in a game that ultimately ended in a 4-3 victory in extras on Wednesday evening. (04:30) Max Fried threw a complete game shutout in the 5-0 triumph on Tuesday night. It was a "Maddux" as it took him less than 100 pitches to go the distance in a contest took less than two hours. (09:00) Reynaldo Lopez had another superb outing as he only allowed one run in 7 IP in the series finale. His ERA this season is 0.72 in four starts thus far. (12:00) The series opener was a 3-0 victory where Bryce Elder was unscathed in his first MLB start of the season. (19:00) The Braves are 5-1 on the home stand and they have won nine of their past 10 games. The 'pen has returned to the high level it was pitching at prior to the Mets series loss a few weeks ago. A.J. Minter had a very clutch outing as he threw a scoreless top of the 10th despite giving up a hit and inheriting a ghost runner. Michael Harris II capped off the sweep with a walk-off double that brought in Ronald Acuña Jr. Harris was moved up in the order after the injury to Ozzie Albies. (29:00) Next up is a three game series at Truist Park vs. Cleveland who surprisingly has best record in the American League. The hosts note though that the bulk of their victories so far have come against the Athletics and the White Sox. (42:00) David shares a pair quotation from veterans this home stand that encapsulate the excellent and fun culture that surrounds the winning club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves took two out of three games over the weekend vs. the visiting Rangers to finish a solid week against both teams from Texas. David & Eric begin with Sunday night's loss where Darius Vines allowed four runs in five frames. Speaking of the rotation, Bryce Elder has been called up from Gwinett and will start on Monday vs. the Marlins. (05:45) Atlanta leads the NL East, but there are more contenders than expected as the Mets are over .500. (10:00) Reynaldo Lopez will face Miami on Wednesday as he is starting just once a week. He is getting extra rest after transitioning from the bullpen, where he pitched the past few years. (14:10) Travis d'Arnaud on Friday night hit a trio of homers in three straight at bats. He is the first Brave to pull off the feat since Adam Duvall did it twice in September of 2020. (26:00) Matt Olson is slumping in the first month of the season as he only has collected one it in the past six games. He is hitting .231 so far this year. David notes that the offense is so loaded, that his slump is flying under the radar. (32:30) Marcell Ozuna slugged his ninth homer on Sunday and leads MLB in multiple offensive categories. These includes homers, OPS, Slugging percentage, and RBIs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves rallied on Wednesday afternoon to wrap up a sweep of the Astros and conclude a 5-1 road trip. David (From Houston) & Eric though begin with the negative of the trip, which was Ozzie Albies landing on the IL due to a fractured toe. Luis Guillorme got the start at 2B in the final two games in Texas and David Fletcher was a late game defensive replacement on Wednesday. (06:30) Reynaldo Lopez started the middle game of the series and earned the victory in six innings of scoreless work. Lopez has only allowed one run in three outings so far this season. (14:00) As impressive as Lopez has been, Max Fried has not been his usual self. He issued four walks in just five innings on Wednesday and his ERA through four starts this season is 7.71. (18:30) Marcell Ozuna homered on Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. His current OPS is a jaw dropping 1.135 and is tied for the MLB home run lead with Mike Trout at eight. (23:10) The bullpen bounced back after a dip last week vs. the Mets and the only runs allowed by them all series were by Aaron Bummer on Tuesday night in the 9th inning. Pierce Johnson made two appearances in Houston and recorded four strikeouts. (33:00) Darius Vines pitched on Monday and earned himself another start by only allowing one run. (35:00) Chadwick Tromp has impressed everyone so far while filling in for the injured Sean Murphy. He started on Tuesday in Houston and came through with a pair of hits that led to two RBIs. (45:00) An extended conversation on the positive culture that permeates throughout the franchise and leads to winning baseball despite various setbacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves were down to their final strike in Miami, but Marcell Ozuna crushed a 3 run homer and Atlanta escaped with a 9-7 victory. David & Eric extensively discuss how great Ozuna has been not only this season, but ever since