Vaughn Grissom appears to be at a turning point in his life. Either a home game or a trade involving him are required of the Braves.
At first, Grissom was seen as the front-runner to start at shortstop after Spring Training. It was somewhat of a surprise when Orlando Arcia was named the starting shortstop on Opening Day. Grissom had played well in the spring, but after Orlando Arcia went down with an injury, fans quickly realized why the Braves made the decisions they did.
At first, Grissom was seen as the front-runner to start at shortstop after Spring Training. It was somewhat of a surprise when Orlando Arcia was named the starting shortstop on Opening Day. Grissom had played well in the spring, but after Orlando Arcia went down with an injury, fans quickly realized why the Braves made the decisions they did.
There was nowhere to put Vaughn Grissom after Arcia was locked down as the starting shortstop, but the 22-year-old tore the cover off the ball in AAA. Grissom finished with an.921 OPS in 102 games, hitting.330 with 36 doubles and eight home runs. There is no doubt that his offense is prepared for a major-league role; the Braves just need to find a spot for him.
There’s no way that will occur on the infield. Vaughn Grissom demonstrated his incapacity to play shortstop, and Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies are unlikely to leave anytime soon. Alex Anthopoulos has now acknowledged that left field is still an option through 2024, making it the only viable option left.
Alex Anthopoulos said #Braves payroll will increase again, will be higher to start 2024 than the approximate $205M where it ended in 2023. Wouldn't say how much that increase would be.
Also confirmed that moving INF Vaughn Grissom to left field is an option they've discussed.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) November 8, 2023
It’s a huge development, and some Braves supporters may be asking themselves, “What took so long?”
Vaughn Grissom has a fantastic athletic profile and is young. Grissom can definitely move to the outfield at this early stage of his career if Freddie Freeman can play third base, but the Braves haven’t given him the chance. By 2024, that seems to be starting to change.
How much do the Braves think Vaughn Grissom can handle the transition is the question. I think their approach to this offseason will teach us a lot. There’s a big gap in left field now that Eddie Rosario isn’t involved. The Braves could either invest in fixing it or use all of their funds to pitch in.
It’s a really fascinating scenario. Because the Braves can really assemble a fantastic pitching staff this offseason if they can rely on Vaughn Grissom and forego paying for a left fielder. Although there is some risk, it might be worthwhile to take the chance.
