The Atlanta Braves have a history of adding Georgia natives to supplement their roster, and their latest non-roster invitee continues that trend. Veteran infielder Kyle Farmer has agreed to a minor league contract with Atlanta, according to Braves beat writer Mark Bowman.
The news comes just days after Atlanta announced its full list of non-roster invitees for spring training. Farmer, a former Georgia Bulldog, owns a career .247/.306/.388 slash line with an 86 wRC+ and 5.0 fWAR. He spent the 2025 season with the historically poor Rockies, where he posted the worst season of his major league career as measured by FanGraphs WAR.
Kyle Farmer signs minor league deal with Braves, expected to compete for bench spot
Farmer appeared in at least 120 games in each season from 2021 through 2023, establishing himself as an above-replacement-level infielder with the Reds and Twins. However, over the past two seasons, both his offensive production and—more notably—his defensive performance have declined, diminishing his overall value. While Farmer saw time across the infield for Colorado last season, he finished with a -5 OAA, placing him in the 11th percentile among major league defenders.
Braves insider Mark Bowman speculated that Farmer could join recent signee Jorge Mateo as a backup infield option early in the season while Ha-Seong Kim recovers from a hand injury. If Farmer proves serviceable during spring training, he and Mateo could both serve as late-inning defensive replacements early in the regular season when Weiss pinch-hits for left fielder Mike Yastrzemski.
There is no guarantee that the 35-year-old Farmer has much left to offer, but his competition for a backup infield role does not appear particularly daunting. The Braves are not expected to face significant roster competition in spring training, though the final bench spot remains very much up for grabs. Atlanta is currently expected to open camp with 65 players, but that number could increase slightly before pitchers and catchers report.