Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz has agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves, which will pay him $860,000 in the majors and $180,000 in the minors. The signing provides Atlanta with additional outfield depth as Ronald Acuña Jr. continues recovering from knee surgery.
De La Cruz, who turned 28 on Monday, became a free agent on November 22 after the Pittsburgh Pirates declined to offer him a contract for the 2025 season. He debuted in the major leagues with the Miami Marlins on July 31, 2021, before being traded to Pittsburgh on July 30 of this year.
In 2024, he hit .233 with 21 home runs and 68 RBIs across 149 games, including a .200 average with three homers and 17 RBIs in 44 games for the Pirates.
Over four seasons in the majors, De La Cruz holds a career batting average of .253 with 58 home runs and 208 RBIs.
Acuña, the 2023 NL MVP, tore his left ACL on May 26 and is not expected to be ready for the start of the season.
