2:58 pm: The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli reports that 18 teams expressed interest in signing Rodriguez. That sheds light on why the Braves needed to offer him a 40-man spot to sweeten the deal.
1:17 pm: The Braves have signed outfielder Carlos D. Rodriguez to a non-guaranteed one-year contract, the team announced. While Rodriguez has yet to make his major league debut, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel notes that the deal gives him a spot on Atlanta’s 40-man roster. The Braves have an open 40-man spot, so no corresponding move will be required.
Financial terms of the deal have not yet been announced, but Rodriguez will presumably earn something close to the league minimum salary for the time he spends with the club. Since the contract is not guaranteed, the Braves would not have to continue paying his salary if they decided to cut him from the roster at any point.
Rodriguez, soon to be 24, elected minor league free agency earlier this month. He had been a member of the Brewers organization since he signed with the club as a 16-year-old international free agent in 2017. While never a top prospect (indeed, he was only the second-highest-ranked Carlos Rodriguez on most Brewers prospect lists for the past few years), he played well at Double-A last season, slashing .298/.376/.396 with a 132 wRC+. He stole 15 bases in 19 attempts and walked more often than he struck out. That’s some solid offensive production coming from a primary center fielder, even if most evaluators agree his defense is more good than great.
Then again, Rodriguez struggled after a midseason promotion to Triple-A. He continued to demonstrate excellent contract skills and plate discipline (13.3% walk rate, 8.6% strikeout rate), but he slashed a meager .245/.344/.309 with a 79 wRC+. His promising Double-A number might explain why the Braves were interested, but his poor Triple-A performance shows why the Brewers never added him to their own 40-man roster.
Slightly harder to understand is why the Braves gave Rodriguez a non-guaranteed major league contract instead of signing him to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Rodriguez has no major league experience and struggled badly in a brief stint against Triple-A competition. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked him as the no. 34 prospect in Milwaukee’s system entering the 2024 season, describing him as a potential fifth outfielder. Keith Law of The Athletic left Rodriguez off his list of the Brewers’ top prospects this past season, while Baseball America has not included him since 2022.
It’s not as if the Braves are desperate for center fielders, either. Michael Harris II ended the 2024 season on a high note, and, barring injury, he’ll be starting in center field almost every day next season. Jarred Kelenic, Ramón Laureano, and Eli White can also play the position. Luke Williams gives the Braves a fifth healthy outfielder on the 40-man. Once Ronald Acuña Jr. is ready to return, presumably not too long after Opening Day, that will make six outfielders with MLB experience on Atlanta’s 40-man roster.
Then again, perhaps the Braves are planning to non-tender Laureano or White today. They could also be looking ahead and preparing to DFA an outfielder during the regular season once Acuña needs a spot on the active roster. In that case, it’s easier to see why they’d appreciate having an optionable outfielder like Rodriguez. Of the current group, only Harris and Kelenic have minor league options remaining. That still doesn’t explain why the Braves didn’t just sign Rodriguez to a minor league deal, but it’s not as if this non-guaranteed arrangement is any riskier for the team. It seems like the Braves simply identified the player they liked and made the necessary offer to bring him aboard.
