Every spring training, non-roster invitees, whether fresh faced rookies or multi-year veterans, come to MLB camp hoping for a shot to make the Opening Day roster. While most non-roster invitees come and go without a second thought, some players like Jesse Chavez and Darren O'Day have played major roles on the big league squad after not initially getting a 40-man spot in spring training.
This year, the Braves have a few notable relievers who could surprise fans by making the Opening Day roster.
3 non-roster invitees who could make the Braves Opening Day roster
Buck Farmer
The Georgia native was a late addition to the Braves spring training roster, not signing until after pitchers and catchers reported. However, just because he was signed late doesn't mean he isn't well positioned to make the Opening Day roster.
Thanks to a bullpen that only has four locks, a strong showing this spring could easily propel Buck Farmer to the big league squad.
Last season with the Cincinnati Reds, Farmer managed a 3.05 ERA in 71 innings. While his 4.00 FIP was nearly a run higher, the righty did a decent job limiting hard contact despite less than stellar fastball velocity.
Farmer could easily serve in the Jesse Chavez role, covering multiple middle innings, especially when the Braves need to keep the game close.
Enoli Paredes
Like Farmer, Enoli Paredes doesn't strike out many batters and struggles to prevent free passes, but he manages to prevent hard contact. In fact, albeit in a shorter sample size, Paredes hasn't allowed a home run since 2020.
Last season, split between the Cubs and the Brewers, the 28-year-old had a 1.66 ERA and 3.35 FIP in 21.2 innings.
Paredes has less of a track record than Farmer, but it he could still make the bullpen as one of the final arms.
Jake Diekman
While Jake Diekman's 2024 stats are much worse than both Farmer and Paredes, he might have an advantage in making the team simply because of handedness.
Currently, Aaron Bummer and Dylan Lee are the only left handed relievers who are locks for the 26-man roster. While Angel Perdomo has received rave reviews from camp, he is the only other lefty reliever on the 40-man roster.
If, for whatever reason, Perdomo isn't the answer, Diekman is easily the next best left handed option in the Braves camp right now. He's one of two non-roster invitee lefty relievers, and he's got a leg up over Chasen Shreve, who only saw one inning of action last season.
To be clear, Diekman's 5.63 ERA and 6.13 FIP are not pretty to look at, however, if he's able to return to the form he showed with the Rays in 2023, where he had a 2.18 ERA and 3.21 FIP in 45.1 innings after being cut by the White Sox, he'd be worth it for the Braves to have one more lefty.