Braves sign free agent in wake of Ronald Acuña injury
With Ronald Acuña Jr. down for the season, everybody expects the Braves to add another outfielder before the trade deadline, if not multiple. Much like they did in 2021 when they acquired Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, and Adam Duvall. However, trades two months out from the trade deadline are rare. For now, they have to go with the internal options and what’s ever left on the waiver wire, which they made use of yesterday by signing Ramón Laureano.
Ramón Laureano will fit in perfectly with the struggling 2024 Braves offense because he also cannot hit. In 31 games for the Guardians this year, he owns just a .143 batting average with one homer and .494 OPS over 70 at-bats.
However, Laureano did show some chops in the batter’s box early in his career with the Oakland Athletics, recording an .800 OPS and 119 OPS+ (19% above league average) over his first four seasons from 2018-2021. He also has the ability to play all over the outfield. Perhaps Laureano could regain his form with the Braves. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened in Atlanta, but more than likely, he’s here to provide quality organizational depth with major-league experience.
