It is time for the reunion.
The Braves signed postseason hero Eddie Rosario to a minor-league deal. He played for Triple-A Gwinnett in St. Paul on Friday, and went 1-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and a strikeout.
“You never know,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said on Friday afternoon. “Eddie, we know what he’s capable of. So hopefully he goes down there and plays well and shows he’s worthy of coming back up here.”
The Braves declined Rosario’s $9 million club option last offseason, and they acquired Jarred Kelenic weeks later. Halfway into the season, Rosario became available for the Braves.
On Monday, the Nationals designated Rosario for assignment. On Wednesday, they released him.
Now, the Braves will give him an opportunity and see if he has anything left in his bat – the one that helped raise a banner three seasons ago.
Rosario, of course, was a hero in the 2021 World Series run. He was the NLCS MVP for his monster performance against the Dodgers.
He might be far removed from that time. Perhaps the Braves can help him recapture something, but his recent numbers are not good.
He hit .183 over 219 at-bats with the Nationals before they released him. He hit seven home runs and drove in 26 runs.
Snitker said Braves president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos connected with Rosario when the club signed him. Snitker learned that Rosario hadn’t played in the outfield since June 5, which is before the Braves’ series in Washington.
“(Anthopoulos) just told him to go and play,” Snitker said. “We’ll see what happens.”
It’s possible Rosario could be with the Braves rather soon if all goes well. Ramón Laureano has an oblique issue and hasn’t played since June 26. If the Braves were to place him on the injured list, they could bring up Rosario without sending anyone down.
In 478 at-bats with the Braves last season, Rosario hit .255 with a .755 OPS. He blasted 21 homers. This came after his difficult 2022 season, when he required eye surgery and never found a groove.
But the bar might not be too high for Rosario. If he can get his bat going in Gwinnett, he might soon be in the big-league clubhouse.
The Braves have had a difficult time finding production at the plate from their outfielders over the past few weeks. They are without Ronald Acuña Jr., who’s out for the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee. Michael Harris II is currently on the injured list with a hamstring strain. Kelenic recently found a groove, but Adam Duvall hasn’t performed well.
The Braves are trying to find the hot hand. On Friday, they optioned Forrest Wall – who had been starting games in left field – and brought up Eli White.
In addition to this, Laureano, who had a nice few games at the plate after the Braves promoted him, is out with an oblique issue that began as a sore back. The Braves are still a man down because he’s unable to play.
All of this is to say: If the Braves were to call up Rosario, he wouldn’t need to light the world on fire. He would need only to be better than what they’ve fielded lately.
In the spring, the Nationals signed Rosario to a minor-league deal that included a base salary of $2 million. The Nationals owe Rosario his salary. If the Braves were to bring up Rosario, they would pay him only a prorated version of the major-league minimum. Thus, there was no real risk to this move for the team.
But there could be big benefits for the Braves, who need outfield help.
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