It only took about two weeks for the Atlanta Braves discover what Pittsburgh Pirates fans already knew—Bryan De La Cruz does not belong on a major league roster. The Braves activated Alex Verdugo on Thursday, and as a result, De La Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Pirates fans will remember De La Cruz as the so-called ‘impact bat’ that was supposed to bolster Pittsburgh’s lineup over the second-half of the 2024 season. But instead, the Pirates sacrificed a pair of prospects for a player who hit a pathetic .200/.220/.294 with only three home runs. Nice job, Ben Cherington.
De La Cruz was worth -1.2 bWAR during the 44 games he spent with the Pirates last season. Predictably, Pittsburgh non-tendered De La Cruz this past offseason and he was eventually picked up by the Braves after signing a one-year deal.
Recent Pirates’ trade bust Bryan De La Cruz optioned to minor leagues by Braves
Since leaving Pittsburgh, his fortunes haven’t improved much. De La Cruz began the 2025 season on the Braves Opening Day roster, but through 16 games, he’s hit just .191/.240/.213 with only one extra-base hit, 18 strikeouts, and a paltry 30 OPS+. At least when he was in Pittsburgh that number (42 OPS+) was a little higher—but not by much.
The #Braves today recalled OF Alex Verdugo to Atlanta and optioned OF Bryan De La Cruz to Triple-A Gwinnett.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 17, 2025
If De La Cruz has any intentions of making it back to the major leagues, he’ll have to prove his worth down in the minors. The Braves signed De La Cruz to be little more than outfield insurance while Ronald Acuña Jr. continued to rehab from a knee injury he suffered last summer. With Atlanta’s superstar working his way back, De La Cruz may want to get used to his new teammates on the Triple-A roster.
De La Cruz stands as one of the most underwhelming Pirates’ trade acquisitions in recent memory, and fans were happy to be rid of him this past winter. It’s a good bet that Braves fans share a similar sentiment, and will be quite content if he remains in the minor leagues for the remainder of the season.
