A general manager’s job is never done. With opening day looming, John Coppolella will be putting the finishing touches on Atlanta’s 25-man roster over the next 10 days. There are a number of spots still up for grabs on the bench and in the bullpen, giving the Braves much to consider when it comes to balancing the reserve players and relief pitchers.

Like most clubs, the Braves maintain dialogue with other teams on certain players. As Coppolella has been quick to point out, often times previous discussions can lay the groundwork for a deal that happens well down the line. We’ll see if he has anything up his sleeve in advance of the season opening series in New York.

Hail Szczur?

A reserve capable of playing all three outfield spots is an obvious need for Atlanta. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports linked the Braves to Cubs outfielder Matt Szczur, but noted Chicago may not be inclined to move the 27-year-old, at least not yet.

Sources: #Cubs’ Matt Szczur among trade candidates #Braves considering for extra OFer. Szczur out of options; Cubs expected to keep him. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 21, 2017

Szczur batted .259/.312/.400 with five homers and 24 RBI In 107 games for Chicago last season. As Rosenthal notes, Szczur is out of options, which makes him a trade candidate leading up to opening day. The Cubs have Kyle Schwarber, Jason Heyward, Jon Jay and Albert Almora Jr. among their outfield options, with both Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist capable of playing the corner spots as well. Though the club may be reluctant to move Szczur, it stands to reason he could be shopped as Chicago makes its final roster decisions.

Other Windy City rumblings…

It appears the Braves are keeping an eye on Chicago for more than one reason. On the other side of town, White Sox lefty Jose Quintana continues to draw trade interest from multiple teams. Atlanta remains on the list of possible landing places according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports.

Chicago White Sox scouts are everywhere – and the game of telephone ended with general managers across the game wondering: Are they finally going to deal Quintana? The answer, major league sources familiar with the talks told Yahoo Sports, is the same it’s been since the White Sox committed to rebuild and started the dismantling of their core: Yes … but only for the right price. And even as the White Sox have dispatched more scouts than usual to those back fields, sources said, no deal has materialized. This is not to say one couldn’t come together within weeks, days, even hours. Multiple teams, including the Atlanta Braves, have shown continued interest, according to sources. Others known to have been involved at points this spring are the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates.