Right now, the most unsettled part of the Atlanta Braves' roster is the bullpen. Yes, there are other areas of uncertainty, but the bullpen has multiple spots that are legitimately up for grabs and then there is the matter of establishing the high leverage guys' roles with Joe Jimenez out.
So far, most of what we have seen in terms of progress in this relief competition has been in the form of roster cuts of fringe bullpen contenders including two more on Saturday. However, this Braves front office loves to shop in the bargain bin during the spring and they ESPECIALLY love reunions with certain select relievers.
While repeat Brave Jesse Chavez already moved on, one of the other relievers the Braves like to stash for a rainy day is officially back as Atlanta signed Jackson Stephens to a minor league deal.
Braves bring back Jackson Stephens again on a minor league deal
It is kind of fun how a lot of the same minor league depth pieces tend to find their way back to the Braves each season and Stephens certainly qualifies. Atlanta has signed, designated for assignment, and re-signed Stephens multiple times since 2022. He did have a couple stretches where some thought Stephens was going to be able to secure a permanent role, but he never quite got there.
While Stephens' deal doesn't seem to immediately come with an invite to spring training, it is fair to guess that Atlanta is going to keep an eye on him. With so much uncertainty in the bullpen at the moment, it wouldn't be shocking to see Stephens in a few spring training games soon despite his lack of minor league options just so the Braves know they left no stone unturned.
Given the bullpen options the Braves have, leaving Stephens in minor league camp and starting him in Gwinnett this year is the most likely outcome here. The Braves know they need to establish pitching depth in the minors now in order to weather the long season. This moves feels like a backup plan instead of adding another immediate contender for a bullpen spot.