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The 2015 Opening Day roster for the Atlanta Braves will look much different than the 2014 Opening Day roster.

That roster included Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis and Ervin Santana, among others. 

Those players were a key part of the Braves’ 2014 season but will not be around for the 2015 season.

That is a product of the free-agency era as well as a team that underachieved and finished a disappointing 79-83 for the year.

While this year’s expectations will not be as high, it will be interesting to see if the Braves can build some positive momentum toward a brighter future.

As spring training approaches, let’s take a crack at what the Opening Day roster will look like for the Atlanta Braves.

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This offseason has been one of the more interesting ones in recent memory for the Atlanta Braves.

It started with the firing of general manager Frank Wren, as John Hart stepped in with a clear goal of changing the direction of the organization.

Hart has went to work on building depth in the farm system and has especially focused on stockpiling young arms.

To do so, he traded away two of the Braves’ biggest names in Jason Heyward and Justin Upton, as they were set to become free agents at the end of this season.

While the offseason is not yet over, the majority of the major moves seem to be complete.

With that said, let’s take a look at some winners and losers for the Braves this offseason.

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The Atlanta Braves‘ 2015 roster became more clear after the Justin Upton trade.

The outfield will consist of Evan Gattis, B.J. Upton and Nick Markakis. Christian Bethancourt will be the primary catcher.

The infield also looks set with Freddie Freeman, Andrelton Simmons, Chris Johnson and either Alberto Callaspo or Jace Peterson.

While the positional players look clear, the rotation still has some question marks.

The core will consist of Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, Mike Minor and Shelby Miller. The fifth spot is up for debate.

Currently, the two likely options are David Hale or recently acquired Manny Banuelos.

I’m not sold that the Braves are done and won’t look to add one more veteran on a short-term deal as the No. 5 starter.

The Braves have some payroll flexibility to use on a pitcher after trading Upton, but it wouldn’t hinder the long-term plans of the organization.

With that said, here’s a look at three pitchers who the Braves could target in free agency.

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The Atlanta Braves have completely transformed their roster this offseason as we sit at the two-month mark.

The man pegged to be the future face of the franchise as he ascended through the minors (Jason Heyward), was traded away to St. Louis.

The player who generated so much excitement as he completed the most thrilling outfield in the game (Justin Upton) did not last as long in Atlanta as the “throw in” (Chris Johnson) from that trade.

John Hart made the clear decision that this team needed to get younger and build a stronger roster for the future.

While this could lead to a frustrating 2015 season, I think many Braves fans can see the potential benefits of these trades in the upcoming years.

However, one move the Braves made this offseason just doesn’t fit what they’re trying to do in the big picture.

Just weeks after trading Heyward, the Braves signed outfielder Nick Markakis to a four-year deal.

The 31-year-old is a nice player, but the Braves shouldn’t have committed to paying him $11 million a season over the next four years.

This move did not make the Braves younger, and it didn’t shed payroll—the two things Hart has been looking to do this offseason.

Strictly as a player for the upcoming season, Markakis will fit nicely. The Braves obviously had a hole in the outfield, and Markakis will be able to hit at the top of the order.

But, the Braves are not in win-now mode, and it doesn’t look like Markakis will be worth $11 million over the next four years.

Let’s take a look at his nine-year career to this point.

Markakis averaged 17.8 home runs with a .297 average and .830 OPS over his first five seasons. Meanwhile, he’s averaged 13 home runs with a .282 average and .751 OPS over his past four seasons.

There’s been a clear drop in production. It’s reasonable to expect a 31-year-old to have more drop-off in production as he ages to 35 and moves into a less friendly park for hitters in Turner Field.

Let’s say he does maintain his production over the past four seasons in the next four. According to Fangraphs, he’d have just one season worth the $11 million the Braves are paying him.

We should also note that Markakis underwent neck surgery this offseason. The Braves have maintained that this does not concern them, but it does not provide fans with much confidence, especially considering the injury troubles the Braves have had in recent seasons.

The Braves had to sign someone this offseason, as they don’t have a prospect ready to fill the outfield.

However, it would have been smarter to look for an outfielder on a two-year deal. I think Nori Aoki would have been the smarter player for the Braves to pursue. It will be interesting to see the deal Aoki strikes in free agency.

As this offseason has unfolded, the Markakis signing becomes more of a head-scratcher.

We’ll see if he can maintain his production over the past few seasons or regain some of his power from early in his career.

