LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Grapefruit League season will give the Braves a chance to determine how close some of their top starting-pitching prospects are to being ready to rise to the Major League level. But it will also determine who will fill the two opening spots in Atlanta's rotation.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez and pitching coach Roger McDowell will keep an open mind as they spend the next month watching games and determining whether it would be better to fill those spots with youth or experienced veterans who are attempting to rebound.
"There's a lot of good competition," said Gonzalez, who will send Williams Perez to the mound to start Tuesday afternoon's Grapefruit League season opener against the Orioles at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex.