Potential D-backs Free Agency Target: Ramón Laureano

The Diamondbacks could turn to the veteran outfielder to solidify their lineup.

Sep 20, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Ramon Laureano (18) watches his solo home run in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

This article is part of a series evaluating potential free agent and trade acquisitions for the Arizona Diamondbacks entering the 2025 season.

Ramón Laureano, OF, 30 years old

Now entering his 8th MLB season, Laureano has built himself a solid MLB career. After spending most of his career in Oakland, the right-hander has turned into somewhat of a journeyman, having been a part of 4 teams in the last two seasons.

After consecutive poor seasons in 2022 and 2023, he managed to find a big bounceback season between Cleveland and Atlanta. Specifically, after struggling with the Guardians to the tune of a 43 OPS+ in 31 games, Laureano turned things around massively, posting a 128 OPS+ with the Braves.

As the Diamondbacks continue to look for right-handed help to fill out their lineup, the veteran outfielder could make sense in the desert.

Pros

Ability to hit left handed pitching

One of the biggest advantages that Laureano brings to the table is his ability to crush left-handed pitching. In 102 plate appearances against lefties in 2024 he mashed to a 142 sOPS+.

He totaled a .869 OPS and even swatted 5 home runs, only 1 fewer than against right-hand pitching while seeing 105 fewer at-bats against southpaws. In a Diamondbacks uniform, Laureano would see a lot more plate appearances against left-handers and therefore put him in a far better position to succeed and put up those kinds of numbers in a larger sample.

Throwing arm

Compared to some other right-handed options we have discussed in this series, Laureano is far from a pure DH. As a career corner outfielder, he brings an incredible throwing arm, the likes of which the D-backs haven't seen in quite some time.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. stands out with the best outfield arm on the current roster. According to Baseball Savant, he comes in at the 63rd percentile in arm strength but only has an arm value in the 16th percentile. Other current outfielders Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, and Jake McCarthy all fall well below average in arm strength as well.

Laureano on the other hand has a cannon in the outfield. According to Statcast, in 2024 his arm strength came in the 89th percentile, a tremendous difference from even Gurriel Jr.'s production. His arm value came in even stronger at the 100th percentile, making him among the top 1% in baseball.

Cons

General defense

While he likely wouldn't be an everyday outfielder, Laureano would see significant playing time in the outfield, reminiscent of Randal Grichuk in 2024. While he brings an incredible arm in the field, his general defense is far from elite.

Last year his outfield range came in at only the 8th percentile. This left him with -6 Outs Above Average, an incredibly poor mark for someone who saw a lot of playing time in the field last season.

The Diamondbacks are known as one of the best defensive clubs in baseball, and they do put a lot of value into their ability to track down any ball hit to them. Laureano does not fit the defense-first mindset, and while he would absolutely help in the throwing deparment, would leave the other defenders to pick up his slack.

Walks

While the Laureano found a lot of success with the Braves at the tail end of 2024, the one thing that suffered was his walks. Not known for his plate discipline, Laureano posted just a 3.5% walk rate with the Braves, and 4.9% overall for the year. That was a steep drop off from his career average of 7.4%. League average is 8.2%

His 31.4% strikeout rate compared to 22.4% league average for 2024 didn't help either. These markers are worrying for a player now in his 30s who relies heavily on his bat to be productive. The D-backs do have enough cushion in their offense to suffer a blow if his numbers were to tick down, but may not want to risk a falloff.

Conclusion

Laureano could make a lot of sense for Arizona from a roster-building perspective. He is one of the very few right-handed sluggers left on the free agent market that could fill the hole left by Randal Grichuk's departure.

His elite arm would be a much-needed aid to the young players currently roaming the outfield, but bad range numbers leave something to be desired in general defense.

Concerning walk and strikeout totals do raise some red flags about his game, but an impressive second-half performance in Atlanta, and incredible numbers against southpaws may be enough to get the front office to look the other way and take a shot on Laureano's bat.

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