Atlanta Braves Roster Decisions Loom: Bourn or Swisher, Who Stays?

The opposite case can be made about Swisher, who can “play” outfield about as well as Chris Johnson could “play” third base.  2 bad knees are definitely a factor here, but Swisher has never been much of a defender at any position (can you believe this guy has logged over 1,000 innings in center field in his career?).

His best days, which were serviceable, are behind him, and it seems so are his consistent power numbers.  In his past 661 plate appearances spanning the last two injury plagued seasons, he has managed just 14 home runs.  His average home run total until 2014 was 25.  Once again, knee injuries could be the culprit here, as a lot of power is generated from your legs, but are we going to roll the dice for a few more homers from a bench player?

Here are the ZIPS projections for Swisher in 2016:

.226/.317/.377 with 13 home runs

And the pros and cons:

• Is a switch hitter
• Is a potential power threat
• Has a knack for drawing walks/getting on base
• Plays both corner outfield positions badly
• Power has rapidly disappeared recently
• Has no speed

Next: The Verdict