Braves expected to decline Eddie Rosario’s $9 million option for 2024

According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Braves are expected to decline the $9 million club option of Eddie Rosario, noting that it is a ‘close call’ and nothing is official just yet with the deadline today.

The 2021 NLCS hero slashed .255/.305/.450 in 2023 for the Braves, providing league average offensive production. His defense was better than his typical contribution with +3 OAA and DRS, good for 1.4 fWAR across 142 games.

It was a significant improvement from a year ago when he slashed .212/.259/.328 (62 wRC+) in 270 trips to the plate after undergoing laser eye surgery.

It’s a bit surprising that Atlanta isn’t willing to pick up Rosario’s $9 million option. He was trending in the right direction this season, showing signs of the guy that the Braves thought they were getting after signing him to a new deal in 2022. $9 million is a reasonable price for that level of production, but maybe the Braves want more consistency out of the position.

With money to spend and few areas to upgrade an already loaded lineup, I wouldn’t be shocked if the club went big game hunting in left field. Cody Bellinger will be the hottest commodity on the market and would undoubtedly give the Braves the best outfield in baseball.