By: TJ Hartnett

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

For a while after Suntrust Park was announced, the fable was that when the stadium opened in 2017 the Braves would be ready to compete.

As the opening for the new park drew closer, that hope became less of a reality and instead the expectation to compete for a playoff spot was pushed back a couple of years.

It still hasn’t arrived, but 2019 could very well be the first true step forward in Atlanta’s rebuild. That means 2018 won’t be a playoff year, but it is still a very crucial season for the Bravos.

The steps they take through this season will determine how to spend the money coming off the books next offseason to field a team that will challenge for a postseason berth. It’s also an opportunity for players who have high expectations but haven’t yet produced to do so; especially those with no more minor league options.

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has said that those players may break camp with the Braves in order to get a longer look at what they can do.

He’s saying that the 25 best guys out of spring training may not be the 25 on the roster on Opening Day (clue number 346 that Ronald Acuna is starting the season in Gwinnett).

The players without options include Jose Ramirez, Luke Jackson, Josh Ravin, Chase Whitley, Lane Adams, and Danny Santana. Some of those names were penciled in anyway, but others may come as surprise picks for the opening of the season.

Luke Jackson, for example, will need to prove that he deserves a spot on the team once they kick it into gear in 2019. He had a lot of growing pains out of the bullpen in 2017, including getting eaten alive by right-handed hitters.

Jackson may end up a left-handed specialist but that will all be determined by what he shows Anthopoulos and Brain Snitker this year.

Josh Ravin was picked up after the Dodger’s DFA’d him in November and at the age of 30 he’ll have a huge chip on his shoulder as he tries to stay afloat in the majors.

Chase Whitley is another new addition; picked up off waivers from Tampa Bay in December. Whitley had a successful season in Tampa, posting a 4.08 ERA. He was a former starter and can offer the Braves another option as a long reliever, so expect him to be given a fair amount of leeway as the season progresses.

Danny Santana is only 27 years old but since a stellar rookie campaign in Minnesota in 2014, he hasn’t managed to consistently produce at a level anywhere close. He could be incredibly important to a competitive team, with versatility and speed that can win plenty of ballgames, even if it’s just off the bench. However, hitting at a .202 clip, as he did last year simply isn’t going to keep him on the team. He’s young and has enough raw speed that someone would take a flyer out on him if he doesn’t remain a Brave but being productive for an up and coming young team will draw more eyes to him than being picked up off the scrap heap will.

All eyes will be understandably focused on the stars of the future in 2018. The Swansons, the Albieses, the Freemans and the Acunas, but it takes a whole team of ballplayers to win with enough consistency to fight for a chance at a postseason run.

These players might be even more fun to watch these season, as they with nothing to lose seek to prove their worth for this year and beyond.