Eddie Rosario is back with the Braves, as Atlanta selected the veteran outfielder onto the MLB roster. The Braves also recalled right-hander Bryce Elder from Triple-A Gwinnett to start tonight’s contest with the D-Backs. Reliever Dylan Lee and utilityman Luke Williams were optioned out in corresponding moves. The Braves designated outfielder J.P. Martínez for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot for Rosario — a move that was reported this morning.
It’ll be Rosario’s fourth straight season logging MLB action as a Brave. Atlanta’s decision to buy low on the veteran outfielder at the 2021 trade deadline is etched into franchise history. The generally streaky Rosario caught fire down the stretch and into October, winning NLCS MVP honors and helping the Braves to a World Series. Atlanta re-signed him to a two-year, $18MM free agent deal that offseason.
The extension didn’t work out as hoped. He battled vision issues and slumped to a .212/.259/.328 batting line during the first season. Rosario bounced back somewhat to hit 21 home runs a year ago, though his .255/.305/.450 slash was average overall. Atlanta declined a $9MM option for the 2024 campaign, sending the 32-year-old back to the open market. Rosario lingered in free agency until Spring Training was underway. He eventually signed a minor league deal with the Nationals and locked in a $2MM salary when he made the team out of camp.
Rosario’s time in Washington was a disappointment. He got out to a dreadful first month, hitting .088 with just one homer through the end of April. The lefty-swinging outfielder connected on six longballs and five doubles in an impressive May before falling back into an extended slump. He hit .191/.200/.250 in June. The Nats pulled the plug last week, calling up top prospect James Wood and releasing Rosario after it became clear he wouldn’t play his way into being a valuable trade chip. Rosario finished his Washington tenure with a .183/.226/.329 slash across 235 plate appearances. He’s a .227/.275/.390 hitter over the past two and a half seasons.
That set the stage for another shot in Atlanta. The Braves inked Rosario to a minor league deal on Friday. After a trio of appearances for Gwinnett, he’s back in the MLB outfield. He could step into a left field platoon with the righty-swinging Ramón Laureano, who signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in May after being released by the Guardians. Laureano has been nursing a back issue for over a week, so Eli White (whose contract was just selected on Friday) started in left field for all three games of Atlanta’s weekend series with the Phillies.
Jarred Kelenic is playing every day in center field while Michael Harris II mends a hamstring strain. Adam Duvall is handling right field. The outfield is a clear weak point for the Braves since they lost Ronald Acuña Jr. to a season-ending ACL tear. It’s entirely unsurprising that they’re evaluating trade possibilities before the July 30 deadline. Rosario’s return stint with the Braves could be brief if president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos and his staff can land a more significant upgrade over the next few weeks.
For the time being, the Braves will take a low-cost roll of the dice on Rosario hitting a hot streak in a familiar setting. Atlanta will only pay him the prorated portion of the $740K league minimum for however long he’s on the roster. The Nats remain on the hook for the rest of his salary.