Braves: Plenty of Questions Remain in the Outfield

Maybe the biggest question left for the Atlanta Braves this offseason is how they plan to surround Ronald Acuna Jr. in the outfield this coming season.

The Atlanta Braves worked early to take care of the starting rotation this offseason. We knew it would take a while longer for the market for hitters to pick up, especially without a clear direction on the DH.

Around the diamond things are pretty set with the exception of a back-up catcher. And there are those who believe the third base job is still in question.

But for the most part, the Braves will be working to fill in the outfield the rest of this offseason.

Depending on who you talk to, there is only one spot left to fill with Acuna and Cristian Pache making up two-thirds of the outfield. And there are others who think Drew Waters is ready to take the other spot, but I’m not in that group.

In fact, I’m a little concerned about Pache’s spot.

I was actually really impressed with the at-bats he had during the postseason and how he played defensively. But it’s really hard to judge him over that small sample size.

And having said that, what I’m about to say next is highly contradictory and hypocritical. But I’m a little concerned with the way things have gone for him in the Dominican League this winter.

It’s not really the fact that he’s just 3-for-20 at the plate, but that they having him batting ninth in a lineup of mostly non-Major League players.

Those teams in LIDOM want to win, so they’re not going to give special treatment to a top prospect or Major League player and bat them up in the lineup unless they feel it will help them win. Apparently, Manny Acta, the coach of Estrellas, doesn’t think Pache is a good enough hitter to bat higher in the lineup.

And the results thus far prove that out.

With the regular season coming to an end in LIDOM, we might not see much from Pache, but I can’t imagine he gained much confidence down there this winter.

Then again, I’m probably reading too much into it and he’ll be fine. But as high as I was on him after the postseason, I’d be lying if that shine wasn’t worn off after his time in LIDOM.

Still, I expect Pache to be the starting center fielder for the Braves to start 2021, and I think he’ll give us good at-bats from the eight or nine spot (DH pending).

However, I wouldn’t mind a back-up plan in case he is terrible at the plate. Maybe everyone’s favorite player, Ender Inciarte, is that back-up. But it’s hard to see Ender suiting up for the Braves again after he was left off the postseason roster last year.

I really want to see Acuna stay in right field, though, so I hope they do have Pache and a back-up center fielder to help make that happen.

As far as left field goes, with Adam Duvall getting non-tendered the door is wide open there.

The guy I’ve been wanting the Braves to go get since the beginning of the offseason was Michael Brantley. It’s a much-needed left-handed bat that is going to give you a professional AB every time — basically, he’s a better version of Nick Markakis.

That still leaves the need for a big right-handed bat to stick behind Freddie Freeman.

If there is a DH, then there are plenty of options out there to fill that role.

However, teams have been told to operate as if there won’t be a DH. That means the Braves may have to pursue that big right-handed bat for left field.

Marcell Ozuna is the obvious choice for a lot of Braves fans. And I could deal with the defense in left field — it’s not like Brantley would be great out there either — if I knew it was just for one year.

Internally, Abraham Almonte is currently on the 40-man roster and we know Austin Riley can play a decent enough left field but then that creates a hole at third.

Waters could be ready sometime next year, but I’d rather not see him until 2022 unless he’s just on fire to start 2021 in Triple-A.

Terone (Trey) Harris is someone I could actually see making the jump in 2021 as he’s a mature hitter. But I’d think it would take an emergency situation for him to get called up.

Some of the Braves’ other top outfield prospects like Michael Harris, Greyson Jenista, and recently drafted Jesse Franklin appear to be another year or two away.

I’d like to see Atlanta go out and get a couple of outfielders this offseason to make sure there is plenty of depth and to make sure Acuna stays in right field. Who are some players you hope they target in the outfield?