Atlanta Braves: Could team grab a Rule 5 pick?

Jairo Beras

The Texas Ranger signed Jairo Beras out of the Dominican Republic in February of 2011, but there was immediately controversy with him due to paperwork issues. The 6’6″ outfielder had a right field profile with big power and a big arm, and many teams were heavily interested in signing him in the July 2011 class, but the Rangers discovered he was born in 1994, not 1995, making him eligible July of 2010, and they signed him for $4.5 million.

Major League Baseball investigated the situation, and in the end, the Rangers were cleared of any wrongdoing. Beras, however, was suspended for a year by MLB for providing a false birth record.

Beras really never figured out the strike zone at the plate, however, having some solid seasons at the plate, hitting .291 in Hickory at 20 in 2015 and 22 home runs in high-A High Desert in 2016, but for his minor league career, he walked at a 6.3% rate and struck out at a 28.7% rate. After hitting .227/.278/.376 repeating the high-A level in the Carolina League in 2017, Beras moved to the mound.

With a fastball that can eclipse triple digits and sits mid-90s with very good plane from his height, Beras already has effectiveness with just the fastball, but he’s also working in a slider that has flashed above-average as well.

Beras posted a 4.33 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 26/75 BB/K ratio over 54 relief innings this season. Though he hasn’t pitched above high-A, Beras could be a very intriguing option at the back of the pen as the Atlanta Braves staff works with him at the big league level this year.