Braves Lose Athletic 24-Year-Old Outfielder to Padres

By Jackson Roberts

Contributing Sports Writer

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For all the star power on both teams' rosters, the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres have both struggled recently to find the right mix in the outfield.

Atlanta's issues mostly stemmed from injuries, but the Padres simply seemed not to have enough bodies, which prompted them to trade for ex-Baltimore Orioles outfielder Ramon Laureano at the July deadline. Between Laureano, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatís Jr., the depth chart looks fairly solidified for the upcoming season.

Nevertheless, the Padres felt they needed at least one more minor-league depth option in the outfield, and it came at the expense of the Braves.

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Earlier this week, former Braves Triple-A outfielder Carlos Rodriguez signed a minor-league deal with the Padres, according to the official MLB.com transactions log. The deal officially was signed on Tuesday, but it took a few more days to show up on the log.

Rodriguez, who turns 25 in December, was once a consensus Top 30 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers system, and he spent the season with the Braves after inking a minor-league deal in late November of last year. He's got a well-rounded skill set, though he's missing the home run ball, and MLB Pipeline currently gives him a grade of 50 or better on the 20-to-80 scale as a runner, fielder, thrower, and contact hitter.

Rodriguez played 138 minor-league games this season, 128 of them in Triple-A, and slashed .254/.324/.326 with career-highs in home runs (eight) and stolen bases (20).

The Braves used an option for Rodriguez this year, but he's still got two remaining, and he's not taking up space on the 40-man roster yet. That gives San Diego lots of flexibility to continue pursuing fourth outfielder options.

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