He was supposed to add some power in the outfield, but after a failed couple of months in Pittsburgh, Bryan De La Cruz is officially heading elsewhere in 2025.
The Atlanta Braves have signed the 28-year-old to a $860,000 Major League deal (he’ll make $180,000 in the minors).
The move gives the Braves some outfield help while Ronald Acuna Jr. continues to recover from knee surgery.
De La Cruz was not offered a contract by the Pirates and became a free agent in late November.
He hit .200 over 44 games with the Pirates last season with 32 hits over 168 plate appearances. He had 6 doubles, 3 home runs, 17 RBI and an OPS of .514.
De La Cruz came to Pittsburgh after a deadline trade with Miami in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jun-Seok Shim and infielder Garret Forrester.
The Pirates made several moves at the trade deadline this past season but those trades failed to spur any kind of push with Pittsburgh limping to a 76-86 2024 record and last place in the National League Central Division.
The Pirates made a deal with Boston on Sunday for 25-year-old infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez.