Young Shortstops Won’t Team Up For Braves

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.—Will they or won’t they?

When the Braves acquired shortstop Dansby Swanson from the Diamondbacks in December, the move sparked speculation as to whether Atlanta would assign him and fellow shortstop prospect Ozzie Albies to the same minor league affiliate so that they could begin working together as the club’s double-play combination of the future.

Yet that was not the plan as the Braves opened camp, according to president of baseball operations John Hart.

“We’re not going to put them at the same level of the minor leagues this year,” he said. “They’ll play (shortstop) at different levels . . . We have the great gift of having two guys who we love and that we think can be frontline major league shortstops.”

The Braves invited both Albies and Swanson to big league camp and had them working in the same group with veteran Erick Aybar, who arrived from the Angels in November and is slated to replace Andrelton Simmons.

Arizona selected Swanson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft after he starred for three years at Vanderbilt. A native of Marietta, Ga., he played second base on the Commodores’ national championship team in 2014 before moving to shortstop as a junior.

Though limited to 83 at-bats at short-season Hillsboro in his 2015 pro debut, the 22-year-old Swanson could begin this season at Double-A Mississippi.

The 19-year-old Albies, meanwhile, has ranked as one of the top prospects in the Rookie-level Appalachian and low Class A South Atlantic leagues in 2014 and 2015.

While both Albies and Swanson have impressive tools, they are different types of players.

“We love Albies,” Hart said. “He’s a switch-hitter with great feet—a definite shortstop, no question. Swanson is a little different type of shortstop. He’s a more traditional, American type of shortstop, a J.J. Hardy type (with) defense that is off the charts.”

Hart said the Braves haven’t decided yet whether Albies or Swanson will ultimately move to second base.

WIGWAM WISPS

• Several scouts believe that righthander Aaron Blair, who arrived from Arizona in the deal that included Swanson, could make the Opening Day rotation with a strong spring.

• The Braves continue to indicate that they will pursue premium international talents this summer, such as Cuban outfielder Lazaro Armenteros, Venezuelan shortstop Kevin Maitan and Dominican shortstop Yunior Severino.