The Braves are among the teams interested in free agent outfielder Scott Hairston, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter). Hairston could address the Braves’ need for a left fielder, but he might be too expensive for Atlanta.
Hairston hit 20 homers and posted a .263/.299/.504 batting line for the Mets this past season. The 32-year-old played all three outfield positions, spending most of his time in the two corner spots. He faced left-handed pitching in precisely half of his 398 plate appearances and, as usual, he excelled against lefties with a .286/.317/.550 batting line and 11 home runs.
The Braves appear to prefer right-handed hitters such as Hairston given their lefty-heavy lineup. However, he wouldn’t be a natural complement to Braves outfielder Reed Johnson, another right-handed hitter who hits lefties better than he hits righties.
Hairston, an Excel Sports Management client, earned $1.1MM in each of the past two seasons. He could be looking for a two-year deal in the $10MM range following Jonny Gomes’ deal with the Red Sox. The Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Tigers and Indians have all been linked to him at various points this offseason.
