The Atlanta Braves have numerous offensive problems. At this point, that sentence is undeniable, and fromB.J. Upton‘s well-documented struggles to the scuffling ofAndrelton SimmonsandChris Johnson, this isn’t a good offense right now. However, there is no excuse for startingRyan Doumitin the outfielder in the month of September.
Doumit’s issues have also been well-chronicled, as he has been an offensive disaster (.193/.231/.296, 43 wRC+), butstartinghim in the outfield, whichFredi Gonzalezelected to doduring Wednesday afternoon’s tilt, is more egregious when the roster is allowed to stand at up to 40 players. On September 1st, the Braves elected to promote bothJose ConstanzaandJoey Terdoslavichto the majors, and while my feelings on Constanza are public already (read: he stinks), there is no argument against their promotion given the extra room. However, there is one player who was mysteriously absent.
Where isTodd Cunningham?
The 25-year-old Cunningham is not a “hot” prospect by any stretch, as he doesn’t profile as a long-term starter, but by all accounts, he can play adequate defense (at worst) at all three outfield spots and he has a 109 wRC+ in triple-A this season. In short, Ryan Doumit is a defensivedisasteranywhere he is deployed on the field, but in the midst of a pennant race, inserting him in the lineup in an outfield corner with an expanded roster is a comedy show.
Perhaps there is an underlying reason why Todd Cunningham has not been promoted, but even if that reason exists, just throw Joey Terdoslavich out there.
Rant complete.
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