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How the Braves signing Carlos Santana gives Atlanta another leg up in the NL race

Another veteran bat could help the Braves rebuild momentum and secure their lead over the Phillies.
ByEthan Lee|
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Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana
Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Key Points

Bullet point summary by AI

  • The Braves are seeking stability after losing seven of their last ten games and aiming to protect their slim NL East lead.
  • Carlos Santana, a veteran presence, joins the organization, offering a seasoned bat and flexibility without immediate roster commitments.
  • The move addresses depth concerns but leaves the team's struggling pitching staff as the next critical area to resolve.

The Atlanta Braves may be leading things in the NL East race, but it doesn’t seem like they’re really happy with how things have been going lately. The Braves have lost seven of their last 10 games and are looking for ways to really hold on to their lead over the Phillies. They may have found a way to do just that.

It’s not the most exciting move ever, but the Braves just picked up a 40-year-old first baseman. On the surface, that’s not something that would really excite many Atlanta fans. But, there’s some truly solid potential benefits for getting Carlos Santana into the Braves’ system.

With Santana, the Braves are getting someone who has a career .351 OBP and 335 home runs dating back to 2010. They’re also getting someone who is hitting with an .083 batting average so far this season.

This is such an interesting decision that potential gives the Braves plenty of flexibility down the stretch of the season. Santana is going to start off in Gwinnett, which will allow Atlanta to really test things out and see if he can be a contributor (if that becomes necessary).

Santana could give Atlanta a boost in the NL race, but Braves fans aren’t thrilled

There's admittedly still some risk with this and a lot of it has to do with the fact that this is far from addressing the biggest issue that the Braves have going on right now. Atlanta’s pitching staff is struggling right now.

Still, some Atlanta fans have hope that this will work out for them as a similar move has in the past.

In theory, this could play out like in 2021 when Atlanta picked up Joc Pederson. That said, Pederson was 29-years-old at the time. Santana is 40 now. 

So, how does this work out for Atlanta?

This sort of move has to do Santana’s potential and upside. They’re not having to give up really anything to experiment here. This allows them to add some depth and a veteran bat into the mix without having to immediately give up a roster spot or sacrifice a prospect. 

At the moment, Atlanta owns a +89 run differential, even with the recent losing skid. That’s a significant gap over the rest of the NL East right now. The second-place Phillies have a +1 run differential. Miami currently has a +10. 

And sure, while there are concerns with the Braves’ pitching staff that should be addressed, there’s nothing to indicate that more moves can’t happen soon. It’s not a bad thing that the Braves picked up someone with well over a decade of experience. 

Atlanta isn’t having to mortgage its future or lose its first place spot away in the AL East right now. They’re not betting everything on Santana. Instead, this allows them depth, flexibility, and the potential to make more significant moves down the line should that become a necessity.

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