May 1st of last year. Ozuna currently leads the NL with a 1.193 OPS and collected seven hits over the weekend. (17:30) Ronald Acuña Jr. meanwhile is off to a slow start and his OPS sits at .712, but the MVP had at least one hit in every game this series. Even though Acuña isn't his normal self, the team's offense is still coming through with plenty of production. (21:00) The Marlins beat the Braves on Saturday 5-1 as Max Meyer out pitched Chris Sale. Meyer struck out seven Braves and only allowed one run. The series began with Max Fried's first impressive outing of the year in Atlanta's 8-1 victory as Fried pitched into the 7th inning. (24:00) David points out who the top pitchers have been so far this season in MLB and it includes Chicago's Garrett Crochet, who the Braves faced earlier this month. (31:15) We now have confirmation that Spencer Strider's season is done as he had elbow surgery on Friday. It was internal brace surgery instead of Tommy John, and David explains what the difference is between the procedures. (45:30) Dave Lezotte, Voice of the Gwinett Stripes, provides an update from AAA. Speaking of Gwinett, Darius Vines will start the series opener on Monday night in Houston, swapping roster spots with Allan Winans. **This episode is sponsored by Joe Van Gogh Coffee's "Blend #44". Visit joevangogh.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A four game series in Atlanta vs. the Mets turned into just a three gamer due to a rain out and New York easily took the rubber match on Thursday afternoon, 16-4. David & Eric begin with the Braves offense that is pacing MLB so far in production despite Ronald Acuña's Jr. slow start at the plate. However, Jarred Kelenic has continued hitting well and his average is at .462 on the young season. (08:00) The first time replacing Spencer Strider in the rotation did not go well as the Braves quickly found themselves down 7-0 with Allan Winans on the mound. David notes that this is not indicative of Winans place in the franchise's pitching hierarchy, but more a matter of how the AAA- Gwinett rotation lined up. (16:00) No official announcement yet on Strider's elbow as he met with the Dr. on Monday. (20:00) The bullpen combined for a weekend shutout vs. Arizona and that quickly changed on Monday in the 8-7 defeat. Pierce Johnson took the loss after allowing a trio of runs in the top of the 8th. (24:00) Around the league, the Orioles called up their top prospect, 20 year old short stop Jackson Holliday. Baltimore is so loaded with young talent, it seems like they are becoming an AL version of the Braves. (26:30) In last place of the NL East are the Marlins who have lost multiple pitchers due to injuries. Miami is just 2-11 on the season and have not yet won at home. Next up for Atlanta is a three game series in Miami this upcoming weekend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves swept the visiting Diamondbacks in their opening home series, but it was a costly one. David & Eric begin with the dominant bullpen that didn't allow a run the entire series. Pierce Johnson had an excellent weekend as he earned the win on Friday and notched the save on Sunday. (10:00) The offense scored twenty runs in the series and hit five homers in the process. Major offensive production was needed after short outings by both Spencer Strider and Max Fried. (13:00) The negative of the weekend is of course Strider's elbow injury that sent him to the IL. His initial MRI showed significant damage to his UCL and the rest of his season is in serious doubt. Strider was not the only high profile pitcher to suffer an injury this weekend as Cleveland's Shane Bieber found out that he will need Tommy John surgery on his elbow. Strider is set to meet with the doctor in the next few days. (20:00) The rash of pitching injuries led to the MLBPA releasing a statement over the weekend claiming that alterations in the pitch clock have been a culprit. Did adding a curveball lead to this elbow issue for Strider? (28:00) David shares Austin Riley's theory as to why there have been so many pitcher injuries and it has to do with higher velocity than there used to be. This leads to an extended conversation on the subject. (50:00) Next up is a four game series in Atlanta against the Mets. It is unclear who will take Strider's spot in the rotation on Wednesday evening and David lays out the potential options. