Anyone who follows the Braves knows that things have not gone according to plan in the outfield. All three Opening Day starters are not on the team at the moment. Marcell Ozuna is awaiting trial, Ronald Acuña Jr is out for the year with a torn ACL, and Cristian Pache is in Gwinnett. The Braves have tried to remedy that issue by bringing in Joc Pederson, and while guys like Guillermo Heredia and Abraham Almonte have filled in nicely at times, they are not starters on a playoff roster. Unless a trade is made, building depth is important right now. Nomar Mazara feels like a guy Alex Anthopoulos will have interest in to accomplish just that.
Mazara was designated for assignment by the Tigers, and he has had a fall from grace since breaking out with the Rangers in 2016. For four seasons, Mazara was good for a .260 average and 20 home runs, almost exactly that every season. However, his play dropped off when he went to the White Sox, and he has had a pretty bad year for Detroit.
Regardless, Mazara still has some pop in his bat and can play both corner outfield positions at 26 years old. His .597 OPS is ugly, but maybe something will click for him with the Braves as a rotational bench piece. Atlanta’s bench needs help, badly. There’s no risk to picking him up, so maybe they will take a shot to see if they can revive his career and push for the postseason.
You must log in to post a comment.