Strider Named the Opening Day Starter

Believe it or not, but next week is Opening Day as the Braves announced that Spencer Strider will take the mound in Philadelphia against Zack Wheeler on March 28th. David & Eric say why they agree with the decision as opposed to giving the honor to Max Fried for the fourth consecutive year. They then lay out what they expect the rotation to be for initial road trip at the Phillies and then the White Sox.

(12:00) Reynaldo Lopez was named the 5th starter as opposed to Bryce Elder. Lopez signed a three year deal in November and last season pitched entirely out of the bullpen. His most recent start came back with the White Sox in June of 2022.

(20:40) The Braves got an early jump on the final roster before Spring Training wraps up this weekend. The final bench spot went to Forrest Wall and David Fletcher was sent to Triple-A Gwinett. Wall is a twenty-eight year outfielder who made his MLB debut last summer and stole over 40 bases in each of the last two seasons in the minors.

(24:00) A familiar name is returning to Truist Park as Adam Duvall surprisingly signed a one year deal with Atlanta. Duvall is in his mid-30s and his Free Agency saga is representative of what many veterans have dealt with this offseason. Eric explains why he thinks this current trend is a mistake for the sport.

(38:00) A rundown of how the bullpen is shaping up for Opening Day. Among the relievers is Pierce Johnson, who the Braves traded for from the Rockies last summer. Tyler Matzek and Dylan Lee will begin the season in Atlanta while Ken Giles will first pitch in the minors and is expected to get called up later in the season.

**Join us Thursday evening at approximately 10pm Eastern on our YouTube channel "755 Forever" as we react to Opening Day