Return of Braves hero is not enough as the club’s only transfer at the transfer deadline

The first of what will hopefully be a series of trade deadline moves for the Atlanta Braves took place over the Fourth of July weekend. After being released by the Washington Nationals, Atlanta snapped up former outfielder Eddie Rosario and signed him to a minor league contract. Rosario originally came to Atlanta from Cleveland in exchange for Pablo Sandoval and a bag full of balls. He became a legend in the NLCS.

While Rosario was a postseason hero for Atlanta during the Braves’ last World Series championship, 2021 was a long time ago. Rosario spent all of 2022 and 2023 with the Braves, playing subpar and unfocused in the outfield, and also no longer being the consistent power hitter he was in his prime with the Minnesota Twins. If not for the 2021 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, why is he back?

The good news is that Rosario is well-versed in the Braves’ culture and could be a perfect fit in an outfield that needs help. The bad news is that this can’t possibly be the only transfer general manager Alex Anthopoulos can make at the trade deadline this year. That’s not good enough. No, Atlanta isn’t catching Philadelphia in the NL East, but you have to give it your all when it comes to the postseason. Catch lightning in a bottle again.

This is certainly not all that the Braves have in terms of deadline deals. Otherwise it would be a disappointment.

While I completely understand the “low risk, high reward” component with Rosario, we’ve seen that happen here in Braves Country for nearly three years. While we all want him to play at his level, he lost his starting spot in the Atlanta outfield for a reason and had to sign with the Nationals incredibly late in the offseason. Still, it’s good to have him back.

However, Atlanta needs a little more offensive firepower in the outfield, as well as a back-end starter to fill the gaps. I suspect Anthopoulos will give the Braves the starting pitcher they’re looking for. He might be No. 3 on a decent team, but would fall to No. 5 in Atlanta’s rotation. Anthopoulos has plenty of time to get a deal done, but not all the time in the world.

Overall, it just feels like this season is ending in yet another heartbreaking disappointment for the Braves. I feel it in my bones. But in that spirit, you still have to try. Unless you’re truly down, you owe it to your fans to make a significant deal or two at the trade deadline to improve your roster for the final stretch of the postseason. Fortunately, Atlanta has a history of making great deals in late July.

If Rosario is Joc Pederson’s 2021 addition, Atlanta could shock the world again.