On the free agent front, the Braves have been practically dead silent all offseason, but Alex Anthopoulos has been active trying to improve the roster via trade. That continued last night with two more under-the-radar moves. The most notable was the acquisition of Lucas Luetge from the Yankees — a lefty reliever that has been incredibly steady in New York over the last two seasons. He will likely fill the role of Tyler Matzek, who suffered Tommy John at the end of the 2022 campaign and is scheduled to miss all of 2023, in middle relief.
Anthopoulos wasn’t done there, though. He also swung a deal late last night with the Rangers for outfielder Eli White.
The #Braves tonight acquired OF Eli White from the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club designated INF Hoy Park for assignment.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) December 29, 2022
In a corresponding move, the Braves designated Hoy Park for assignment, who they had just picked up off waivers.
White doesn’t offer much with the stick. He owns just a 55 OPS+ over the last three seasons. His value stems from his defense in the outfield, which is why he was able to accrue 0.9 fWAR in just 47 games for the Rangers this year.
White will compete for a roster spot in Spring Training, and while it might be difficult for him to make the team, he has a chance to fill the role left by Guillermo Heredia as the late-inning defensive replacement.
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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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