Bryan De La Cruz's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

The Atlanta Braves have signed outfielder Bryan De La Cruz to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract on Sunday. The Braves are in need of some outfield depth with star Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) expected to miss the first couple months of the season. De La Cruz spent time with both the Marlins and the Pirates last season but was let go after a rough stretch of play to end the season for Pittsburgh. While the 27-year-old set a career-high in home runs with 21, 18 of those came in 454 plate appearances with the Marlins (25 PA/HR). He hit just three in 168 PA with the Pirates (56 PA/HR) while hitting just .200. With a 9.3% barrel rate that was in line with his career rate, there's hope that the pop will be there for the Braves, but the right-handed hitter struck out at an above-average rate in 2024 (27.3%) while walking at a well below-average rate (4.7%), so that'll need to improve. Once Acuna returns, the 6-foot-4 outfielder likely becomes a platoon player with teammate Jarred Kelenic, as De La Cruz had success against left-handed pitchers last season (.285/.309/.425) while Kelenic was the opposite. The four-year pro is probably best left to the waiver wire in fantasy drafts unless he shows tremendous improvement in the spring.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to non-tender outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe, according to a source. It will make both players free agents this winter. De La Cruz didn't impress the Bucs after the acquired him from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline in the summer, as he hit just .200/.220/.394 with three homers, 17 RBI and 52 strikeouts in 168 plate appearances in the second half. The 27-year-old did manage a career-high 21 round-trippers in 149 total games in 2024, though, so he will attract interest on the free-agent market. Joe, 32, hit .238/.330/.396 with a .726 OPS, 20 homers, 78 RBI and five steals in 256 games the last two years in Pittsburgh and will look for a platoon/utility role with another organization on the free-agent market. The former first-rounder had a career-high 11 homers in 2023 in his first year in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan De La Cruz went 3-for-4 in a 7-0 victory over the division rival Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. The outfielder had two doubles amongst his three hits and also drove in three runs during the contest. Since being acquired from the Miami Marlins at this years trade deadline, De La Cruz has become a fixture in the Pirates lineup. Although he has yet to hit a home run with his new club, he has still put up valuable numbers this season with Miami and Pittsburgh, where the 27-year-old has hit .244 with 18 homers and 58 RBI in 492 at-bats between both clubs. He is not a must-roster, but he is worth a look in deeper mixed leagues, where managers are seeking outfield depth.

Miami Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz has been traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. Unsurprisingly, the Marlins traded De La Cruz after moving Josh Bell and Jazz Chisholm Jr. as well. The 27-year-old is putting together a strong season in 2024. He's slashing .245/.289./417 with 18 home runs and 51 RBI in 105 games with the Marlins. His slash line could be better, but his power numbers have heavily improved this season. A move to a more hitter-friendly park should help his numbers as well. In exchange for De La Cruz, the Marlins will receive right-hander Jun-Seok Shim and infielder Garret Forrester.

Miami Marlins outfielder Bryan De La Cruz put together a three-hit night in Monday's 6-4 loss to the Mets. De La Cruz went 3-for-5 with two singles, a solo home run, and a stolen base. The 27-year-old turned on a seventh-inning Jose Butto offering, depositing it into the left-field bullpen for his 17th HR of the season. De La Cruz is now slashing .242/.287/.411 with 42 runs scored, 45 RBI, and three stolen bases in 426 plate appearances. He started the season on a promising note but has failed to hit for a good average starting in May onwards. Outfield is not as strong of a fantasy position as it has been in previous seasons, but fantasy managers should still have chances to find higher-upside options at this time.