Atlanta Braves sign 7 minor league free agents
The Atlanta Braves began preparing for 2023 by returning Minot League free agents players to the fold
According to Mississippi Braves broadcaster Chris Harris, the Atlanta Braves signed seven players to minor league deals Tuesday. All were part of the Braves farm system in 2022, and all but one played at least part of the season with Triple-A Gwinnett.
The only player without experience above High-A is 23-year-old right-handed reliever, Malcolm Van Buren.
Van Buren is a former Royals farmhand signed by the Braves before the 2021 season. He threw 29 2/3 innings over 28 games for Rome this year, striking out 57 but walking 44 while pitching to a 6.07 ERA. Probable assignment: Rome
Van Buren will have a friend in the bullpen with the return of 27-year-old right Benjamin Dum. Undrafted after graduation from Virginia Commonwealth in 2019, Dum played in an independent league and put up good enough numbers for the Twins to add in in August.
Dum signed with the Braves in 2021, splitting time between August and Rome. He pitched at Rome again in 2022, throwing 46 2/3 innings over 37 games in relief, pitching to a 3.86 ERA, striking out 44, walking 16, and earning three saves. Probable assignment: Rome
Braves have catchers a-plenty
The Atlanta Braves signed catcher Arden Pabst in March and invited him to spring training but assigned him to Gwinnett when the Braves broke camp. He appeared in only one game for the stripers before being sent to Mississippi.
An injury after only two games with the M-Braves cost him six weeks on the IL. He returned in early June but returned to the IL on June 22 and didn’t return until August. Probable assignment: Mississippi
Ryan Casteel is the definition of a career minor leaguer, playing at every level in affiliated ball as well as in the Mexican and Puerto Rican League since being drafted by the Rockies in 2010. He joined the Braves in 2021 and spent both seasons with Gwinnett, where I expect him to start in 2023.
Hendrik Clementina signed with the Dodgers in 2013 as an international free agent and sent him to the Reds in a 2017 trade. He remained in the Reds system through the 2019 season. Clementina didn’t play in 2020 and signed with the Braves in 2021.
The Atlanta Braves promoted him to Gwinnett in August this year. The Curacao native turns 26 in June and may spend time in Mississippi before moving back to Gwinnett.
Veteran reliever back to the Stripers
The Rays selected Roel Ramirez in the eighth round of the 2013 draft. He was traded to the Cardinals in 2018 and made his MLB debut throwing two-thirds of an inning with them in 2020. He added another one-third of an inning in 2021 before he was claimed off waivers by the Mets.
The Atlanta Braves are seemingly back to the Fran Wren pattern of signing players out of the Mexican league. That’s where the Braves found Ramirez this year and acquired him on June 29. He spent the rest of the season with Gwinnett, throwing 22 innings, striking out 29, and walking nine while pitching to a 4.91 ERA.
Oh, Danny boy . . .
Braves fans may remember lefty Danny Young from his only Major League appearance of the season for Atlanta, after being called up while Max Fried was on the IL. Young gave the Braves 2 2/3 shutout innings to close out the 10-1 rout of the Mets on August 15.
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Young started the season with the Mariners and made two appearances with Seattle in May, but became excess to their needs in August. The Braves claimed him on August 6 and signed him to Gwinnett.
That’s a wrap
The Atlanta Braves sign players to Minor League deals all the time, and most don’t move the championship needle very much, if at all. However, we’ve seen Minor League depth make a difference in a tight pennant race and when injury sidelines a player.
Who knows, the next Tyler Matek may sign tomorrow. When it happens, we’ll let you know here on the Take.