Braves set to sign Puig to 1-year deal
With ‘thin’ outfield, club adding free agent slugger
Free-agent outfielder Yasiel Puig and the Braves agreed to a one-year deal, according to reports Tuesday.
The deal won’t be official until Puig passes a physical. Financial terms weren’t yet available.
The agreement helps the Braves address a depth problem in their outfield.
Puig hit a combined .267 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs for the Reds and Indians in 2019. He also stole 19 bases.
The 29-year-old Puig was the last big-name free agent from the offseason who hadn’t signed with a team.
Puig, from Cuba, made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 2013. He hit .263 with a career-high 28 homers for the Dodgers in 2017 and added 23 homers in 125 games in 2018.
The NL East champion Braves were facing a depth problem in their outfield even after signing Marcell Ozuna to a one-year, $18 million deal in the offseason.
Veteran Nick Markakis opted out of the season before summer camp. Ozuna or Adam Duvall could be needed as the designated hitter in the shortened 60-game season.
The team’s shortage of outfielders was highlighted when rookie Cristian Pache jammed his right ankle in Monday night’s intrasquad game and wasn’t available Tuesday.
“We’re thin a little bit,” manager Brian Snitker said. “We started this thing feeling really good about the depth and we’ve used all of it already as I think a lot of teams have. We’re stretched a little bit.”
If Ozuna is the primary designated hitter, Puig could join Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ender Inciarte in a starting outfield.
Duvall, who has been most productive against left-handers, and Markakis may have split time before Markakis opted out. Puig, who has a .285 career average against right-handers, will be expected to replace the production that had been expected from Markakis.
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