Adrianza vying for roster spot ... and a future GM role

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Ehire Adrianza has come to Spring Training looking to win a roster spot and to extend his pursuit of a college degree.

This will be a busy stretch for Adrianza, who over the past week has reported to Braves camp and also resumed taking online classes at Miami Dade College. His aspiration to join an MLB club’s front office after retiring has led him to pursue both an undergraduate degree and possibly a master’s degree in sports management.

“I want to be in the game after I retire,” Adrianza said. “Knowing the game of baseball and completing the studies, I think I’m going to be in a position to work with anybody. That’s my goal, to stay in baseball as long as I can.”

Adrianza has been a respected clubhouse figure while playing with the Twins, Braves and Nationals over the past few seasons. He helped Atlanta win the 2021 World Series as a valuable bench player and then signed with Washington, where he made the most of an injury-tarnished experience.

While sidelined for the first two months of the 2022 season with a left quad strain, Adrianza took advantage of the time to begin pursuing his degree. With his baseball schedule, it will take him approximately three years to complete a bachelor’s degree and two additional years to earn a master’s degree.

Adrianza is taking two classes, both of which last one hour, three times a week. He submits his homework assignments every Sunday night.

“It’s pretty fun to me,” Adrianza said. “I’m not doing this because I’m obligated. I’m just doing it because it’s fun.”

Nationals manager Davey Martinez showered Adrianza with praise last year and Braves manager Brian Snitker has enjoyed having the versatile Venezuelan around the clubhouse over the past couple years.

The Braves brought Adrianza to camp as a non-roster invitee before the 2021 season and then reacquired him from the Nationals before last summer’s Trade Deadline. Snitker brought the 33-year-old veteran to camp again this year with the chance to earn a spot on Atlanta’s Opening Day roster for the second time in three seasons.

“If he’s driven to [become a GM] and wants to do it, I don’t know why he couldn’t,” Snitker said. “I imagine somebody will give him an opportunity to get in the door and work his way to that.”

Adrianza hit .247 with a .728 OPS over 109 games for the Braves during the 2021 season. His most valuable contribution that year was a two-out pinch-hit double that put runners at second and third base in the fourth inning of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. Eddie Rosario followed with a three-run homer off Walker Buehler that proved to be the decisive blow that eliminated the Dodgers and sent Atlanta to the World Series.

Now that Adrianza is back with the Braves, he is bidding to again strengthen the bench. If Vaughn Grissom wins the starting shortstop job, Atlanta may need to debate whether to carry Adrianza or an extra outfielder. But if Orlando Arcia wins the shortstop battle, Grissom would likely go to Triple-A Gwinnett, which would seemingly improve Adrianza’s bid for a roster spot.

“I played winter ball this year and I felt like I was in a Braves uniform in 2021,” Adrianza said. “I feel pretty good right now.”