Braves add ex-Guardians, Athletics outfielder after Ronald Acuna Jr. injury

Braves Brian Snitker mentee Ronald Acuna Jr. amid signing former Guardians Ramon Laureano

Brian Snitker and the rest of the Atlanta Braves organization are left looking for answers. They just lost Ronald Acuna Jr. which meant that their outfielder rotation just got a little bit more thin. Thankfully, the Cleveland Guardians had just recently let go of a Dominican who might just be able to do the job while their former NL Most Valuable Player is out. This player also had some very serviceable outputs when he was still with the Oakland Athletics. He goes by the name of Ramon Laureano.

Brian Snitker and the Braves make moves

The Braves have signed Ramon Laureano to a minor-league contract, per Robert Murray of FanSided. He will now be going to Gwinnett in the Triple-A. But, he will likely get called up once Brian Snitker’s rotation runs short throughout the season.

This outfielder used to be a beast when he was with the Athletics throughout the 2018 to 2021 seasons. He recorded 49 home runs alongside 34 stolen bases. His work defensively was on the rise before something tragic happened which prevented him from gaining much more momentum in his career.

Ramon Laureano tested positive for performance-enhancing drug usage with the Athletics. This got him an 80-game suspension which hurt his career quite a lot. He only batted a meager .213/ .342/ .364 in 2023 before they had to waive him. His career did not stop there despite those batting averages being a far cry from his peak which had him hitting .263/.335/.465.

It was the Guardians who took a shot on him after that horrid stint with the Athletics. Fast forward up to the present, those numbers continued to go down despite an uptick in his performance at one point which led to a $5 million deal. Before yet again being released, he batted a horrid .143/.265/.229.

Now, another squad in the Braves is going to take a gamble on his day-and-night performances. With Ronald Acuna Jr. out, he can surely make an impact with his veteran acumen. Brian Snitker might also keep a very eager eye on this Braves outfielder in the Triple-A before actually calling him up. They do not want to get him back up to The Show if his production won’t show any promise of getting better.

Ronald Acuna Jr. goes down

The Braves outfielder is now out for the season. He came crashing down when they faced the Pittsburgh Pirates due to a non-contact injury. While there was some optimism about his ailment not being an ACL tear, all fears came to life for his squad.

Jarred Kelenic, Adam Duvall, and JP Martinez have been filling the void left by Ronald Acuna Jr. so far. But, they still clearly need someone else to try and replicate the NL MVP’s numbers down the line. This is where Laureano comes in and tries to recreate his peak performances for teams every time he gets picked up off waivers. Hopefully, he pans out well for the Braves and fits in well unlike his time with the Guardians. Else, they will need to keep looking for answers in what will surely be a tumultuous season.

Tags: Atlanta Braves