Love it, like it, dislike it, or hate it, the Mike Yastrzemski signing is done. The Braves are now committed to a fourth outfielder for multiple years, and will potentially end up exercising his club option for 2028 given the size of the buyout ($4 million) relative to the salary ($7 million).

While there’s infinite space to argue about the merits of the move, either in a vacuum or in the context of what the Braves already have on the roster, I find myself worrying less about what Yastrzemski will do — both because he’s been so consistent to date, and also because he’s not making enough for it to go horribly wrong relative to expectations — and more about what his signing means in terms of broader team strategy. Here are some specific things I’m thinking about:

Moving away from a rigid s

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