But at this point, I think the Braves will look back in a few seasons and wish they hadn’t committed the years and dollars to Markakis that they did.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The 2014 MLB winter meetings saw many big splashes, but the Atlanta Braves were not a part of one of them.

Despite rumors of the Braves being involved in trade talks, nothing materialized on that front.

The two main trade targets the Braves are shopping are Justin Upton and Evan Gattis, and things remained quiet on that front throughout the week, according to MLB.com‘s Mark Bowman:

All seems to be pretty quiet on the J-Up/Gattis front this morning. #Braves

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 11, 2014

There’s obviously plenty of time for one or both to be traded this offseason, but let’s take a look at what the Braves got done during the winter meetings.

Added Alberto Callaspo and Dian Toscano

The team has not officially announced the signing of either player, but it appears everything is finalized except for the physicals. Per Bowman:

Update on Cuban OF Dian Toscano. The #Braves have completed the financial specifics. The deal is now pending a physical.

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 10, 2014

Like w/ Toscano, the #Braves still have some things to iron out w/ Callaspo. But they seem to be close w/ both players.

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 9, 2014

Let’s start with Alberto Callaspo, a 31-year-old second and third baseman.

As the Braves wait for prospect Jose Peraza to be MLB-ready, Callaspo will play the role of a short-term solution primarily at second base.

While Callaspo is coming off a down season with the Oakland Athletics—.223/.290/.290—there’s reason to believe he will be much more effective in 2015.

For his career, Callaspo has hit .267 with a .330 on-base percentage and .700 OPS. These are not eye-popping numbers, but they are productive.

He also provides manager Fredi Gonzalez with some versatility, as he’s a switch-hitter and can play third base. This could mean some playing time at third against right-handed pitchers, as Chris Johnson is much less effective hitting right-handers.

This was not a spectacular move, but it’s a move to get crossed off the list as the offseason continues.

In Dian Toscano, we have an enigma. The 25-year-old Cuban outfielder could compete for the fourth outfield spot. He has plus speed but a weak arm, so this will likely limit him to left field and possibly some center field.

At the plate, Toscano doesn’t provide much power, but he does have a high contact rate and good plate awareness. In his last season in Cuba, he hit .356/.400/.452.

We’ll have a better feel for where Toscano fits in when spring training rolls around.

No Movement on Upton/Gattis…yet

After trading Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals, President of Baseball Operations John Hart signaled a move toward building for the future.

With Justin Upton’s pending free agency, it became clear that he would likely be moved. The winter meetings seemed like an opportune time for that to happen, but the time came and went.

It’s hard to grade Hart on not trading Upton at this point, as we don’t know the trade offers. We will have to wait and see what the Braves can get for Upton if or when a deal does happen.

The same can be said for Gattis, as the Braves should be able to net a nice return for a right-handed power bat with years of team control. Gattis is the likelier of the two to stay because of that team control.

However, with a depleted farm system and Gattis at peak trade value, it would be in the Braves’ interest to find a trade partner this offseason.

This is far from over, so we’ll have to keep monitoring the status of both players this offseason.

Final Verdict

The Braves were quiet at the winter meetings. Their best move was signing the versatile veteran in Callaspo. However, this offseason will be remembered for the trades that do or don’t get done.

Because of this, I’ll give the Braves a C.

We don’t know the trade offers that Hart received. We’ll have to wait and grade the trades if or when they do take place.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Atlanta Braves have generally focused more on trades and building from within the organization over recent years.

However, with the Braves trading Jason Heyward and actively shopping Justin Upton—as reported by the New York Post’s Joel Sherman—they could open up some payroll to get players in the free-agent market.

Currently, the Braves’ top two targets in free agency are pitcher Jon Lester and Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman and Jesse Sanchez.

Lester looks to be a long shot for Atlanta. For the Braves to be serious players, Lester would need to take a serious hometown discount.

The Braves seemed to be pushing for Tomas, but he signed a six-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

If the Braves miss out on one or both, they will turn their attention to backup options.

Here’s a look at some of those backup options in free agency.

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It’s no secret the Atlanta Braves have played their worst baseball of the season the past few weeks.

The Atlanta Braves are 3-9 in August and have lost 17 of 26 games since the All-Star break.

The recent skid has put the Braves six games behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East and three games back for a wild-card spot.

Fans have voiced their displeasure over the recent play of the team and many have given opinions of ways to fix them.

At this stage of the season, you won’t see a major overhaul of the 25-man roster.

