Atlanta Braves still have questions; Markakis shouldn’t be the answer.

Nick Markakis was an All Star in 2018. Rightfully so I may add. He was also awarded a gold glove and a silver slugger. Should he have won those is debatable but never the less, I am going to give you reasons why he SHOULD NOT be the Braves target for the open outfield spot they currently have.

Many fans and pundits wondered the same thing in early December of 2014 when the Atlanta Braves signed Nick Markakis to a 4 year, $44 million deal…..why? It didn’t make sense for a rebuilding club to sign a veteran player of that nature.

The move ended up paying off in 2018 though, as if it wasn’t for Markakis’ hugely productive first half, who knows where the Braves would have ended up?

However, Markakis shouldn’t be a consideration for the Braves to re-sign in my opinion.

As noted, Markakis deserved his All Star selection based off his first half, but his second half was not good. He hit only .258 and his OPS went from around .900 for the first half, down to about .700 for the second half.

Couple that with the fact that he only hit 4 HR and only had 32 RBI’s in the second half.

One must remember, he was the clean up hitter for the majority of the season as well. A championship team most likely needs a more powerful hitter in the 4 hole.

I will say this:  Markakis was durable and true team leader. He started in all 162 games last year, and maybe that’s why his numbers declined severely in the second half. He didn’t hit a single HR in September or October. To keep it going, he also only had 14 doubles and 23 runs scored after the all star game.

Nick turned 35 in November and has had a good career, but I don’t think he is what the Braves need to complete its outfield trio. Maybe if he took a 1 year deal worth less than $8 million or so, I would be interested, but it would have to be a last case scenario.

If he were to come back, the pressure would surely be lessened because most likely Josh Donaldson will be Freddie’s main protection in the lineup.

Brian Snitker would also surely have to give him a day off every 10 or 15 games this year to keep him fresh down the stretch. But in my opinion, I would rather go down another road than resign Nick Markakis back.

What do you think? Are you different from me and want to see the Braves re-sign him? Or do you agree and think its best for the Braves to not even talk to the Markakis camp unless its the absolute last option.