The Atlanta Braves have ample time left to acquire players through free agency. However, with spring training starting in under a month, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman made an early attempt at forecasting the players who will be on the Braves’ Opening Day roster.
One of the more unexpected predictions made by Bowman in his Braves roster projections on Jan. 13 was the inclusion of minor league infielder Christian Cairo. Bowman expected Cairo, the son of former MLB second baseman and Chicago White Sox manager Miguel Cairo, to be Atlanta’s fifth infielder at the start of the season.
“Cairo, the son of former Major Leaguer Miguel Cairo, was chosen from the Guardians’ organization in the Rule 5 Draft,” wrote Bowman. “This indicates that he would be put on unconditional waivers if taken off the 26-man roster at any time this year.”
“If he passes through waivers, the Braves must return him to Cleveland for $50,000 before they can option him directly to the Minors.”
Since the Braves would lose Cairo if he does not secure a spot on the Opening Day roster, Bowman operated under the belief that Cairo will be on the team when the 2025 season starts.
In the Guardians’ minor league system last year, Cairo recorded a .241 batting average and a .680 OPS. He excelled at Double-A Akron, posting a .252/.353/.344 batting line with seven extra-base hits, 9 RBI, 14 runs, and 14 stolen bases in 156 plate appearances.
With Triple-A Columbus, he recorded a batting average of .233 and an OPS of .670, totaling 10 extra-base hits, 30 RBIs, 34 runs, and 12 stolen bases across 257 plate appearances.
The Indians selected Cairo from high school in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Amateur draft. He started rookie ball in 2019, but his minor league career faced a delay until 2021 because of COVID.
Over the course of five seasons in the minor leagues, he has a batting average of .221 and an OPS of .673. His Baseball Reference profile identifies him as a second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop.
If the Braves retain just one additional infielder, they will require that kind of versatility. Veteran Whit Merrifield served as a utility player for the Braves in late 2024, yet Bowman reported that Merrifield might retire prior to the 2025 season.
If the Braves decide to include Cairo on the MLB roster as the season starts, it might signal the conclusion of Luke Williams’ tenure in Atlanta. Bowman forecasted that the Braves would retain Cairo and Eli White, while Williams has exhausted his minor league options.
White is capable of playing second base, so although Bowman had him predicted as one of the five outfielders on Atlanta’s Opening Day lineup, White will additionally serve as the Braves’ sixth infielder.
In the outfield, Bowman anticipated that the Braves would include Garrett Cooper and Bryan De La Cruz, alongside White, Michael Harris II, and Jarred Kelenic in the initial 2025 lineup.
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