And for that reason, it’s likely that the Braves will sign another outfielder before the season begins – one who could be on their big league roster. They’ve been relatively quiet this offseason, but their biggest moves probably haven’t happened yet.

Atlanta needs to fill an outfield spot as Ronald Acuña Jr. will not be ready for Opening Day as he completes his rehab from surgery to repair his torn ACL. Jarred Kelenic has played well on the pitches in 2024, but the Braves probably can’t rely on him as an everyday guy just yet until they see more. This leads you to believe that the Braves will sign a proven outfielder – or at least try to.

Earlier in the offseason, Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves’ president of baseball operations and general manager, added payroll flexibility to meet his 2025 needs. He did so knowing that he would not have Acuña or Spencer Strider (rehab from elbow surgery) on the Opening Day roster and that Joe Jiménez (knee surgery) will miss a significant portion of the season.

The Braves know they need an outfielder. It doesn’t look like De La Cruz will be the move that fills that need. He’s probably depth more than anything else.

Braves fans may know De La Cruz from his time with the Marlins from 2021-24. With Miami and Pittsburgh last season, De La Cruz hit .233 with a .654 OPS.

Over the summer, the Marlins traded De La Cruz to the Pirates, who were trying to advance to the postseason. The outfielder posted a .200 batting average in 160 at-bats. He was non-tendered by the Pirates in November, making him a free agent.

De La Cruz offers a bit of pop.

He hit 19 home runs in 2023 and 21 last season. Defensively, the metrics say his range is limited but he has good arm strength.

Don’t worry yet, Braves fans. The Braves didn’t sign De La Cruz because they thought he would be their starting outfielder on Opening Day. But depth is always necessary.

Now we wait for her next step.