ATLANTA -- One year after gambling on Jarred Kelenic, the Braves are doing so with Bryan De La Cruz in a much more economical manner.

De La Cruz signed a one-year non-guaranteed contract with the Braves on Sunday. Financial terms weren¡¯t provided. The 27-year-old slugger will be given a chance to fill a void while Ronald Acu?a Jr. misses at least some of the first two months of the regular season while recovering from left knee surgery. When Acu?a returns, De La Cruz could play left field as an everyday player, but it seems more likely he would be a platoon partner with Kelenic.

But this is a split deal and De La Cruz has options remaining. So, if he doesn¡¯t make the team out of Spring Training, he could begin the season with Triple-A Gwinnett.

This is not a signing that will ease concerns about the Braves¡¯ outfield mix. De La Cruz hit 18 homers and produced a .707 OPS in the 105 games he played for the Marlins before being traded to the Pirates for a pair of prospects on July 30. He was non-tendered by Pittsburgh after hitting .200 with three homers and a .514 OPS in 44 games.

If the season started today, center fielder Michael Harris II, Kelenic and De La Cruz would be Atlanta¡¯s starting outfield trio. Harris has shown the potential to be a star while enduring a pair of injury-marred seasons since winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2022. But Kelenic and De La Cruz have not lived up to their early promise.

The Braves spent approximately $17 million to gain five years of control of Kelenic last winter. The 25-year-old outfielder then endured the same inconsistencies that have plagued him since the Mets took him with the sixth overall selection in 2018. He was traded to the Mariners that same year and was MLB¡¯s No. 4 overall prospect as recently as 2021.

Kelenic has produced just a .663 OPS through the first 383 games (1,423 plate appearances) of his career. He hit 15 homers and had a .679 OPS over 449 plate appearances for Atlanta this past year. His inability to produce like an everyday player seemed to heighten the need for the Braves to get an outfielder who can contribute while Acu?a recovers from his second ACL surgery within the past three years.

Instead of getting a proven everyday option, the Braves have thus far just added what looks like a platoon partner for Kelenic.

De La Cruz hit .285 with a .733 OPS against left-handed pitchers last year. But he homered just once every 44.8 at-bats against them, compared to the 23.8 AB/HR ratio he produced while hitting .210 with a .619 OPS against right-handed pitchers.

As the left-handed portion of the platoon, Kelenic would receive a majority of the plate appearances. He hit .236 with 14 homers and a .711 OPS against right-handed pitchers last year. He batted .206 with one homer and a .516 OPS against lefties.

De La Cruz came up through the Astros¡¯ system and was traded to Miami before the 2021 Trade Deadline. He produced a .783 OPS while tallying 219 plate appearances for the Marlins that same year, but since then he has just a .694 OPS in 1,603 plate appearances over the past three seasons.