The Braves’ Outfield Problem Just Got More Complicated

Injuries to Acuña and Harris have exposed a thin group...and there’s no easy fix in May

Longtime MLB manager Don Zimmer used to say “what you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle, and giving 110 percent all the time.”

Sounds good in theory. But Don Zimmer never faced modern pitching. No amount of ‘want-to’ is getting a barrel to 100 mph or squaring up a 3000 RPM sweeper.

The outfield for the Atlanta Braves is in a precarious spot - plenty of effort, not enough production. This weakness showed in Sunday’s sweep-clinching win over the Colorado Rockies, with Atlanta’s outfield picking up just three hits and costing runs with poor defensive angles.

It’s a problem that’s all too familiar in recent years: injuries. Ronald Acuña Jr. was placed on the injured list with a Grade 1 hamstring strain suffered on Saturday night. Michael Harris II is a full week into being limited to designated hitter duties due to lingering tightness in his left quad. And even when healthy, offseason signing Mike Yastrzemski, despite both a recent offensive surge and plenty of desire and hustle, is hitting just .200 with a .526 OPS through 100 at-bats.

Can Atlanta find reinforcements on the trade market in early May? Or will they have to solve this from within? Let’s talk about it.

The Problem Isn’t Effort

If there’s one thing that you can point to when it comes to Atlanta’s outfield reinforcements this season, and most certainly this weekend, it’s that the effort is there. All three outfielders who saw significant time this weekend, Mauricio Dubón, Eli White, and Mike Yastrzemski, were clearly trying.

Dubón made several sliding/diving catches, even crashing into the wall in centerfield hard enough to leave eyeblack on the cushions. He even flashed the arm, unleashing a 97 mph throw home in an attempt to cut down a runner at the plate. White laid down a well-executed bunt on a safety squeeze to score a run, while Yastrzemski frequently lays out on catch attempts, even when he probably shouldn’t.

But none of these guys are everyday starters for a reason. Each has clear limitations, whether it’s a devastating platoon split (Yaz), more value as a utility defender (Dubón), or a lack of offensive consistency in their careers (White).

Same Problem, New Season

None of these three were acquired to be everyday starters. Yet again, Atlanta’s outfield has become a black hole of injuries, PED suspensions, and general underperformance.

Yastrzemski was supposed to be a rotational outfielder, backing up all three positions and stepping into left field against right-handers on days when now-suspended Jurickson Profar went to designated hitter. White was always a fourth outfielder, valued for speed, and beginning to learn a bit of utility by playing the occasional first base in blowouts and leaning into his collegiate experience to cover a few innings at second. Dubón’s been the primary shortstop with the injury to Ha-Seong Kim, but his role was intended to be as a rotational defender and depth all over the field. Azocar wasn’t even on this roster two days ago, and might not be here much longer than it takes Acuña’s strained hamstring to heal.

As we speculated last week, Truist Park’s outfield might still be sitting on that burial mound.

What Are the Internal Options?

For a short-term injury, Azocar makes sense. But outside that, there aren’t a lot of outstanding options in Triple-A Gwinnett at the moment.

On Azocar, he’s the only one of the group of the four outfielders in Gwinnett to both be out of options and somewhat producing at the plate. He’s the best choice for someone who could actually give you something offensively, unlike Ben Gamel and his current .188 average/.671 OPS, and not being important enough to worry about losing if he’s claimed off waivers after Ronald comes back.)

If it were to be an extended absence, promoting Brewer Hicklen (yes, was briefly a member of the Milwaukee Brewers) for regular run makes the most sense. Now 30, he’s both hitting in Gwinnett (.290 average, .837 OPS) and capable of covering centerfield. However, he’s also on his final option year, so promoting him for two weeks and then sending him back down means either losing him to a non-tender this winter or, more likely, being required to give him a roster spot out of spring training or trading him. Instead, the Braves could put him on the 40-man roster this winter and have him as a legitimate outfield contributor all of next season.

The other optionable outfielder, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., has only used one of his minor league options to date. A former Minnesota Twin who was coached by current Braves assistant Tommy Watkins, Keirsey’s struggled to contribute offensively in either the majors or Triple-A and profiles as a fifth outfielder, on the roster for defense and baserunning.

Looking Outward

The free agent market offers short-term solutions if Ronald’s injury lingers.

Randal Grichuk, who profiles best as a LHP-hitting corner outfielder, just elected free agency after being outrighted to the minors by the New York Yankees. Now 34, the journeyman has a 128 wRC+ against left-handed pitching over the last three-plus seasons, dating back to his time in Arizona. He’d be a good complement to Yastrzemski’s propensity to hit right-handers, although it would require two roster spots to man one position for Atlanta.

Another external option would be Dylan Moore. Recently DFA’d by Philadelphia, the 33-year-old utilityman has a 97 wRC+ over the last three seasons and is capable of replicating Dubón’s ‘cover every position on the field’ versatility, albeit at a slightly lower level. He’s slightly better against lefties (104 wRC+) than righties (92 wRC+), although still pretty close to playable as long as the 0-15 start to his season isn’t a sign of a sudden collapse in his offensive ability.

With Dubón covering centerfield indefinitely while Harris nurses his balky quad, having a playable utilityman to take over for Kyle Farmer would be a boost to the bench.

Free agency is the most realistic path here. Despite Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski teasing that trade markets are starting to heat up earlier than ever this season, there’s little precedent for major trades this early in the schedule. Last season, the biggest name to get moved by May 3rd was arguably either utilityman Kody Clemens or 5th starter Quinn Priester.

The Final Call

A lot of this comes down to the length of Ronald’s injury, or if Harris’ quad gets worse and requires an IL stint.

If either outfielder is down for just a few weeks, getting by with someone out of Gwinnett for rotational work against LHP is good enough, provided there are no more injuries.

But if there’s a chance that either the Harris injury or the Acuña injury could linger through the month of May and into June, it suddenly becomes a lot more urgent to find reinforcements. At that point, standing pat starts to look more like a risk than a strategy, and external reinforcements become more of a necessity than a luxury.

The challenge is that there isn’t an easy fix.

The trade market isn’t moving yet. The internal options are limited. And the free agent pool offers solutions, but not answers.

Which brings this back to the bigger picture.

The Bigger Picture

This lineup isn’t built to be carried by one position.

It’s built to absorb losses.

The Braves will miss Ronald Acuña Jr., no question. But this isn’t a single-engine offense. It’s a Convair B-36 Peacemaker: ten engines, different sizes, different roles, all working together to keep it in the air.

If one goes down, the others are supposed to carry the load.

And if Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, and Austin Riley are hitting the way they’re capable of, they will.

Because the real question here isn’t whether the Braves can survive their outfield right now.

It’s whether they need it to carry them at all. They shouldn’t.