Atlanta Braves Sign Free Agent Outfielder To Help Fill Acuna Void

The shock has worn off, and now the Atlanta Braves are coming to terms with the fact that they will be without superstar Ronald Acuña, Jr. once again, for the rest of the 2024 season. Even though GM Alex Antholpoulos had already stated that the team will be looking in-house to fill the outfield void, he's already changed his mind on that, today's signing 29-year-old veteran outfielder Ramon Laureano. 

Braves sign Ramón Laureano pic.twitter.com/uNHCj1O9Cc

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 29, 2024

It's a minor-league contract for the seven-year vet, just DFA'd by the Cleveland Guardians earlier this week. We had proposed Laureano just a couple of days ago as one of the top candidates for the Braves to bring in to help fill the outfield void. 

He came into the majors in 2018 with the Oakland A's, displaying an enticing combination of power and speed with 24 homers and 13 stolen bases along with a .288 average and an .860 OPS. But injuries and a PED suspension derailed his career, and he's been trying to get it back on track over the past couple of years. 

This season with Cleveland, he batted just .143 before being DFA'd, and the team will have to eat the remainder of the one-year, $5.15 million contract they signed him to last offseason. 

The Braves made a number of shrewd outfield pickups back in 2021 the last time Acuna went down for the count, and that turned out not too badly as they went on to win the World Series even in Acuna's absence. Will Laureano be the next Eddie Rosario?

Photo: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports