Alex Anthopoulos set to start running back in 2021 with Braves’ first OF trade

The Atlanta Braves suffered a devastating blow in 2021 with Ronald Acuña Jr.’s season-ending torn ACL. They felt like their season was over. Instead, Alex Anthopoulos went to work and acquired a slew of outfielders to replace Acuña. They ended up winning the World Series thanks, in large part, to those outfielders.

One of the outfielders Atlanta acquired was Eddie Rosario, who struggled with Cleveland but was exceptional with the Braves, even winning the NLCS MVP award, helping them win the NL pennant.

In 2024, the Braves find themselves in an eerily similar situation. Acuña suffered another torn ACL and is out for the remainder of the season, and the Braves reportedly re-acquired Rosario.

Once it was announced that the Washington Nationals had cut Rosario, it seemed like it was no longer a question of if the Braves would find a way to acquire him, but rather when. They signed him to a minor league contract, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him find his way back to the big leagues very quickly.

Rosario had a good month of May, but struggled for most of his time with the Nats, hitting .183/.226/.329 with seven homers and 26 RBIs in 67 games played. He played regularly for Washington and even saw playing time at all three outfield positions, but he didn’t hit enough to warrant keeping him.

Despite these challenges, this move made too much sense for Atlanta not to execute for a number of reasons. First, Rosario was a big player in Atlanta last season. He was overshadowed by almost every other player on their historic roster, but Rosario hit 21 home runs and drove in 74 runs as the primary left fielder. That’s no small feat.

Second, while he has struggled this season, Acuña’s replacements in Atlanta have struggled as well. Adam Duvall has played consistently since Acuña’s injury, and while he has hit lefties very well, he is hitting just .120 against right-handed pitchers this season. He has 14 hits in 117 at-bats against righties. In other words, he is unplayable against them.

Forrest Wall struggled so much that the team demoted him. Options like Ramon Laureano and Eli White are far from inspiring.

The Braves are essentially giving Rosario a few weeks with the team to prove himself by signing him. If he proves he can be a contributor, he can stay. If he struggles, the team can let him go and look to get a legitimate upgrade. He signed a minor league contract, so it’s not like they have to give up anything for him.

There is no risk here and there is a chance of real reward. The question now is when will Rosario be back in the big leagues?