The Atlanta Braves made headlines on a couple of different transactions over the past week that could swing the pendulum of success in either direction this year.

The most notable move was announced Tuesday night when the team signed outfielder Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal worth $18 million. It was a move that I don’t necessarily love but one I felt the Braves was forced to make following the departure of free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Minnesota Twins. While the two players don’t play the same positions, they do provide a power bat in the lineup. 

Ozuna’s addition to the Braves gives them a quality threat they desperately needed in the cleanup position slotted behind Freddie Freeman.

Ozuna, who demoralized the Braves the National League Division Series while with the St. Louis Cardinals to the tune of a .429 batting average and two home runs, has hit at least 23 homers in each of the past four seasons, including 29 last year with the Cardinals. Being right-handed, he complements the lefty Freeman.

But what gives me cause to pause is Ozuna’s strikeout totals, which have exceeded 100 in each of his last six seasons, and the likelihood he’s not going to give you the 155 games that Donaldson did. He only played in 130 last year and 148 the year before that. Anytime he’s not in the lineup, the Braves’ solid lineup takes a dip after the first three hitters.

The Braves’ other move would have been earth shattering just a couple of years ago. At one time Felix Hernandez was considered one of the top two or three pitchers in baseball. But his decline over the past four seasons led to his departure from the Seattle Mariners and allowed him to sign a minor league deal with the Braves. 

The team’s rotation is set 1-4 with Cole Hamels, Mike Soroka, Max Fried and Mike Foltynewicz. But it needs a fifth starter, someone who can provide a veteran presence and eat up some innings when called upon. Hernandez could potentially be that option, though he needs to show improvement over the next couple of months if he expects to make the major league roster and be that fifth starter. 

He made only 15 starts in 2019 and posted a 1-8 record and 6.40 ERA. His ERA was 5.55 the year before, which included a career-high 27 home runs allowed. But his career ERA remains 3.42 with 2,524 strikeouts.

It was a gamble worth making if you’re the Braves. It will only cost the Braves $1 million if he makes the team and the potential reward could be great.

If you’re a Braves fan, you can look at both moves as great in potential with little to no risk. Whether they translate to more victories in the postseason is up for debate. After all, as Braves fans, that’s all we care about these days.

Clint Thompson is a special contributor to The Valdosta Daily Times