Joy R. Absalon – USA TODAY Sports
When the Atlanta Braves signed Nick Markakis this offseason after Jason Heyward was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, they were aware he was scheduled for neck surgery. This week, as spring training commences, Markakis plans to take a methodical approach in his return and not be so quick to return to the field.
With that, there will be a void needing to be filled in the early goings of the spring, and several Braves newcomers will be called upon to take the early reps and game experience the absence of Markakis will leave open for others.
Braves president of baseball operations John Hart made it a point to seek out talented prospects and veterans to compete for spots this spring for the Braves. Rookies such as Eury Perez, Zoilo Almonte, Dian Toscano, Todd Cunningham and Joey Terdoslavich will have every opportunity to show the Braves their worth and why they should be a part of the 40-man roster this season.
Braves fans will undoubtedly be curious of the progress of Perez, Almonte and Toscano as they are new faces who have been touted as quality players with the ability to be successful at the major league level. More specifically, I believe Perez to be the most intriguing prospect out of the group, as his skill set is one the Braves desperately need in that he provides a ton of speed to complement his stellar defense.
Of course, this could all be short-lived as Markakis is a veteran who has achieved a great deal of success as a major league player. According to him, he’s not concerned about the time frame he has to get back in the swing of things in a baseball sense, but more so needing to make sure his conditioning is where it needs to be.
With the overhaul of players who exited the Braves’ outfield, the new influx has a chance to capitalize on an opportunity to make a name for themselves not just for the Braves, but a quality performance could attract other suitors in need of an outfielder.
If they’re smart, they will take full advantage of Markakis’ recovery and give their best effort this spring.
Brandon Williams is an Atlanta Braves writer for www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter, @BfreshAlum4UA, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
