Braves: 3 free agents to sign and 1 to avoid this MLB offseason

3. Andrew Benintendi could be the Braves’ do-it-all option in left field

Two of the outfield spots in Atlanta are now locked down for a long time, which is just the way that fans should want it. NL Rookie of the Year candidate Michael Harris II signed an extension toward the end of this past season after getting called up and starring right away this season, so that locks down centerfield. Then Ronald Acuña Jr. is the superstar in right.

Left field, however, has been a bit of a revolving door for the Braves. En route to the World Series in 2021, we saw Joc Pederson man that spot. And after playing in San Francisco this past season, there has been talk of potentially bringing the pearls back to Atlanta as they look to find some stability in left field beyond Eddie Rosario and with the likes of Adam Duvall and Robbie Grossman hitting free agency.

Pederson would be a fine option, but the franchise might actually be better served trying to spend a bit more overall and, in turn, solving multiple issues for the team as opposed to expanding a platoon. Andrew Benintendi could be a fantastic option to accomplish that.

Much like Pederson, Benintendi would give the Braves lineup another much-needed lefty bat, but would provide more in terms of defense, base-running, and even hitting splits as he doesn’t have to sit when facing lefties. He’s going to demand a price tag that likely is more than $15 million AAV but that could be worth it for helping the team complete one of the best outfields in baseball.