The Atlanta Braves have yet to make a big splashy move this offseason despite seemingly preparing to do just that. That doesn't mean they haven't been busy as they have pared down their roster significantly and have been active in adding interesting depth pieces throughout the early portions of the offseason.
With bellies full of Thanksgiving deliciousness (and hopefully not turkey as it is the inferior Thanksgiving main course...no, that isn't debatable), Atlanta continued that trend on Black Friday when they signed reliever Connor Gillispie to a major league deal according to a report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
RHP Connor Gillespie signs a 1-year MLB deal with Atlanta.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 30, 2024
Braves News: Atlanta signs Connor Gillispie to major league deal
Of note here is the spelling is the spelling of Gillispie that is certainly atypical and definitely got Nightengale and other beat writers after the move. Gillispie is not to be confused with Conor Gillaspie who also an even more atypical spelling of his name and who broke Mets fans' spirits years ago and who hasn't played in the big leagues since 2017.
Gillispie has only appeared in eight big league innings, all in 2024, and pitched pretty well when he got an opportunity. However, the former Guardian's numbers in the minors are a bit more of a mixed bag as he has missed bats at a reasonable rate, but seems to have some issues finding the strike zone as much as fans will like.
That the Braves gave Gillispie a big league deal does seem to indicate that they see enough upside and something to potentially fix to get excited about. Atlanta needs to take some chances with their bullpen as Joe Jimenez is going to be out for a while and AJ Minter is both a free agent and coming back from a hip injury even if he does re-sign this offseason. Gillispie is a low-risk signing to give the Braves some options in spring training and if it works out, great.
If not, they can stash him at Gwinnett for a rainy day as he has a couple of minor league options left.