Given his strong defense and nice run offensively with the Braves last season, Laureano should have gotten better offers over the winter. He settled for a true bench gig with the Orioles in February, and he was off to a weak 2-for-17 start before homering off Hunter Greene and Carson Spiers today. It looks like Kjerstad is just day-to-day, so Laureano’s role probably won’t be expanded beyond these next few games.

The deal is now official. Laureano heads to Baltimore as extra outfield depth behind starters Cedric Mullins, Tyler O’Neill and Colton Cowser. The 30-year-old is capable of filling in at all three spots, which makes him an invaluable bench option. He was non-tendered by the Braves earlier this offseason after batting .259/.311/.437 with 11 homers and eight steals across 309 plate appearances last season between the Braves and Guardians. He’s a non-factor for fantasy purposes at this stage of his career, but he’s landed in an ideal spot with hitter-friendly Camden Yards giving him a shot at rebuilding his long-term value as a lefty-mashing platoon specialist.

Laureano was non-tendered by Atlanta in November despite hitting .296/.327/.505, and now the 30-year-old will spend 2025 with the Baltimore organization. The 30-year-old isn’t likely to be a regular with the Orioles, but he should see playing time against left-handed pitching while getting starts in all three outfield spots. He’s the definition of a player who helps real-life rosters much more than fantasy teams.

The Braves have been known to cycle through — and then recycle — outfielder over the past few seasons, so just because Laureano is getting the boot now doesn’t mean he won’t resurface again with the Braves at some point. The 30-year-old hit .296/.327/.505 with 10 homers, 29 RBI and five stolen bases in 226 plate appearances with the Braves in 2024. He shouldn’t have a problem finding work on the open market.