Braves make it clear they don’t trust Kelenic with addition of a familiar face
Look for Duvall to pair with Jarred Kelenic to plug that hole in left field.
The Braves announced, right before taking on the Tampa Bay Rays, that they have signed left fielder Adam Duvall to a one-year deal worth $3 million in 2024.
The Atlanta #Braves today signed OF Adam Duvall to a one-year major league contract worth $3 million for the 2024 season.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) March 14, 2024
Former Brave Adam Duvall to platoon left field with Jarred Kelenic
Adam Duvall is coming off a rather rough year with the Boston Red Sox where he struggled with injury, playing just 92 games. However, he still hit .247/.303/.531 including an .834 OPS which was good enough for a 116 wRC+ and 1.9 fWAR.
His splits from last year don't show any exaggerated favorability as he hit .244 versus right-handed pitching and .248 versus left-handed pitching. Taking a look at a more significant sample, through his career, Adam has hit .232/.287/.473 against righties and .232/.301/.469 against lefties - nothing if not incredibly consistent. Most projections for 2024 have Adam right around a .230/.300/.450 line.
Braves insider Mark Bowman confirmed that Adam will be featured in a platoon role with the recently acquired Jarred Kelenic.
The Braves have told Kelenic he will platoon with Duvall
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 14, 2024
Atlanta acquired Kelenic back at the start of December in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. The Braves sent highly rated, but injured prospects, Cole Philipps and Jackson Kowar in exchange for Jarred Kelenic, Evan White, and Marco Gonzales. Cole Phillips and Jackson Kowar have both gone done with injuries this year - both resulting in Tommy John surgery. Evan White was sent to the Angels in a package for David Fletcher (and Max Stassi), while Marco Gonzales was traded to the Pirates for a player to be named later or cash.
Jarred, a former first-round pick by the Mets in 2018, has struggled to live up to his potential. Considered one of the top prospects in baseball for several years - Kelenic has put together a career line of .204/.283/.373. However, still just 24 years of age, there is so much to like about Jarred who features true five-tool potential. Look for him to likely hit against right-handed pitching as he has slightly better career lines against right-handed pitching (.211/.296/.400) than he does against left-handed pitching (.189/.255/.311).
Kelenic's spring hasn't gone as well as he'd hoped it would but that's partially due to a swing change. He's working on improving and acquiring Duvall allows for him to have the opportunity to feel a bit less pressure while doing so. Welcome home, Adam!
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