Major League Baseball

Braves sign veteran outfielder Markakis to 4-year deal

Published Dec. 3, 2014 7:10 p.m. ET

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Nick Markakis is heading home.

In the wake of the Jason Heyward trade with St. Louis, Atlanta shored up its open outfield spot by signing former Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis on Wednesday, the Braves announced on Wednesday. The four-year deal is expected to be for $44 million, a source confirmed to FOX Sports MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal. The deal was first reported by Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan.

Rosenthal reported the Orioles were willing to let Markakis go because he was diagnosed with a small herniation in his neck in March 2013.

Markakis became an unrestricted free agent in October after the Orioles declined to pick up his $17.5 million option for the 2015 season, instead paying the veteran a $2 million buyout.

The 31-year-old native of Woodstock, Ga., returns after nine MLB seasons in Baltimore in which he won two Gold Glove awards, including a 2014 honor, and hit a career .290/.358/.435 with 141 home runs in 1,365 games. Markakis will be expected to fill the right-field spot left behind by Heyward — the game's preeminent defensive outfielder who was moved with one year remaining on his contract after Atlanta president of baseball operations John Hart decided he could not be signed to a long-term extension — along with some combination of Justin Upton, B.J. Upton and Evan Gattis. (Expect to hear plenty of trade rumors involving each of those three names during the Winter Meetings, though.)

Markakis's bat enjoyed somewhat of a revival in 2014.

After a true replacement-level season in 2013, he hit .276/.342/.386 with 14 homers in 155 games last season, good enough for a 2.5 WAR — his best mark since the 2008 season. The Braves did not lose too much power with Heyward's departure, but Markakis should not be expected to bring much more: He has not hit more than 15 homers since the 2009 season. What he does bring is a rather steady, if not spectacular, offensive presence that could be slotted into the team's vacant and unproductive No. 2 hole or the leadoff spot that was primarily filled by Heyward over the past two seasons. Markakis will also replace Heyward's left-handed bat in a righty-dominant lineup.

Is that description worth $10-plus million per season for four years and all but scrapping any idea of "rebuilding mode" for this team? That's going to draw mixed opinions.

One thing that is clear based on the numbers to date: The Braves went with a cheaper long-term option for their right-field position, but downgraded in the process. That's not as much a knock on Markakis as it is a nod to Heyward's value over the course of his Atlanta career. But for those expecting more production or consistency on offense, there are no guarantees. Just for comparison's sake, here are the numbers from the past three seasons:

Still, the addition of Markakis, however the deal is viewed financially, opens the door for the Braves to make more noise in the trade market over the next few weeks. With one outfield slot filled, there's more freedom to move some pieces without gutting the roster entirely — a tactic Hart has made it perfectly clear he wants to avoid. As far as offseason team needs go, Atlanta still needs to clear up its fifth starter, its outfield situation, its second-base job and a few other question marks like quality bench depth and lefty bullpen help.

Markakis adds even more Baltimore flavor to this Braves roster after the team signed former Orioles closer Jim Johnson earlier on Wednesday.

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