4 Ronald Acuña Jr. replacements the Braves may need for Opening Day
1. The Braves might need the J.P. Martinez trade to pay off right away
The Braves made several trades this offseason, but one that flew under the radar a bit saw them land J.P. Martinez in a deal with the Rangers. Martinez didn't have much room in a crowded Rangers outfield, but has a chance to make the Opening Day roster in Atlanta whether Acuña is healthy or not.
Martinez put up an excellent .963 OPS in the minors last season but had just a .575 OPS in 44 MLB plate appearances with the Rangers after getting called up in August. Martinez makes sense as a bench player for Atlanta as he can play all three outfield positions at an admirable level, but his lack of MLB experience should give them cause to pause.
Atlanta could turn to a player like Forrest Wall who is on their 40-man roster to instead fill in for Acuña or even NRI's like Jordan Luplow or Eli White, but the Braves traded for Martinez for a reason. There's a good chance that if Acuña has to miss time, we'll see lots of Martinez to begin the season.
The leash will be short for J.P., but the fact that he was just acquired and is already on the 40-man makes him a more likely option than anyone else. If Martinez is indeed handed the reigns, the Braves will need the 27-year-old to perform right away.
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