Atlanta Braves: Low-cost outfield options to consider

Alex Gordon

Alex Gordon made three consecutive All-Star games from 2013 to 2015 for the Kansas City Royals, mostly in part to his glove, where he was perhaps the best left fielder in baseball.

But over the past few seasons, Gordon’s glove has declined slightly, but not to the point where he is not as good as Markakis. He still won a Gold Glove last season, where he was a top 25 outfielder, according to FanGraphs.

Gordon was ranked 22nd in Defensive Runs Saved and 15th in UZR—both were better than any Braves outfielder.

From an offensive standpoint, Gordon’s 2019 season was just okay. He hit 13 homers, with 76 RBI and 77 runs scored.

There have been reports that Gordon will either resign with Kansas City or retire, so bringing him to Atlanta might be a long shot.

Still though, if he chose to come to Atlanta, it would most likely cost a few million dollars.

Much like what “DuKakis” would be, Gordon would be a bridge to Drew Waters, as Ender Inciarte is that to Cristian Pache.

Kevin Pillar

Kevin Pillar makes more sense than Gordon due to his effectiveness at the plate in 2019, where he hit 21 homers and drove in 86 runs.

Pillar, who was surprisingly non-tendered by the Giants, would cost about the same as Gordon and would again be a bridge to Waters.

At one point, Pillar was one of the better defenders in baseball, but those numbers have begun to decline, as he had a -3.3 UZR last season. However, his DRS (5) was still ranked 23rd in baseball.

While the offense might not be as good as the “DuKakis” platoon, adding defensive players like Gordon or Pillar would only enhance the Braves outfield, which is currently quite good with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Inciarte.