The Braves decided to re-sign Nick Markakis to a one-year, $4 million deal. Not too long after, Anthopoulos spoke to the media regarding all the moves that took place today. The Braves also re-signed Tyler Flowers and decided to decline Julio Teheran and Billy Hamilton’s team options.
As far as Markakis, Anthopoulos said they intend to use him in a platoon role in left field – this according to David O’Brien of The Athletic. They view Markakis as worth the $4 million, but wisely, they also recognize the outfield as a place where they can upgrade this winter.
There are a few ways the Braves can choose to do so. They could acquire someone from outside their organization via trade or free agency, they could keep Adam Duvall on the 25-man roster, or they could wait until either Cristian Pache or Drew Waters is ready. O’Brien also reported that Atlanta plans on keeping their top outfield prospects at AAA to start the 2020 campaign. But by the middle of the year, it’s fathomable one of them, if not both, could become a contributor.