There is no such thing as too much depth.

In baseball, that is usually said related to pitching, but unfortunately for the Atlanta Braves, that will also come into play for the team’s outfield through at least mid-season.

With the stunning suspension of prized free agent addition Jurickson Profar for 80 games after testing positive for a banned substance, the Braves’ addition of Stuart Fairchild yesterday and the recent signing of free agent Alex Verdugo makes a lot more sense.

The best news of all is that 2023 National League Most Valuable Player Ronald Acuña, Jr., should also be returning to the team after last season’s knee injury in the next 45 days.

Until then, how will the Braves cover the loss of Profar – especially until Acuña, Jr. returns?

First, in the near-term, Jarred Kelenic becomes even more important as he is likely to slide back to left field where he started for much of last season. Kelenic’s prospect pedigree is well behind him, but he now goes from being the presumed fourth outfielder when Acuña, Jr. returns to an option to stay in the starting lineup if he can find consistency at the plate. That’s a big ask, but this might be his last, best chance to stick as a full-time outfielder.

Likewise, free agent addition Bryan De La Cruz, who was the right-handed compliment to the left-handed Kelenic has a chance to stay on the MLB roster a little longer. Similar to Kelenic, De La Cruz hasn’t produced much as a big leaguer in recent seasons, but both do have options left, giving the Braves more leeway this season.

Eli White, who made the team as a versatile utility option after returning to the infield during Spring Training, could also see some time in the outfield. He doesn’t have the same track-record of production as Kelenic or De La Cruz, but he does offer better speed and defense than De La Cruz as a right-handed outfield option.

The addition of Fairchild provides the team more depth with another prototypical fourth or fifth outfielder who can play all the positions effectively but is a below average offensive player in parts of four big league seasons. He might get a shot to play regularly in the next few weeks to see if the power and speed he’s shown can help the Braves more than his propensity to strikeout hurts them; just like Kelenic.

Verdugo has been an average-or-better offensive outfielder for most of his big league career; but dip in production last season saw him linger on the market until the Braves swooped in and signed him in the late stages of Spring Training.

A capable outfielder, the left-handed hitter was also once a top prospect, and is looking to get into playing shape after accepting an assignment to Triple-A given his lack ramp-up time in camp. While he hasn’t had the level of career success many thought, he has been a solid regular on playoff-caliber clubs. His ability to replicate even his 2023 production could now be a boon for the organization.

Deeper down the depth chart, the Braves have Conner Capel as another left-handed option at Triple-A. He had a decent-enough spring and has major league experience, which helps if other outfield issues arise for the Braves.

The wild card here – and this is a purely speculative option – is Drake Baldwin. With Sean Murphy slated to start his rehabilitation at Triple-A this week, might the Braves try to give Baldwin a crash-course in left field at Triple-A?

This wouldn’t be unheard up. Austin Riley saw significant time in left during his rookie year. Going back a little further, the team used catcher Evan Gattis in left field to keep his back in the line-up. Another notable prospect to shift to left field was Ryan Klesko, who moved from first base. That’s to say nothing of Chipper Jones sliding to left field for several seasons in the midst of his Hall of Fame career.

None of those last four were effective outfielders, but Profar is not known for his defense prowess nor was Eddie Rosario, who logged plenty of innings with the Braves in recent seasons. Baldwin’s youth and athleticism plays in his favor, but whether or not Atlanta dares to risk making a move with Baldwin is unknown.

With Michael Harris II in center field, Atlanta does have options in-house, but a lot rides on how quickly Verdugo is ready and how soon Acuña, Jr.’s rehab allow him to return at full-strength.

Lastly, it should be noted that Marcell Ozuna could, at least in theory, take the field in left field, but of all the options listed above, his return to the outfield seems the least likely outside of extreme emergency duty.