Yasiel Puig is the only acceptable replacement for Nick Markakis on the Braves

The Atlanta Braves need to replace Nick Markakis with Yasiel Puig

Just days after four Braves tested positive for COVID-19, first baseman Freddie Freeman among them, Atlanta was dealt a bombshell after a key veteran leader opted out of the 2020 season.

Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the 36-year-old Markakis, who is coming off a season in which he hit .285 with nine home runs, has informed manager Brian Snitker that he will choose to sit out the 2020 MLB season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There is only one viable replacement option out there for Atlanta, and his name is Yasiel Puig.

The Braves need to sign Yasiel Puig ASAP

For a team that is contending for both a division crown in one of the most cutthroat divisions in the league and eyeing a World Series title, replacing Markakis with a bargain bin free agent simply isn’t good enough. The Braves could roll the dice on either Cristian Pache or Drew Waters, but both of those prospects carry a degree of uncertainty, while Puig is a proven commodity in this league.

Puig hit .267 with 24 home runs and 84 RBIs last year, proving that his unique combination of power, speed, and hustle is still good enough to warrant a spot as a starter. He could even be a sneaky candidate to fill the DH role.

At just 29 years old, there is reason to believe Puig is still in his athletic prime, which instantly gives him more offensive upside than Markakis. With the defensive numbers almost equal in terms of dWAR (-0.8 for Markakis, -0.5 for Puig), the Cuban sensation could become an instant starter for Atlanta, all for a relatively discounted price.

The Braves need to kick themselves in the butt and get this dead done, as the San Francisco Giants and just about every other corner outfield deficient team is hot on Puig’s tail.

The Braves need to make one or two big moves to separate themselves from the rest of the NL East, and Puig would help them put some distance between them and the other elite teams in the NL.