As spring training winds down, the Atlanta Braves have been busy trimming their roster and making most of their decisions pretty clear. There are still a few spots in the rotation and bullpen still up for grabs, but lineup reinforcement would also be a nice use of their newfound roster space. However, few probably thought that Atlanta would make the choice that they ended up making.
With Jurickson Profar suspended, the left field/DH situation is less than ideal until the Braves get Sean Murphy and Ha-Seong Kim back to allow others to fill in elsewhere. Ideally, that hitter would be a guy who can hit lefties on days when Mike Yazstrzemski isn't in the lineup.
Instead, at least for now, the Braves decided to sign Rowdy Tellez to a minor league deal.
Rowdy Tellez to Braves. Minors deal.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 21, 2026
Braves add Rowdy Tellez as their search for lineup depth leaves no stone unturned
At first glance, this signing looks pretty weird. Tellez is a left-handed bat who can basically only play first base and DH, which is not what they need. On top of that, Tellez hasn't played in spring training at all as he was unsigned since the start of camp. However, he DID play in the World Baseball Classic for Mexico, and the Braves must have liked what they saw out of him enough to give him a shot on a minor league deal.
Tellez does not solve the Braves' primary offensive issue with Opening Day coming up fast, but he does give Atlanta veteran depth at a position where little depth existed beforehand. Right now, there are good odds that Dominic Smith breaks camp with the Braves, and his track record doesn't exactly inspire much confidence. Tellez could simply be an extra insurance policy, even if his name implies more than that.
It doesn't hurt that Tellez has actual upside, which is hard to find this late in spring. His athleticism overall may leave something to be desired, but the guy does have real power. Tellez did crank 35 homers with Milwaukee back in 2022 after all. While his playing time has been limited since then, Tellez has consistently displayed that power of his, even if his hit tool and overall value has been questionable at best.