By Jackson RobertsShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Atlanta Braves' outfield was a mess for most of this season, but they're hoping it's a much more stable mix next year.
If Jurickson Profar can atone for his suspension, Michael Harris II can keep up his second-half surge, and Ronald Acuña Jr. can return to Most Valuable Player form, the Braves might have one of the best outfields in the sport. But they learned last year that all of those things can be taken away at any moment, and that they need to have trustworthy backups.
That principle even extends to the fringy veterans the Braves bring in on minor-league deals, and this week, they found one of those veterans.
...On Friday, the Braves signed 29-year-old Brewer Hicklen to a minor-league deal, according to multiple reports. Aram Leighton of Just Baseball was the first to break the news on X.
Hicklen most recently played in the Philadelphia Phillies organization after being traded from the Detroit Tigers in July. But that doesn't close to describing the wacky year he just had.
After playing spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers, his team for all of last season, Hicklen was designated for assignment at the end of March and traded to the Tigers for cash. He played for just one game in the majors in Detroit, but two different minor-league affiliates, then finished the season in the Phillies organization with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
In three major league seasons, Hicklen has only appeared in 10 games, going 2-for-12 without an extra base hit. He's become a minor-league journeyman, and in the Braves' ideal scenario, that's likely what he'd remain.
However, the former Kansas City Royals seventh-round pick has a few more months to make some improvements, and perhaps if the right thing clicks, he'll wind up breaking through this year, either in Atlanta or elsewhere.
More MLB: Mets Bring Back 31-Year-Old Outfielder in Roster Announcement
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