The 2017 season hasn't been kind to the Atlanta Braves so far and even an opening of a shiny new ballpark may not be enough to get fans excited. The Major League Baseball schedule makers gave the Braves three series on the road to start the season, partially to give the folks at Sun Trust Park a little extra time to work out any kinks before they host their first game on Friday. The long road trip may wind up being a disaster that the Braves can never recover from fully.
Tough road trip exposed a flawed team
The Braves were never expected to contend in the National League East, but some fans hoped they would at least be .500 team.
Now a 1-6 start doesn't mean this team can't come back, but things certainly don't look promising. One of the team's best players, Matt Kemp, was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a strained hamstring and this rag tag bunch that has been assembled just hasn't seemed to gel. The Braves aren't getting blown out, but they do seem to be over matched when compared to just about any other team in the National League.
Front office behind schedule
When a team is moving into a new park they usually want to have a good team in place. The Braves on the other hand are in the middle of a rebuilding mode and instead of a contender on the field, fans will have to deal with a bunch of retreads like Brandon Phillips, R.A.
Dickey and Bartolo Colon. To go along with these past their prime veterans the Braves have young kids like Dansby Swanson, who may not be quite ready for the big leagues.
The front office staff of the Braves has made some trades to acquire minor leaguers with talent, but they are simply not ready to make a significant contribution in 2017.
The team's time table is simply off two or three years.
An empty new ballpark?
The Braves will end their road trip on Wednesday with a game against the Miami Marlins and then they will prepare for the opening of Sun Trust Park on Friday. The San Diego Padres will be in town for a four game set and that is good news for the Braves.
The Padres are also in rebuild mode, so maybe the Braves can win their first series of the 2017 season.
As nice as it will be for Braves fans to have a new ballpark to enjoy, they will soon stop coming out to the park if the product on the field doesn't improve immensely. The green grass and the new amenities will only hold their attention so long. The Braves may get a free pass for part of this season, but if the lousy play continues soon Sun Trust Park will a bunch of shiny new empty seats.
