HIT OR MISS: Evaluating Atlanta Braves Mid-Season Acquisitions

The Atlanta Braves have had to constantly replace players on the roster as injuries built up. Some have been home runs. Others were a wave and a miss.

The Atlanta Braves made some notable moves in the effort to replace injured players. Some have been hits. Others were misses. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves have been shuffling the roster throughout the season to make up for injuries. Some have been metaphorical home runs. Others have been total whiffs.  

With the season winding down, it’s time to evaluate some of the mid-season acquisitions by the Braves. Each player will be declared a hit or a miss. 

Eddie Rosario 

We wanted this one to work out. We all did. The storyline was right there for the taking. The 2021 NLCS MVP swoops in and helps save the Braves season. He did it three years ago. Maybe he can do it again. 

He did not. 

In 24 games, Rosario batted .154 with a .463 OPS. Just a month after he returned to Atlanta, he was designated for assignment and opted for free agency. Worth a shot. 

Grade: Miss

Whit Merrifield 

This acquisition couldn’t have had a more brutal start. Hours after he signed, Merrifield got hurt. The reinforcement needed a reinforcement. 

He’s actually been hurt two other times since then. You can't make this stuff up.

Despite that, Merrifield has made for a nice addition late in the season. His .675 OPS isn’t anything special, but that .344 on-base percentage has been valuable to this lineup. Of the 54 times he has reached base, he has scored 22 times. He’s giving the Braves opportunities to drive in runs. In a season like this, you take that. 

Grade: Hit

Gio Urshela

If this evaluation was coming at the start of September, Ursula would get a raving review. In his first 12 games since joining the Braves, he batted .318 with a .742 OPS. 

He jumped right in after Austin Riley got hurt and the Braves won eight of those games. Since then, it’s been rough. He’s batting .160 with a .472 OPS in his last 14 games. The Braves are .500 in that span. 

This experiment was off to a great start, but it isn't working down the stretch. 

Grade: Miss 

Luke Jackson

Jackson came over with Jorge Soler at the deadline. Soler has been great, especially in September. Jackson, not so much. 

To be fair to Jackson, he hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last six appearances. He has a 1.74 ERA in his last 10 outings. 

However, when he’s had some costly outings since July 30. He gave up four runs in the top of the eighth on Aug. 11. The Braves went on to blow an 8-2 lead and lose three outs later, 9-8. 

He lasted just one-third of an inning on Aug. 25, giving up three runs. The game quickly out of reach. 

These small moments could decide the Braves' postseason fate. Those can’t be ignored. 

Grade: Miss

Ramon Laureano 

What a success story this addition has been. Laureano was cut by the Cleveland Guardians after batting .143 with a .494 OPS in 31 games. 

He’s completely reinvented himself in Atlanta. In 57 games with the Braves, Laureano is batting .299 with an .828 OPS. He has been involved in scoring on 55 different occasions - 22 RBIs and 23 runs scored. 

The Braves should consider keeping him around in 2025. 

Grade: Hit