Predicting How the Atlanta Braves will Fortify the Outfield in 2021
By Seth Carter
Effective Platoon Options for Atlanta Braves in 2021
Prior to signing Marcell Ozuna last offseason, one of the ideas was to roll with a platoon of Nick Markakis and Adam Duvall. Kakes would take the righties and Duvall would take the lefties.
The Braves could opt bring Duvall back (although I don’t know if they’ll get him cheaper than they would have in arbitration) and mix and match his right-handed power with a left-handed bat available on the market. Guys like Nick Markakis or Joc Pederson could make a nice fit.
Related Story. Stats on a Split Between Kakes and Duvall. light
Yes, bringing back Markakis would be enjoyable, but seeing an upgrade in power with the likes of Joc Pederson -who would see a lot of action against right-handed pitching- could bring fireworks.
2019-2020 Splits
Adam Duvall (vs. LHP): .302/.351/.651/154 wRC+
Joc Pederson (vs. RHP): .236/.333/.534/ 126 wRC+
Pederson is projected to sign for two years, $18 million. Duvall was projected to earn around $4 million in arbitration. This could be a very affordable short-term pairing with loads of power and and explosiveness between the two. It also allows room for the Braves to make way for their talented outfield prospects making their way through the farm.
Another veteran lefty on the market is Brett Gardner. Over the past two seasons, Gardner has posted a .256/.352/.519 slash against RHP with 129 wRC+. He could be a useful tool for a team looking to contend right now and he’s ranked outside of the top-50 free agents heading into his age-37 season.