Rosario's Second Braves Stint Comes to an End

Eddie Rosario was brought back to the Atlanta Braves to try and spark a struggling offense.

Eddie Rosario's second stint with the Atlanta Braves is officially over after he elected free agency. / Jordan Godfree-USA TODAY Sports

Outfielder Eddie Rosario’s tenure with the Atlanta Braves has once again reached its conclusion. After being designated for assignment, he has elected free agency instead of being outrighted back to Triple-A Gwinnett. 

Eddie Rosario elected free agency.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) August 11, 2024

Rosario finished his Braves tenure batting .154 with a .463 OPS, a 29 OPS+, three home runs and nine RBIs. His 44 wRC+ was the worst on the team with a minimum of 300 plate appearances. In turn, it also happens to be the worst in the league. 

Worst wRC+ by Team pic.twitter.com/tDfLSP8QFo

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) August 11, 2024

Just looking at the numbers, it’s clear it was a brutal return to Atlanta. 

It was a fun experiment to try and bring back more members of the 2021 championship team, but with Micheal Harris back soon, somebody had to go. 

It’s understandable why he chose free agency. He’s a veteran MLB player who doesn’t want to have to play in the minors if he doesn’t have to. 

It’s disappointing, but Rosario has his place in Braves history regardless. Along with being part of the World Series team, he was the NLCS MVP. In 28 plate appearances over six games against the Dodgers, Rosario batted .560 with a 1.647 OPS, three home runs and nine RBIs. 

Yes, his NLCS homers and RBIs totals are the same as his 2024 season numbers. Maybe there’s something poetic about it. It’s a coincidence that might as well be pointed out. 

This might not be the end of his career. He could be picked up by another club before the end of this month and still be eligible for a postseason roster spot. He could also get a spring training invite from another team. 

He was hitting well just a year ago. Another team is going to give him a shot to see if it was an off year. He can provide depth and be an option in the outfield. Perhaps he can also provide some veteran leadership on a younger team on the rise. 

If he does choose to hang it up, it would be with a whimper, but it would still be a career with some significant achievements. 

The Braves could not have asked for a better start to a big series versus the Dodgers.

Eddie Rosario -- the NLCS hero against the Dodgers in 2021 -- launched a three-run shot.

4-0, Braves pic.twitter.com/AxY3gB8rnF

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) May 23, 2023