If the Braves are going to add anything this early in the season, it will be an outfielder. Ronald Acuña has been in and out of the lineup, and Eddie Rosario is at least a month or two away from returning. Thankfully, Travis Demeritte has stepped up in a big way, but the Braves could still use some outfield help until Rosario and Acuña are back to 100%, which is why they were reportedly pursuing Brett Gardner.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Braves reached out to Gardner following Rosario’s decision to undergo surgery, but Gardner declined the opportunity.
Gardner, 38, turned down a one-year, $6 million offer from the Blue Jays after the conclusion of the lockout, sources said. More recently, the Braves gauged his interest after learning outfielder Eddie Rosario would miss eight-to-12 weeks while recovering from a laser procedure to correct blurred vision and swelling in his right eye. Gardner declined to pursue the opportunity.
The Yankees seemed to have moved on from Gardner, and it doesn’t look like the 38-year-old has any desire to play anywhere else, which is understandable. However, he would have been a high-quality addition to hold down the fort until Rosario gets back from his injury.
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