Atlanta Braves Acquire Matt Joyce to Bolster Bench

The Atlanta Braves have acquired veteran journeyman Matt Joyce from the San Francisco Giants for cash considerations. Joyce is a decent hitter who will provide the Braves a pinch-hitting option.

The Atlanta Braves signing Matt Joyce is less about what Joyce brings to the team as it is the lack of hitting options on the Braves bench. Joyce is a solid pinch hitter who is better than any of the Braves current options.

Joyce has a career .240 average with 138-homers lifetime. Acquiring Joyce both points to the fact the Braves need more depth and they don’t trust their current pinch-hitting options.

Their bench doesn’t have a power option and Joyce will provide them with a 4th outfielder and late-inning power option.

This move seems to signal doom for Adam Duvall who has done nothing but disappoint since he joined the Braves. Joyce has the same toolset as Duvall though he hasn’t put together 30-homer seasons as Duvall has.

This likely isn’t the last move for Atlanta considering they continue to be tied to closer Craig Kimbrel and their roster has plenty of opportunities to improve. Signing a surprise cut or one of this season’s top remaining free agents wouldn’t be surprising for Atlanta.

Remaining quiet for much of the off-season Atlanta still has plenty of flexibility to make one blockbuster move or a series of small moves to improve their roster depth.

Regardless of what they decide as currently constructed the Braves aren’t a World Series contender. They will need impactful additions now or during the MLB Trade Deadline in July.

Though if they wait they will be betting on their young talent to keep them in the race throughout the months to come. The Braves season will kick off Thursday in Philly as Atlanta finally plays meaningful baseball once again.