At the start of the 2023-2024 offseason, Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta Braves had a decision to make. Would they exercise Eddie Rosario's $9 million club option or not?
The decision wasn't so obvious. On the one hand, Eddie Rosario had had a decent, albeit very streaky season. He had a 100 wRC+ and was worth 1.2 fWAR. This $9 million price tag would come right in at market value if Rosario repeated his 2023 production in 2024.
On the other hand, the Braves could use the LF spot to find a higher potential player and even improve the position for a lower cost.
Ultimately, the team decided to decline the option, making the 2021 NLCS MVP a free agent. He would later sign a deal with the Washington Nationals. However, just one month into the 2024 MLB season, it's apparent the Braves made the right decision.
How has Eddie Rosario performed for the 2024 Washington Nationals?
Eddie Rosario has been quite bad for the Washington Nationals so far. When he signed with the club, the lefty-swinging OF looked like he could provide a Nationals team in the middle of a rebuild with veteran presence and a league-average bat.
Unfortunately, he has been far from league-average. In 69 plate appearances across 20 games, Rosario has slashed .094/.145/.172, good for a -12 wRC+. His defense has also been below average, coming in at -1 Fielding Run Value. Despite this, the Nationals have insisted on playing him in CF for the majority of his innings in the field.
Even worse, he hasn't been getting that unlucky with the bat, either. The former Brave has the fourth-worst xwOBA in the league.
Meanwhile, the platoon of Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic have performed quite well for the Braves. Coming into Saturday's game against the Guardians, Atlanta has gotten 0.5 fWAR out of their LF spot, and the two have combined for a 113 wRC+.
Thankfully, it looks like the Braves front office did their homework when making the decision on Eddie Rosario this offseason, and it's paying off for the Braves.