The Braves are staring at a left-field problem they can’t keep kicking down the road, and this winter could be the moment they finally make a clean break from Jurickson Profar.
Profar’s two seasons in Atlanta have left the club searching for answers in left field, even if his bat has offered some value along the way. Sports Talk ATL’s Chase Irle said the Braves should move on after Profar was suspended twice, arguing the team needs to make a statement and upgrade the position.
“Left field is another place where the Braves should be looking to upgrade this winter. It's been a problem area in Atlanta for years, and there's just no way they can enter another season relying on Jurickson Profar. The Braves would be wise to send a message by cutting him this offseason," Irle wrote.
Atlanta already had to patch the outfield during the season, which is part of why the club traded for Lane Thomas at the deadline. ESPN reported that the Braves acquired Thomas and minor league left-hander Bailey Falter from the Royals in exchange for two minor league pitchers Saturday. Thomas, 30, is hitting .232/.326/.393 in 97 games with Kansas City this year, and while he had mostly played center field there, he is expected to shift to left in Atlanta.
Even with Thomas in the mix, the Braves are still being linked to another bat for that spot, ideally one who swings from the right side. Irle pointed to Randy Arozarena as the kind of fit Atlanta should chase.
“Arozarena is having a monster year for the Mariners and has had some huge moments in the postseason over his career. He’d be a perfect fit in Atlanta,” Irle wrote.
That kind of profile is easy to see. Arozarena has built a reputation as a big-stage hitter, including an ALCS MVP award and a run to the World Series. He’d give Atlanta another experienced outfielder with real offensive punch, the sort of presence that can lengthen a lineup in a hurry.
Arozarena has made $69 million during his career, so landing him would almost certainly mean a major financial commitment. But if the Braves decide the payoff is worth it, they’d be adding a proven run producer and another dangerous bat to the middle of the order.
In Other News...
Braves May Be Rethinking Didier Fuentes Future Faster Than Expected
Didier Fuentes has spent this season carving out a role in the bullpen, and the early returns have given the Braves plenty to think about. The top pitching prospect has been effective in relief, posting a 1.85 ERA over 58.1 innings, a strong showing for a pitcher long viewed as a starter in the making. What once looked like a temporary adjustment now appears to be carrying more weight, especially as Atlanta continues sorting out how best to use one of its more promising arms.
Jesus Cano reported that Fuentes path back to a starting role may be in doubt, with the bullpen move potentially becoming permanent. Nothing has been finalized yet, but the possibility says plenty about how teams are valuing reliable relief pitching now and how quickly a prospects long-term plan can change when he keeps getting outs in a different role. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Took A Risk With Lefty Prospect Upside
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Harris has given teams a reason to dream a little because of his strikeout ability, even as the command has wavered in recent seasons. For the Braves, it is the kind of move that can sting later if the lefty irons out the control issues elsewhere, since this was less about performance in a vacuum than about a club trying to manage its roster in the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Sale Is Giving The Braves A Huge New Reason To Believe
Chris Sales latest outing gave Atlanta something it has not always had enough of this season: a starter who can control a game from the first pitch to the last. In a complete-game shutout against the Dodgers, Sale punched out 11 and trimmed his ERA to 2.06, a reminder that even in his 16th MLB season, he can still look like the most imposing arm on the mound when everything is working.
What makes the surge even more notable is the way he is doing it at age 37. Sales four-seam fastball has been livelier this year, reaching speeds not seen since 2018, and that added velocity has helped fuel the kind of effectiveness that can change how the Braves view a series, a rotation and maybe even their ceiling. It is the sort of late-career rebound that forces a team to recalibrate its expectations in real time. [Read more 🡒]