Atlanta Braves' Free Agent Decisions: Garret Anderson

This article is the fifth in a six part series discussing the players on the Atlanta Braves' 25-man roster that will be free agents this offseason.

Previously we have discussed Rafael Soriano, Greg Norton, Adam LaRoche, and Mike Gonzalez in the first four parts of the series.



In this week's edition, we are analyzing Braves outfielder Garret Anderson.

In his first year in Atlanta after signing a one-year, $2.5 million contract during the offseason, Anderson produced decent offensive numbers.  He hit .268 with 61 RBI, and 13 home runs, tied for sixth on the team.

The question we are trying to answer though is, should Anderson be brought back to Atlanta next season?  After all, the Braves do have Jordan Schaffer, Jayson Heyward, and Brandon Jones seemingly ready for the Majors.  This of course is in addition to their current outfield trio of Nate McLouth, Matt Diaz, and Ryan Church.

There really doesn’t seem to be much room on the team for a 37-year-old veteran.  Especially one who only hit .232 on the season with runners in scoring position and who isn’t going to cover much ground in the outfield.

So, no, the Braves should not re-sign Anderson this offseason.  It is time to usher in a new era of baseball in Atlanta.  One hopefully dominated by names such as Jayson Heyward and Jordan Schaffer.

Writer's note

I now write more frequently for the new sports network, Fan Huddle. You can read my blogs on Braving Baseball. It's more commentary than you can shake a tomahawk at.