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Despite ominous forecasts, the Braves and White Sox were able to play two of the three originally scheduled games in Chicago. David was on hand for both games and wisely planned his trip home based upon the impending weather for the series finale. He & Eric discuss why it seems the Braves rarely if ever start the season at home even though they have significantly better weather than most other cities this time of year. (08:30) David was very impressed by the White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet, who earned the win on Tuesday night. (11:30) Jarred Kelenic had a strong start to the season as he went 6 for 11 on the road trip after having a shaky Spring Training. The Braves acquired Kelenic in a December trade with the Mariners. (17:00) Reynaldo Lopez showed off an array of pitches in his first start sine September of 2021 on Tuesday evening. He lasted six frames and had a no decision in the 3-2 defeat in Game 2 of the series. (20:00) The Braves had a winning road trip despite not receiving a lot of production from Ronald Acuña Jr. He only had one hit in Chicago, but did knock in a run. The team's batting average in the five game stretch was .328. (29:00) Tyler Matzek, returning from Tommy John surgery, struck out the side in Monday afternoon's 9-0 victory. He also had a scoreless outing in his lone appearance in Philadelphia. Hear a recap of some of the other bullpen members and how they have pitched so far. (35:00) During the road trip Sean Murphy landed on the IL due to an oblique injury. Atlanta signed veteran catcher Sandy Leon to a minor league deal in order to add depth while he is out. The current catchers on the active roster are Travis d'Arnaud and Chadwick Tromp. (43:00) Friday night is the Braves home opener vs. Arizona and on Monday it is the 50th Anniversary of Hank Aaron's 715th career HR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves opened the season by taking two out of three games in Philadelphia. David (Live from his hotel in Chicago) & Eric begin by discussing the crummy weather that is expected for the upcoming three game series at the White Sox. (02:30) Sunday was a 5-4 defeat, but Chris Sale showed a lot to be happy about in his initial outing (5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 Ks). Hear reaction to how Sale already lived up to the reputation of his fiery demeanor. (12:15) Atlanta's offense had a might start to the year by scoring 21 combined runs in the pair of victories. Michael Harris II came through with a trio of hits on both Friday and Saturday, including a homer. Jarred Kelenic also impressed in his first games as a Brave as he collected four hits in Philadelphia. (18:35) Jesse Chavez earned the victory on Saturday after Max Fried was pulled in the 1st inning. Chavez was cut by the White Sox during Spring Training and is now in his fourth stint with the Braves. (21:40) Strider vs. Wheeler was on Friday and each came away with a no decision. Strider struck out eight Phillies in only 5 IP. (27:30) Chadwick Tromp (catcher) was called up from Gwinett over the weekend after Sean Murphy landed on the 10-day IL due to a strained left oblique muscle. (32:00) Philadelphia's loud crowd went from booing the Braves to jeering their own team after falling behind early Friday and Saturday. Orlando Arcia had a happy returned to Citizens Bank Park as he totaled with three hits in both victories. (40:00) If the weather cooperates on Monday then Charlie Morton will take the mound vs. the White Sox at 2:10pm Eastern. **This episode is sponsored by Joe Van Gogh Coffee's "Blend #44". Visit https://joevangogh.com/ for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Braves didn't open up their season on Thursday as originally scheduled as it was pushed to Friday afternoon instead due to weather. David (Live from Philadelphia) & Eric discuss how the bright side is that they avoid having the awkward day off in between Games #1 & #2 of the series vs. the Phillies. (05:00) "The Athletic" ranked the position player tiers for the top 100 guys this season while as part of the coverage to preview the new season. "Tier 1A" has five elite players and not surprisingly led by Ronald Acuña Jr. and dropping down a few pegs in "Tier 2B" from the Braves were Matt Olson and Austin Riley. https://theathletic.com/5372801/2024/03/28/mlb-position-player-tiers-rankings/ (19:00) Matt Olson is coming off a historic season where he set multiple franchise records. David puts in perspective just how astounding his numbers have been since his career began in 2017. (30:00) Guess how many pitchers last season threw over 100 MPH? How many of them pitched for Oakland? https://theathletic.com/5370030/2024/03/27/mlb-2024-season-numbers-facts/ (51:00) The hosts run through some season predictions including division