The Atlanta Braves signed Bryan De La Cruz to assist them fill outfield positions.
However, they may still be able to add a more effective player to their outfield.
Last season, De La Cruz played for both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Miami Marlins. The Braves will be without Ronald Acuña Jr. to begin the season. Jarred Kelenic does not appear to be the solution for their final outfield place with Acuña and Michael Harris II. Earlier this winter, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman identified Jurickson Profar, a San Diego Padres All-Star, as a potential Braves alternative.
While De La Cruz is a good player, he is not going to give the Braves offense the lift it requires. Profar is a switch hitter who recently received his first All-Star nomination after having a good year. He hit.280/.380/.839 with 24 home homers. He also won his first career Silver Slugger.
The Braves would benefit greatly from having Profar, Harris, and Acuña in the outfield. This allows Kelenic and De La Cruz to act as less expensive bench options. Spotrac predicts Profar will get a two-year, $25 million deal in free agency. That’s also a transaction that won’t cost the Braves much money.
Profar is one of the best players available. Other candidates, such as Teoscar Hernández and Anthony Santander, have more power but are likely to seek more lucrative contracts.
