Amid the season from hell, there were a few bright spots, some of which came from unexpected sources. The most notable of which was Ramon Laureano, who was acquired by the Braves off waivers after being designated for assignment by the Guardians.
In Cleveland, Laureano hit just .143 with a .494 OPS. But as we’ve so many times before over the years, a flip switched once he came to Atlanta, hitting .296 with 10 homers and an .832 OPS over 67 games.
The Braves’ need for corner outfield help next season became urgent when Alex Anthopoulos announced that Ronald Acuña Jr. would not be ready for Opening Day. His timeline for return is uncertain, but with this being his second ACL injury, Acuña has said he won’t rush his recovery. It’s reasonable to expect him to miss at least 12 months, which could put him back around June. Even then, there’s no guarantee he’ll feel comfortable playing defensively right away, adding further complications.
Right field is a concern for the Braves, and left field isn’t any better. The Jarred Kelenic experiment has been a failure up to this point. That doesn’t mean things can’t change, but there’s no way the Braves can rely on him solely going into next season. At the very least, he needs a platoon partner, and Ramon Laureano did a damn good job of convincing the Braves he can be just that with his performance this season.
With one year of arbitration left on his contract, the Braves could potentially tender Laureano a contract. His projected salary sits around $6 million, which is more than palatable for what he provided the team this year.
However, trusting Laureano to continue producing at that pace would be foolish. He only has one season over his entire seven-year MLB career in which he recorded an OPS north of .800, which came in 2019 when he was with the Oakland Athletics. In 2022-2023 combined, he hit .218 with a .669 OPS, and things were going much worse in Cleveland before he was designated for assignment.
The second half of Laureano’s season in Atlanta was likely a product of a small sample size. If the Braves could bring him back at a much lower figure, he could be a valuable fourth or fifth outfielder. But at over $6 million, Alex Anthopoulos would likely be wise to avoid tendering him a contract in arbitration.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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