winners, who will make the World Series, MVP, and Cy Young winners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Believe it or not, but next week is Opening Day as the Braves announced that Spencer Strider will take the mound in Philadelphia against Zack Wheeler on March 28th. David & Eric say why they agree with the decision as opposed to giving the honor to Max Fried for the fourth consecutive year. They then lay out what they expect the rotation to be for initial road trip at the Phillies and then the White Sox. (12:00) Reynaldo Lopez was named the 5th starter as opposed to Bryce Elder. Lopez signed a three year deal in November and last season pitched entirely out of the bullpen. His most recent start came back with the White Sox in June of 2022. (20:40) The Braves got an early jump on the final roster before Spring Training wraps up this weekend. The final bench spot went to Forrest Wall and David Fletcher was sent to Triple-A Gwinett. Wall is a twenty-eight year outfielder who made his MLB debut last summer and stole over 40 bases in each of the last two seasons in the minors. (24:00) A familiar name is returning to Truist Park as Adam Duvall surprisingly signed a one year deal with Atlanta. Duvall is in his mid-30s and his Free Agency saga is representative of what many veterans have dealt with this offseason. Eric explains why he thinks this current trend is a mistake for the sport. (38:00) A rundown of how the bullpen is shaping up for Opening Day. Among the relievers is Pierce Johnson, who the Braves traded for from the Rockies last summer. Tyler Matzek and Dylan Lee will begin the season in Atlanta while Ken Giles will first pitch in the minors and is expected to get called up later in the season. **Join us Thursday evening at approximately 10pm Eastern on our YouTube channel "755 Forever" as we react to Opening Day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David & Eric welcome on one of the great catchers in Braves history, Brian McCann, who appeared in seven All Star games and won six Silver Slugger Awards. They begin with his thoughts on how Atlanta stacks up with Los Angeles and Philadelphia in the National League pecking order. This leads to Brian's observations on the ill effects of the long layoff between the regular season and Division series as he recalls returning to the field after the All Star break. (10:00) McCann shares the best highlights of his career. He and Eric were teammates with the Braves from 2009-2013 and remember their fond collective memories from the clubhouse. Hear about his first big Postseason in his rookie season against an all time great pitcher. (29:45) Full discussion about the unforgettable evening when McCann and Carlos Gomez famously got into it in between third base and home plate in September of 2013. Brian explains what happened that night and why he has been unfairly tagged with the reputation as being a member of the "Fun Police". (43:00) "BMac" talks about the Braves loaded lineup and all the challenges that they present. This includes a conversation on just how special Ronald Acuña Jr. truly is. (50:00) The best player Brian McCann ever played with and an explanation as to why that is his choice. (57:30) Just how hard is it to face Chris Sale, especially as a left handed hitter? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Braves Country woke up to good news on Tuesday morning as the team announced that Ronald Acuña Jr. will not miss extended time after a closer look at his right knee and that is only meniscus irritation. David & Eric discuss what the rest of Spring Training will look like for the MVP. (08:30) Acuña's injury scare spurred criticism on players like him that participate in "Winter Ball" in their native countries during the MLB offseason. Ronald played in the Venezuelan Winter League for about a month recently and Eric points out why that can be better for a player as opposed to "taking it easy" in the winter time. David explains why it is such a draw for some players to play back home in between the World Series and Spring Training. (23:00) Hear what David thinks are the 3 most important things to happen for the Braves in this Spring Training (not related to Acuña). Hint: It has a lot to do with pitching, both starting and relief. (34:00) Get to know David Fletcher, a utility infield option that Atlanta traded for in December. Fletcher was considered to have a bad contract on the trade market, but has shown signs of optimism so far. (42:00) The conversation careens into the best pitchers they've seen in the past few decades. Can Spencer Strider reach that echelon? