After the initial reaction to the Seattle/Braves trade that sent Rob Whalen and Max Povse to the Mariners for prospect Alex Jackson, the thoughts about the 40-man roster arose. Whalen was a part of the Braves 40-man roster and once he was sent west, it opened up one spot.
That one spot was needed for Braves free agent acquisition, Sean Rodriguez. Though the Braves haven’t officially added Rodriguez to the 40-man roster, Whalen’s former spot is for him.
Rodriguez will be 32-years-old in 2017, making it his 10th year in the MLB.