Braves castoff sure looks like he’s trying to audition for return to Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves have yet to find a long-term option to replace Ronald Acuña Jr., instead going with the internal choice in outfielder Adam Duvall. If Duvall can rediscover some of his magic from early in the 2023 season with Boston, then perhaps he'll be just good enough to play in Atlanta's outfield until the trade deadline.

The more likely plan, of course, is that Alex Anthopoulos adds some outfield depth at the deadline. The last time Acuña was out for the season, Anthopoulos went buckwild, trading for four outfielders in the process including Duvall. Could a similar spending spree be coming at the 2024 deadline?

Why Eddie Rosario left Braves in the first place

If Duvall falters, Anthopoulos can lean on another former Braves World Series winner to add outfield depth in Eddie Rosario. The Braves let Rosario walk this winter, which at the time looked like a wise choice due to a separate trade for Jarred Kelenic.

"There was definitely interest there. This was after some of the moves they had made in the offseason, getting (outfielder Jarred) Kelenic. He’s always been honest with me and told me (Kelenic) was gonna get every opportunity to go out there and play – righty, lefty – and that I would just be an extra outfielder, which at this point in my career, I would’ve been more than happy doing, understanding that things happen in this game, things change, everyone goes in with a plan and sometimes those plans change," Rosario said of his reasoning for leaving Atlanta.

Everything has changed for Eddie Rosario and the Braves

With Acuña Jr. out of the picture for the season, a reunion could offer Rosario a chance to boost his value heading into free agency yet again this offseason. Rosario got off to a dreadful start this season, but his splits look far better in May than they did in April.

Per FanSided's Zach Rotman, Rosario had an .895 OPS in May entering Monday's action. On Wednesday night, Rosario had two hits in five at-bats, proving his value for a team likely to flip him by August for prospects. Rotman pitched a possible trade for Rosario early this week, and it could be surprisingly affordable for the Braves.

Hernandez is a depth bullpen option who would receive more of an opportunity with the rebuilding Nationals than a team like Atlanta. In exchange, Rosario returns to familiar stomping grounds and tries to relive some of the magic from the Braves 2021 World Series-winning season.