Eli White, an outfielder for the Texas Rangers, was acquired by the Atlanta Braves, according to a team announcement. To free up a spot on the 40-man roster, infielder Hoy Park was designated for assignment. DFA White was in Texas last week.
White, 28, has made an MLB appearance in each of the previous three seasons. He was a former draft pick for the Oakland Athletics, having joined the Rangers in the Jurickson Profar trade before the 2019 season. He made his MLB debut with Texas the following year.
“The Braves tonight acquired OF Eli White from the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club designated INF Hoy Park for assignment.” – Atlanta Braves
Eli White participated in 130 games throughout the ensuing season in intermittent roles. He had a .185/.260/.295 slash line in that time, hitting nine home runs and striking out 31.6% of the time.
The Atlanta Braves have designated INF/OF Hoy Park for assignment. https://t.co/rOngcSeRrQ
“The Atlanta Braves have designated INF/OF Hoy Park for assignment.” – Complete Baseball News
Park was removed from the 40-man roster as a result of a transaction that sent Eli White from Texas to Atlanta and moved Park, who was traded from the Boston Red Sox to Atlanta over two weeks ago.
“The Hoy Park era comes to a close” – @cmmcguire
Park has already been DFA’d three times this offseason, and another team looking for a young infielder is sure to claim him. Last season, he spent the majority of his time at Indianapolis at the Triple-A level, where he hit.225/.332/.354 with 10 home runs, 37 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.
Eli White becomes the latest acquisition for the 2021 champions
White hasn’t hit much in the MLB, but he has shown flashes in other areas. In 22 attempts throughout the course of his career, he has stolen 17 bags, including 12 out of 13 attempts this year.
The Clemson graduate has proven his athleticism on defense, as seen by the fact that over 890 innings of outfield action over his career, Defensive Runs Saved rates him 11 runs above average. With the majority of his time spent in left and center field, he is ranked nine runs above average by Statcast’s Outs Above Average.
“Eli White hits a 3-run shot (4) to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead.” – MLB Updates
White included, no one in the left field mix can be optioned to the minors, thus the Atlanta Braves may end up removing one or two of those guys from the 40-man roster before the start of the regular season.