Thrilling: The Braves have Signed a minor-league contract with a Promising Outfielder

When it comes to their 2024 Opening Day roster, the Braves have one apparent opening in left field. Perhaps they will attempt to improve elsewhere, like they did last summer when they signed Sean Murphy. However, they will most likely only be looking for individuals to fill their gap in left field during this free agency season.

There haven’t been any reports about who the Braves would be interested in, so I wouldn’t expect anything soon, although they did make an intriguing move in signing Luis Liberato to a minor-league deal.

Liberato is unlikely to ever be the starting left fielder in Atlanta, but he is valuable organizational depth and might push for a spot on the bench. He hit.261 with an.826 OPS in 69 AAA games with the Padres system last year, and his numbers were much better in 2023, when he hit.261 with 20 homers and an.895 OPS in 99 games.

It’s not a sexy signing, and Liberato may never make an appearance for the Braves, but he can swing the bat and is quality organizational depth. The Braves really need to beef up their AAA squad in case of emergency, and I still expect them to acquire not just one but two major-league outfielders to round out their 26-man roster.

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The Braves’ Opening Day lineup has been projected by Bleacher Report

So far this offseason, the Braves’ priority has been pitching, pitching, and more pitching. Joe Jimenez, Pierce Johnson, and Charlie Morton have already been signed by Atlanta. They also signed free agent Reynaldo Lopez and acquired Aaron Bummer in a six-player transaction with the White Sox. The Braves bullpen is already far superior than where it was last season, when it was one of the best in baseball.

The emphasis appears to have shifted to the rotation. We know the Braves made a sizable offer to Aaron Nola, who agreed to a seven-year contract extension with the Phillies. They were also interested in Sonny Gray, who eventually agreed to terms with the Cardinals for three years and $75 million. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi has named them a finalist for White Sox ace Dylan Cease. Whether it’s Cease or someone else, it appears that a major name will be joining the Braves rotation.

Atlanta doesn’t require much offensively. The majority of the Braves’ position players are young stars who are under contract for the foreseeable future. Left field is the lone outlying position. Kevin Pillar and Eddie Rosario were released by the club, leaving a gap in the outfield. The Braves appear willing to give Vaughn Grissom a shot, but they must at the very least provide some insurance.

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter just issued his initial Opening Day lineup projections, and he has an intriguing name filling the gap in left field for the Braves.

Projected Starting Lineup

RF Ronald Acuña Jr.
2B Ozzie Albies
3B Austin Riley
1B Matt Olson
DH Marcell Ozuna
C Sean Murphy
CF Michael Harris II
LF Hunter Renfroe
SS Orlando Arcia
SP Max Fried

I don’t mind the idea of adding Hunter Renfroe to this lineup. He’s coming off a bit of a down year, recording a .713 OPS with 20 homers between two teams, but he combined for 60 home runs in 2021-2022. Renfroe could be considered a slight upgrade over Eddie Rosario, but that might be generous, and shouldn’t cost more than $10 million on a one-year pact.