The Atlanta Braves have a decision to make in left field this offseason. While pretty much every other position is locked in, Rosario has a $9,000,000 team option. There are some enticing free agents that will be on the open market as potential replacements.
Eddie Rosario is forever a Braves legend thanks to his performance after the trade deadline in 2021. Rosario posted a .903 OPS in 33 games with seven homers and 16 RBI. Then, of course, he won the NLCS MVP with three homers over the six-game set against the Dodgers.
Why wouldn't the Braves pick up Rosario's 2024 option?
Eddie has his flaws. His chase rate is among the worst in the league (bottom two percent). His career on-base percentage is .306. During his time with the Braves, his OBP has been a mere .296. He has walked more than 30 times in a season just twice.
Rosario was plagued by vision issues last season but he appears to be back to himself in 2023. He is playing league-average defense. His .263 batting average is in line with his career .270 average. His .313 OBP is in line with his .306 career OBP. His .489 slugging percentage is a little higher than his career .465, but it's in the ballpark.
We know what Eddie Rosario is. He's a player with decent power and a decent average with an impatient approach at the plate. His higher slugging percentage helps offset the low on-base to give him an above-average OPS. A career 105 OPS+ shows he has the ability to be better than average and when he has a power drought he offers very little on offense.
There are a few names we recently covered that would be suitable replacements or even upgrades. Now I provide you the counterarguments as to why Eddie Rosario is a better option for the Braves than two big-name free agents in 2024.