Alex Anthopoulos has totally mismanaged the Braves outfield

It’s easy to point the finger when a team is losing, and at 4-11, there are a lot of places for the finger to be pointed within the Braves organization. However, it’s starts at the top with roster construction, and several areas of the club leave a lot to be desired. None more so than the outfield, one of the few areas Alex Anthopoulos has used a lot of his resources over the last two offseasons.

Two years ago, the Braves were in search of a left fielder to pair with Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. Instead of spending top dollar on a marquee name, they took a gamble on a former top prospect that hadn’t quite found his footing at the major-league level, acquiring Jarred Kelenic in a trade with the Mariners.

To make the deal work, the Braves essentially took on $17 million of bad money instead of sending back top prospects in return. The hope was that a change of scenery would do Kelenic wonders. At the time, the Braves had become a place for career revivals, featuring numerous success stories like Travis d’Arnaud and Orlando Arcia.

Unfortunately, Jarred Keenic has provided next to zero value. In 146 games for the Braves, he’s accrued 0.2 WAR, recording an OPS+ of 84 (16% below league average). He’s been dismal offensively, and while there have been moments defensively, he’s still below average in the outfield as well. Kelenic is a fourth outfielder at the major-league level at best, and those typically don’t cost $17 million.

Fast forward to this past offseason, and Alex Anthopoulos tried to right his wrongs, signing one of the most highly sought after outfielders on the free agent market in Jurickson Profar, who… was suspended for PEDs just four games into his Braves career.

Generous observers might give Anthopoulos a pass because who could have possibly known Profar’s success in 2024 was the result of cheating. However, I am not a generous observer. Jurickson Profar was the exact type of free agent Alex Anthopolous passed on in the past. He never fell for the trap of an outlier career year, especially on a guy with over 10 years of major-league experience. Something was fishy, and this time, it just so happened to be PEDs.

Combined, the Braves have spent a whopping $60 million on outfielders over the past two offseasons, only for them to be begging for Alex Verdugo to come up and be the team’s savior until Ronald Acuña Jr. returns from injury. That’s a gross misuse of resources that cost the Braves dearly in 2024 and continues to haunt the club this year.

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Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire

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