It may not have been the move we expected, but the Atlanta Braves did provide some depth on the bench by acquiring a left-handed bat.
Jason Kipnis announced himself on Monday that he’ll be joining the Atlanta Braves this season on a minor league deal.
We’ve been telling you for a while that Atlanta desperately needs another lefty bat or two, but I was thinking it would be someone like Josh Reddick or Nick Markakis — who are still possibilities.
But Kipnis makes a lot of sense as well, and he seems excited about his chance to make the big league club in Atlanta.
Atlanta here we come! Excited to join the Braves organization this season! pic.twitter.com/3btCYpt3Fx
— Jason Kipnis (@TheJK_Kid) February 15, 2021
Most of you are probably very familiar with Kipnis who spent nine years in Cleveland where he made the AL All-Star team twice.
His best seasons came back in 2013 and 2015 when he had an OPS+ of 130 and 120 respectively.
Since then he’s essentially been a league-average player — often less so at times.
But I still really like this move.
What Jason Kipnis Can Do for the Braves in 2021
The first thing he does is he brings a lot of veteran leadership and experience as someone who has been an All-Star caliber player in the past and who has come within a game of winning the World Series.
He also brings some versatility to the lineup. Yes, his primary position has always been second base, but he also spent some time at first base (9 innings) for the Cubs in 2020 and has also place some outfield.
Having someone who can handle all of those positions will be crucial for the Braves. Obviously, we hope he never has to play first for the Braves, but it’s nice to have someone else on the bench who has at least played there – even if it’s just one game.
We all know Ozzie Albies dealt with the wrist injury last year that never fully healed. If that were to flare up again, the Braves would feel pretty confident putting someone with Kipnis’ experience out there during Ozzie’s absence.
The biggest thing for me, though, is that he provides some pop off the bench from the left side, which is what this bench desperately needs.
In his career, Kipnis has hit .269 against righties with a .789 OPS and .442 slugging — all of those numbers are dramatically better than what he does against lefties.
It’s a minor-league deal for Kipnis so he’s not guaranteed a spot. But with how terrible the Braves’ bench is right now, I have a hard time believing they won’t make room on the 40-man roster for him unless he just looks flatout terrible in Spring Training.
Overall, I like this move for the Braves, but I still hope they go out and sign another veteran left-handed bat for the bench soon.