The Atlanta Braves are always looking for depth, and after needing 13 non-first baseman infielders in 2024, Alex Anthopoulos is making sure he has all his bases covered with José Devers becoming the most recent addition.
Devers, the cousin of Boston Red Sox superstar Rafael Devers, has unfortunately not shown the same level of play as his cousin through his 24 MLB games with the Marlins.
Infielder Jose Devers has agreed to a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves, sources tell @JustBB_Media.
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) November 28, 2024
The cousin of Rafael Devers, Jose spent the last six seasons in the Marlins organization, appearing in 24 MLB games where he posted a .611 OPS.
José Devers could see MLB action with the Braves in 2025
Devers has had a strange start to his MLB career. Originally traded to the Marlins from the Yankees in the Giancarlo Stanton trade, the infielder worked his way through the lower levels of the minors before making his debut with Miami in 2021 after an injury to Brian Anderson. At the time, he had never even played above A+ ball.
As a 21-year-old, he got into 21 games and slashed .244/.304/.317 (70 wRC+). His 2021 came to an unfortunate end in June after suffering a shoulder injury.
After 2021, he would disappear into the Marlins farm system for three seasons, bouncing between A, AA, and AAA. He was ultimately designated for assignment after the 2022 season, but stuck with the Marlins.
He re-emerged briefly for Miami in September of this year. He only appear in three games, getting four hitless plate appearances before being designated for assignment and becoming a free agent at the end of the season.
Devers hasn't showed much promise with the bat, with the lefty-swinger only managing a .666 OPS in AAA last season, but he does play all three infield positions, primarily playing second base and shortstop. The 24-year-old also showed excellent sprint speed in his 2021 cameo, but he only has 49 career stolen bases in the minors.
It's highly likely that Devers' stint with the Braves goes the same way as guys like Leury Garcia and Luis Marte, guys who never actually make it to the big league club, but as 2024 showed, injuries might cause the Braves to turn to unlikely players.