According to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta Braves signed Brian Anderson to a major league contract on Tuesday.
Anderson is a right-handed hitter who has largely played third base and right field in his seven seasons in the majors. To make room on the 40-man roster, Atlanta placed reliever Tyler Matzek on the 60-day disabled list.
The #Braves today signed INF Brian Anderson to a major league contract and he will be active for tonight’s game at Boston. To make room on the 40-man roster, Atlanta transferred LHP Tyler Matzek to the 60-day injured list.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 4, 2024
Anderson signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. After failing to make the Opening Day roster, Anderson reported to Triple-A Tacoma. Anderson has had a successful season in the minors. In 176 plate appearances this season, he batted.270/.358/.439 with seven home runs and six doubles.
Despite his accomplishment, Seattle declined to add Anderson to the big league roster before his June 1 opt-out. As a result, the veteran opted out over the weekend, becoming a free agent.
Atlanta Braves Sign Brian Anderson To Major League Deal
From 2018 to 2020, the Oklahoma native batted.266/.350/.436 (111 OPS+) with 42 home runs and 74 doubles in 1,419 plate appearances. Anderson, while not a lineup-carrier, may add depth as a quality supporting bat.
In addition, his defensive versatility adds significant value. Anderson has spent 1,870 innings in the outfield (all except 52 1/3 in right field) and 3,239 1/3 at third base. In these innings, he recorded 9 defensive runs saved in the outfield and 2 at third base. He may not have a lot of range, but he has a really strong arm, which is required at both positions.
A new bench piece for Atlanta https://t.co/Srx0lXDgy9
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) June 4, 2024
Unfortunately, Anderson has battled injuries and underperformance since his heyday. Since 2021, he has not played more than 98 games in a season due to shoulder and oblique problems. In addition, his batting average is.231/.318.During this period, he hit 362 (87 OPS+), including 24 home runs and 37 doubles, for the Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers.
The Braves signed Anderson to a low-risk contract that might yield significant value. Atlanta needs outfield depth, particularly in right field, following Ronald Acuña Jr.’s season-ending knee injury. Anderson may contribute his doubles-centric offensive profile to a Braves lineup that should be led by its true studs.
Anderson may be able to return to his career-peak production without the added responsibility of carrying the offense. Signing Anderson now should improve Atlanta’s depth and potentially minimize the trade deadline shopping list.
