Atlanta Braves May Have no Choice But to Keep Eddie Rosario

Left field is the one position the Atlanta Braves might look to make a splash this offseason, but Eddie Rosario might be the best candidate available. 

When coming off a disappointing ending to a season like the Atlanta Braves just had, it's easy to want to blow the whole thing up and make a bunch of moves in the offseason. That isn't likely to happen with this Braves team who has a core of position players locked up for several years to come. 

But the one spot where it looks like the team could make a significant upgrade is left field. The team holds a $9 million team option on Eddie Rosario and could simply just bring him back. 

You could certainly do worse than Rosario in left field who was an average hitter with a wRC+ right at 100, popped 20 home runs, and is a Gold Glove finalist. 

That's not terrible production for $9 million, Especially if you can find another cheap right-handed bat to platoon against lefties like the Braves did with Kevin Pillar in 2023. 

And when you look at the free agent options, there aren't many that make a ton of sense unless the Braves are going to empty the bank account. 

Cody Bellinger is coming off a huge bounce-back season and will likely get $20 million a year. There are certainly concerns when you look at Bellinger's batted ball data that 2023 was a bit fluky. 

Teoscar Hernandez has a similar offensive profile with a little more power and a little better defense, but he's likely going to cost double what Rosario will. 

Fan favorite Joc Pederson perhaps gives you a little better offensive profile with his high walk rate, but he's essentially a DH and will cost almost double in 2023. 

There really isn't anyone else in the free agency market that one would consider a huge upgrade over Rosario and his $9 million contract. 

So unless the Braves are just ready to move on and try something different, or are willing to part with a top prospect or two in a trade, Rosario still makes a lot of sense for 2024. 

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