Braves Land All-Star Outfielder to Bolster Offense

The Atlanta Braves have been relatively quiet on the free agent market this winter.  In fact, the loss of Max Fried to Yankees, Travis d’Arnaud and Jorge Solar (Angels) and Charlie Morton (Orioles) gave Braves Country a cause for concern.  The tide began to turn on Thursday when Atlanta announced the signing of All-Star Padres outfielder, Jurickson Profar to a three year, $42 million deal.

2024 Woes

It is no secret that the Braves offense underperformed in 2024, largely due to a slew of key injuries.  Ronald Acuna Jr’s ACL tear on May 26th took him out for the remainder of the season.  Austin Riley played just 110 games due to several injuries, Ozzie Albies played just 99 and Michael Harris II, 110.

It wasn’t just injuries alone that plagued the Braves at the plate.  Coming off career seasons in 2023, Orlando Arcia and Sean Murphy struggled at the plate.  Arcia hit just .218 / .625 OPS and Sean Murphy hit .193 / .636 OPS.  Matt Olson who hit 54 home runs in 2023, dropped to 29 in 2024.  Olson’s OPS dropped from .993 to .790.  In other words, the Braves offense was just flat in 2024.

2025 Revival?

Despite the injuries and decline in production from key players, Marcell Ozuna had his best season since 2017.  Without his contributions at the plate, the Braves might have missed the postseason.  With the addition of Profar in 2025, the Braves add a key bat a lineup that has the potential to explode once again.  Profar hit .280 / .836 OPS with 24 home runs and 85 RBIs with the Padres in 2024.

Acuna is expect to finally return to the lineup in May, making Profar an even more critical pickup for the early season.  If injuries are kept to a minimum and Braves hitters have a bounce back season, they could once be among the most dangerous lineups in MLB.  Here’s a look at a possible 2025 Braves lineup:

1. RF  Ronald Acuna Jr. (following his return)
2. LF Jurickson Profar
3. 3B Austin Riley
4. 1B Matt Olson
5. DH Marcell Ozuna
6. 2B Ozzie Albies
7. CF Michael Harris
8. SS Orlando Arcia
9. C  Sean Murphy

Arms Race in the NL Central

Perhaps the biggest obstacle the Braves face in 2025 is the competition in their own division.  In 2024, the Braves trailed the Phillies the entire season and the upstart Mets surged ahead in the postseason.  The Phillies remain in tact, the Mets signing of Juan Soto bolsters their lineup in a big way and the Nationals have a lot of young talent that could quietly have an impact.

The loss of Max Fried and Charlie Morton leave some holes in the rotation as well.  With many of the big names already signed, in recent days, Atlanta has been linked to Jack Flaherty.  Spencer Strider is expected to return in May.  Add Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach, both who had solid 2024 seasons, and it looks like a strong rotation.  The Braves bullpen was among the best in baseball.

Perhaps the biggest strategic advantage that the Braves have is that they have all their young talent locked up for years to come.  Will the Braves compete for the NL East crown in 2025?  Sure wouldn’t count them out.

Brian Koss

Brian is the Co-Owner/Managing Editor at Legends on Deck and Co-Host on Legends On Deck Podcast. He's been writing about baseball at LOD since 2017. He grew up in the Detroit area and is a lifelong Tigers fan. However, he shares some affinity for his son George's favorite team, the Atlanta Braves. Brian also has a particular interest in the amateur side of the game, including high school, college and collegiate summer league baseball. Brian and George also love collecting and selling baseball cards. You can find them selling on eBay (@Kossball) or posting on George's Instagram (@Kossball). Brian lives in Horizon West (Winter Garden), Florida with his wife (Grace), three daughters and son George. You can also reach him at brianmkoss@gmail.com