Orlando Arcia He was among the poorest performers at bat in baseball last year. Additionally, he was one of just a handful of consistent players for the Braves who remained fit throughout the season. Ironically, this health proved disadvantageous to his team. team’s performance Every statistic appears difficult when looking at the .218/.271/.354 slash line. Next comes the 4th percentile batting run value. Following that, his performance continues to be concerning. last-place ranking Among all Major League Baseball players, the one with a Win Probability Added of -3.51.
Sadly, these issues have extended into Spring Training 2025. As of Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Arcia had only managed 2 hits out of his 24 at-bats, resulting in an underwhelming batting average of .083. Although he hasn’t been racking up many strikeouts, the balls he does make contact with often result in weak popups and routine grounders. Last season, Arcia exhibited similar tendencies, becoming known as a hitter who generates poor contact consistently. His icy blue Statcast profile tells the story.
The player from Araco, Venezuela needs to step up at the plate or face potential replacement. He is heading into his last season under a three-year, $7.3 million deal. Despite being an asset with strong defensive skills (placing him in the 87th percentile for Outs Above Average) and serving as a team leader, the Braves can’t sustain having a significant offensive weak spot throughout the entire year.
They might be trapped, however, since both possible internal and external choices for shortstop are quite scarce right now. With the most promising free-agent option having been removed from contention, things have become even more complicated. Jose Iglesias made an agreement With the San Diego Padres. Still, "below replacement level" implies certain criteria, and Arcia’s 73 OPS+ in 2024 indicates he falls into this category. We should look at some alternatives for the Braves as they contemplate sitting him out.
Nick Allen
Allen, who is 26 years old, was obtained from the Athletics in a November deal involving minor league pitcher Jared Johnson. The acquisition wasn’t aimed at finding a new starting shortstop; instead, it was done to add more depth. Although Allen can hold his own defensively as a shortstop, he has had limited offensive success throughout his career, posting a slash line of .209/.254/.283 and an OPS+ of just 55.
However, Nick Allen is surprisingly tearing the cover off the ball so far in Grapefruit League play. While Spring Training stats should always be taken with a grain of salt, there may be a chance Allen has figured something out with new Braves hitting coach Tim Hyers. He carries some prospect pedigree as a former third-round pick in 2017 and has played himself into a roster spot so far. The Braves may be inclined to try him in an everyday role at some point if he keeps mashing.
Eli White
White , aged 30, shares similarities with Allen. Like Allen, he has struggled as a hitter throughout his Major League Baseball (MLB) career but has performed exceptionally well during the spring training of 2025 (.385 AVG, .448 OBP, .538 SLG on a line of 10 hits out of 26 attempts). Despite being primarily used as a substitute player for the Braves, he demonstrated potential when given more playing time last season. In those limited opportunities—spanning across 39 at-bats—he maintained a strong batting average of .282 along with an impressive OPS+ score of 113.
The main concern is that White, primarily an outfielder, has never stepped onto the pitcher’s mound at the major-league level. Despite this, which usually disqualifies someone from being considered as a backup for Arcia, White possesses exceptional athleticism. The Braves have been letting him get some playing time at shortstop during spring training, and so far, the outcomes have been quite positive. At worst, he won't perform more poorly offensively compared to Orlando Arcia right now. If the Braves find his defensive skills adequate, they might consider using him occasionally at shortstop throughout the regular season, although such a move seems improbable.
Nacho Alvarez Jr.
The Braves' fifth-round selection from 2022 has climbed to become their number five prospect. This player comes from Riverside Community College in California. grabbed a cup of coffee with the major league team last year and… had a batting average of .100 with no extra-base hits in 30 at-bats. Alvarez, Number 21 is a batter who excels at making contact with an above-average skill level but lacks significant power and appears overwhelmed against major-league pitchers. In the current spring season, he has not managed to get a hit yet, going 0 for 6.
Alvarez might still be too early in his development to be strongly considered for this role. The Braves currently have these alternatives available. Additionally, his defensive skills require refinement. Last season, across 70 games split between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett, he committed 11 errors as a shortstop. It's very likely that Alvarez will begin the year in the minor leagues and must demonstrate significant progress before being seen as a viable regular player in the major league, regardless of Arcia’s difficulties.
Bo Bichette
This idea might be considered somewhat unconventional, yet we've witnessed Alex Anthopoulos make bold moves in the past. As reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, The Blue Jays superstar is "all but out." When his contract ends, this might lead Toronto to consider trading him before the trade deadline. Additionally, Bleacher Report hinted at the possibility of such a move. Bichette-to-the-Braves Trade at several points during this off-season.
Bichette Has demonstrated success and would come at a high price, even for just a year-long lease. This likely means the Braves may have to let go of one of their top three pitching prospects (Cam Caminiti, AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrip). However, Anthopoulos is very improbable to consider this option; still, dreaming about bolstering their top-three batting order with a player who has led the American League in hits twice can be entertaining.
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