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David was down in Florida for the Braves first few Spring Training games and gives Eric's his initial impressions. AJ Smith-Shawver started on Tuesday and despite giving up a few HRs, was hitting high 90's on the radar gun. Smith-Shawaver is among the arms competing for a place in the back end of the starting rotation. (04:30) Ken Giles has impressed so far as he is fighting for a roster spot in the bullpen. Giles has barely pitched in the past few years due to injury and signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in early February. (11:00) Chris Sale brought the heat in his first Spring start as he settles in with his new team. Hear David describe his outing against the Pirates in Bradenton which included his top flight slider. (22:10) If you go to see the Braves play a road game in Florida, it's unlikely you'll see the regulars in that day's lineup. Eric explains the specifics that go into gameday prep during this time of year. The good news for the franchise is that their North Port location creates many fewer bus rides than when they played by Disney World. (27:00) Get to know the 20 year old infielder Ignacio "Nacho" Alvarez who spent last year at High-A Rome. He already has a few hits and David has been impressed by what he seen from him so far. (33:30) A scouting report on the young left handed pitcher Ray Kerr who Atlanta acquired in a December trade with the Padres. Listen to a brief explanation of his unusual journey from junior college to Braves camp. (41:00) Charlie Culberson's attempt at trying to make the Braves as a pitcher is in full swing as he turns 35 in April. (45:45) Quick conversation on the uniform controversy that has engulfed MLB. David has seen them up close and says they are as awful as everyone claims they are. They won't even tailor the pants! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David, while battling a cold, tells Eric what he has seen in North Port as the Braves held a full squad workout. Spencer Strider threw live BP and shocked onlookers with what seems to a be new pitch in his arsenal. Hear an in-depth conversation on what a curveball could like to a pitcher that threw fastballs and sliders 93% of the time. (15:00) Jarred Kelenic is making a good impression with his new teammates while getting what seems to be a welcomed case of new scenery. Kelenic's season last year in Seattle was marred by a broken foot after kicking a water cooler in frustration. (25:15) Marcell Ozuna has been taking reps at 1B in workouts and indications are he will see some Grapefruit League action there. Ozuna is expected to be back at DH this season, but could see a few starts at 1B this season on a rare Matt Olson day off. (30:00) David relays his conversation with Ian Anderson, who is coming off of Tommy John surgery last April. He is expected to return to the mound in middle of the summer. This then launches into handicapping the latest with the entire pitching staff. (41:30) Believe it or not, the Braves play the Rays on Saturday. There first game at their complex will be Sunday afternoon vs. the Red Sox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David is down in Florida and relays to Eric what he's seen so far as "Pitchers & Catchers" (and some hitters too) reported to Spring Training. The competition for the back end of the rotation is crowded and the locker layout in the clubhouse is indicative of it. (13:40) Many guys reported to camp earlier than required and that has been a major change that David has noticed from the beginning of his career. Eric explains what led to to shift and why nobody anymore reports overweight around March 1st. (18:45) Get a sense of clubhouse politics in Spring Training among the players and how every franchise is unique behind the scenes (Hint: it sounds quite similar the 1st day of school). (26:30) Alex Anthopolos met with the media down in Florida and largely deflected questions surrounding Max Fried's future. Listen to David handicap Max's situation as he enters camp in the final season before Free Agency. (37:00) A look at the deep bullpen within the organization and the additional left-handed options. A.J. Minter was at times the lone southpaw in the 'pen last season and it resulted in appearing in 70 games. (47:00) AA concedes that the bench remains unsettled and lends an explanation as to why that is still the case. As it relates to this conversation, its important to note that Matt Olson played 162 games in 2023, with Ronald Acuna Jr. & Austin Riley just behind at 159 games. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices