Braves News: Former Atlanta Braves pitcher announces his return and signs a one-year contract worth $9 million.

The problems of a former Atlanta Braves hero prove that Anthopoulos made the correct decision.

The Braves moved on from the 2021 NLCS MVP this offseason, and it appears they made the right decision.

At the outset of the 2023-2024 offseason, Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta Braves faced a decision. Will they execute Eddie Rosario’s $9 million club option, or not?

The decision was not as obvious. On the one hand, Eddie Rosario had had a decent, albeit streaky, season. He possessed a 100 wRC+ and was worth 1.2 fWAR. If Rosario replicated his 2023 output in 2024, the $9 million price tag would be right on target.

On the other hand, the Braves might use the LF spot to identify a higher-potential talent and possibly upgrade the position at a reduced cost.

Ultimately, the team elected to decline the option, leaving the 2021 NLCS MVP a free agent. He then signed a contract with the Washington Nationals. However, after just one month of the 2024 MLB season, it’s clear the Braves made the right call.

How has Eddie Rosario fared with the 2024 Washington Nationals?

Eddie Rosario has been quite bad for the Washington Nationals so far. When he signed with the club, the lefty-swinging OF looked like he could provide a Nationals team in the middle of a rebuild with veteran presence and a league-average bat.

Unfortunately, he has not performed at league average levels. Rosario has slashed in 69 plate appearances spread across 20 games.094/.145/.172 yields a -12 wRC+. His defense has also been below average, with a fielding run value of -1. Despite this, the Nationals have insisted on playing him in center field for the vast majority of his innings.

Even worse, he hasn’t been particularly unfortunate with the bat. The former Braves had the fourth-worst xwOBA in the league.

Meanwhile, Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic have done well for the Braves. Atlanta has 0.5 fWAR from their LF position entering Saturday’s game against the Guardians, and the two have a combined wRC+ of 113.

Thankfully, it looks like the Braves front office did their homework when making the decision on Eddie Rosario this offseason, and it’s paying off for the Braves.