However, there are ways to mix things up if you’re manager Fredi Gonzalez in order to spark the ballclub.

Let’s take a look at three of those changes that Gonzalez should make before it’s too late.

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The Atlanta Braves acquired Emilio Bonifacio and James Russell from the Chicago Cubs at the July 31 trade deadline to bolster the roster for the stretch run.

In Bonifacio, the Braves strengthened their bench with one of the top utility players in the game. He can play all the outfield positions and infield positions (minus catcher and first base) while adding an element of speed to the Braves.

In Russell, the Braves added a veteran left-handed arm to add some depth in the bullpen.

While both are helpful additions, they won’t significantly impact the team.

What other deals could general manager Frank Wren have explored? Here are a couple of deals that the Braves could have made.

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The Atlanta Braves (47-38) are currently riding a season-best seven-game winning streak as we hit July.

Despite their hot streak, the Braves hold just a half-game lead in the division as the Washington Nationals have also improved their play.

You can bet general manager Frank Wren will be looking to improve the roster as the July 31 trade deadline nears in order to give the Braves a leg up over the Nationals.

Just how active Wren will be at the deadline is still unclear. Until we find out, let’s take a look at a few perfect trade scenarios for the 2014 trade deadline.

Trade Dan Uggla

Like most Braves fans, I’m shocked that Dan Uggla is still on the roster. Uggla has lost his starting job to Tommy La Stella, and it’s clear that he no longer fits in the short-term or long-term plan in Atlanta.

Trading Uggla before the deadline would be trimming the fat for the Braves.

This would allow the Braves to carry an extra arm in the bullpen, which could prove valuable in keeping the bullpen fresh for the season’s entirety.

Or the Braves could add an infielder (such as Philip Gosselin) who has more speed, more versatility and plays better defense to their bench.

At this point, the Braves are just trying to get rid of Uggla and wouldn’t get anything in return. Minimal salary relief from the other team would be the best-case scenario.

Trading Uggla would be the first step toward a successful trade deadline.

Add Bullpen Piece

The Braves bullpen has tightened as of late, which has played into the current win streak.

However, the Braves could use one more arm from the left side to shore up the bullpen and give manager Fredi Gonzalez plenty of options to end games.

David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently weighed in on the Braves’ search for bullpen help: 

Short relief, preferably lefty “@wahoo_engr: @ajcbraves David, are #Braves likely to look for long relief or possibly a lefty? Thanks”

— David O’Brien (@ajcbraves) July 4, 2014

The Braves were looking for Jonny Venters to return in June to provide a boost from the left side. However, Venters looks iffy at best to return this season.

His absence combined with Luis Avilan’s down season has left the Braves a little vulnerable from the left side.

Adding a relief pitcher isn’t flashy, but it’s the necessary move for this deadline. This is where Wren should start when looking to add at the deadline.

Find Top Starter

Trading Uggla would be trimming the fat, while adding bullpen help is the unflashy but necessary move. If Wren could grab a top-end starter at the deadline, that would be the cherry on top.

It seems unlikely that the Braves will go this route in order to keep their young prospects in the organization. However, if teams soften their asking price, Wren could get more involved.

There’s no doubt the Braves could use one more pitcher to complement Julio Teheran at the top of the rotation.

David Price, Jeff Samardzija or Cliff Lee are a few players that would give the Braves a dynamic one-two punch in the postseason.

As I mentioned, this won’t happen if the Braves have to trade multiple top prospects. But grabbing an elite pitcher could give the Braves their best chance at a World Series title that has eluded them since 1995.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After a disappointing week, the Atlanta Braves (33-29) find themselves in a tie atop the National League East division with the surging Washington Nationals.

The offense still hasn’t consistently clicked, but the major reason for the Braves’ recent struggles has been the performance of the bullpen.

A year after leading the majors with a 2.46 bullpen ERA, the Braves bullpen has slipped to a 3.35 ERA, which puts them sixth in the National League.

This has cost the Braves in multiple games this season as Mark Bowman of MLB.com points out:

The #Braves have already lost more games (18-6) led after the sixth as they did all of last year (71-5). 4 of these Ls have been since 5/27

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 9, 2014

The bullpen should get a boost from the recent arrival of Shae Simmons as well as Jordan Walden when he returns from injury. However, general manager Frank Wren will almost undoubtedly be looking for bullpen help at the July 31 trade deadline.

With that said, here’s a look at five players the Braves could trade for with the emphasis on bullpen help.

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