The Atlanta Braves made a decent amount of moves this offseason to place a competitive product on the field in 2024. Whether that be via free agency or making trades, Atlanta seemingly covered every single one of their needs.
They extended Pierce Johnson and Joe Jimenez, traded for Chris Sale, signed Reynaldo Lopez, traded for Aaron Bummer, and acquired a talented outfielder in Jarred Kelenic. There were also minor moves to add bench depth, including Luis Guillorme and David Fletcher.
Despite those great additions, the Braves still had questions about their bench and who would occupy a fourth outfielder role. Well, Atlanta filled that outfield spot when they signed veteran slugger Adam Duvall on a one-year, $3 million contract.
"He's always bringing Adam Duvall back because of what he does for this clubhouse"
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 15, 2024
How does a player with a 119 OPS+ only bring in $3 million per year? #FTLive weighs in 🤔
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This move put an end to a battle for the final outfield spot between Forrest Wall, Eli White, and Jordan Luplow. He was released from his contract once Duvall signed so that he could pursue an opportunity elsewhere. Luplow signed with the Phillies on a minor league deal in less than 24 hours.
Duvall's signing also brought up questions about what Jarred Kelenic's role will be now. General manager Alex Anthopoulos stated that this move was less about their belief in Kelenic's ability to perform and more about making the team better.
However, this move does have a slight ripple effect and could potentially change the roles for a few select players. Let's see who those players are and what effect, if any, this move could have on them.