Jurickson Profar's suspension furthered what has been a miserable first week of baseball for the Atlanta Braves and their fans. While it is still far too early to panic, there is no denying how frustrating the start of the year has been in Atlanta.
Profar was the biggest addition of the 2024 offseason and is expected to be the team's left fielder not only this season but for the next two years. However, Profar's future is in question after hurting his team only four games into the year.
With Profar missing the postseason, there is now a wide open competition for a meaningful role, not only while Profar is suspended but in October. With this in mind, the Braves are likely to explore what additions could be made, starting with an in-house option that suddenly has an unexpected opportunity.
1. Alex Verdugo
The Braves' signing of Alex Verdugo was a bit of an oddity in the timing of the move. Atlanta already added Profar and had a trio of options for the fourth outfielder role in Jarred Kelenic, Bryan De La Cruz, and Eli White. Albeit, these are all underwhelming options, none were expected to play innings of note after the first month of the season.
Adding Verdugo several days before Opening Day spoke to a lack of trust in the team's depth. It's a move that will be spotlighted after the loss of Profar. Verdugo was on the market so late based on a complete mess of a 2024 with the New York Yankees.
Before last season's struggles, Verdugo had been a consistent offensive force with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. A career .272 hitter, the veteran is likely Atlanta's best chance at finding a surprise starter in-house. He has vast postseason experience with the Red Sox and Dodgers, meaning the stage won't be too big.
Furthermore, expectations are lowered with Verdugo only needing to be the sixth or seventh best option in the Atlanta lineup.