The Braves signed an outfielder Eddie Rosario on a minor league contract, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports (X link). Rosario will report to Triple-A Gwinnett to begin his latest stint with the organization. The Braves also announced a set of other deals, including news for that outfielder Eli WhiteHis contract was designated to the major league roster. Forrest Wall optioned to Triple-A to make room for White on the 26-man roster, while the lefty Ray Kerr moved to 60 man to make room for the 40 man roster.
It didn't take long for Rosario to grab his usual spot, as his release from the Nationals was made official yesterday. Washington designated Rosario for assignment on Monday and officially parted ways with the veteran after no one wanted him (or the roughly $950K in salary they owed him this season) on waivers. Assuming Rosario is called up from Atlanta's active roster, the Braves will owe him just a fraction of the Major League minimum salary, and that amount will be subtracted from the $950K or so the Nats will pay.
Under the terms of the minor league deal Rosario signed with the Nationals during the offseason, he was guaranteed a $2MM base salary after that contract was selected from their active roster, and there was little doubt about the decision as the Nats signed him. their Opening Day schedule. However, there weren't many highlights from Rosario's three months in the District, as he hit just .183/.226/.329 with seven home runs over 235 plate appearances. Even with the Nats heavily protecting Rosario in lefties, his .182/.222/.349 slash line against righties has worked to offset his production.
Although Washington is still stuck in the wild-card race, it was widely expected going into the season that Rosario had been a trade master that the Nationals would look for at the deadline. Unfortunately, Rosario's subpar production led the team to simply release him without a return, and now he will return to Atlanta looking for a repeat of his magical 2021 season.
Rosario struggled through a difficult 2021 campaign with Cleveland before the Braves picked him up at the trade deadline, and the rest became Atlanta baseball history. Rosario hit .271/.330/.573 with seven homers in 106 PA throughout the regular season to help the Braves to the playoffs, and the hot hitting continued in October as Rosario took home the honor of The NLCS MVP is on his way to helping the team win the World Series.
The Braves then re-signed Rosario to a two-year, $18MM free agent deal that contained a $9MM club option for 2024, but Atlanta declined that option last fall after Rosario couldn't keep up the momentum. He battled vision problems during a poor 2022 campaign, then hit a league average (.255/.305/.455 with 21 homers in 516 PA) last year but the Braves still opted to pass on Rosario's services for another season . . With these respectable numbers coming off just last year, it wouldn't be surprising to see Rosario get a revival at least in Atlanta, even if the 2021 iteration is a lot to ask.
In another strange echo of 2021, Rosario was reacquired after a season-ending torn ACL from the Braves superstar. Ronald Acuna Jr. Michael Harris II he is also on the injured list recovering from a hamstring strain and recent recovery Ramon Laureano he also battled a back problem last week, leaving the Braves with a significant deficit in the field. Assuming Rosario won't be in Gwinnett long, he could be a left-handed complement to the swing-swinging White as well. Luke Williamsas Jarred Kelenic he continues the daily work in the center again Adam Duvall in the right field. With Harris not expected to return until after the All-Star break at first, the Braves will try to make do with this team until Harris returns, or unless other guarantees are brought in via trade or signing.
White is now in his first MLB start this season, and his first since the Braves optioned him to Triple-A in April 2023. White has appeared in the last four Major League campaigns, all but six. His 136 career games in the Show came with the Rangers from 2020-22. He hit just .181/.259/.288 in 406 PA in the bigs, but White was even better in Triple-A, including Gwinnett's .294/.402/.462 slash line over 234 PA this season.
White's short career has unfortunately been defined by injuries, as his last three seasons were all ended early by surgery. After elbow surgery in 2021 and wrist surgery in 2022, White tore his left shoulder nearly a year ago, leading to another procedure and another shortened season for the outfielder. White's all-field defense and quality support make him a useful player for the Braves in need of at least a bench role, and his Triple-A numbers suggest he could still be a late bloomer at age 30.
It was announced two weeks ago that Kerr would undergo Tommy John surgery, so it was only a matter of time before the Braves placed him on 60-day IL when the 40-man roster spot was needed. Kerr had a 5.64 ERA in 22 1/3 innings in Atlanta this season, and the timing of his surgery could mean he could miss the entire 2025 season.
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