In their search to fill their left field vacancy, the Braves could look to veteran outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. Here is David O'Brien on the possibility:
Besides Pagan and Victorino, there is another high-profile free agent with plenty of leadoff experience: Ichiro Suzuki. The former Seattle Mariners icon turned 39 in October and is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he posted career-worst OBPs of .310 and .307, but Suzuki did seem rejuvenated after a July trade to the Yankees. He hit .322 with a .340 OBP and 17 stolen bases in 67 games for New York, and will probably end up signing for a relatively low salary and a deal of one or perhaps two years.
He's older, but still has speed, and if he can get his on-base ability back he could be a valuable lead-off man. I also like the idea of adding a veteran like Ichiro to what is a very young Braves lineup. As far as Ichiro is concerned, here is his agent on the status of talks with the Yankees:
"At the beginning we talked a lot but since that time, zero,’’ agent Tony Attanasio said of discussions with the Yankees. "As far as we are concerned we don’t care what the Yankees do. We have had conversations with multiple clubs. If we see something we like he will go through with it.’
One would think Ichiro, at 39, would fit into the Braves budget, and still leave them with money left in the kitty. It would be neat to add a future Hall of Famer like Ichiro to the team, and possibly have him finish his career in Atlanta.