Atlanta Braves Phantom Players (and Almost Phantom Players) Since 2013
Victor Arano (2021)
Victor Arano had pitched in three different seasons for the Phillies by the time the Braves claimed off waivers in 2021.
Arano was called up on the same day as De La Cruz and neither appeared in a game. Even though Arano stuck with the organization the remainder of the year, he never got another shot on the Braves.
He signed with the Nationals after the season and pitched 43 games in 2022. The righty is still with the organization this year, but a shoulder injury has sidelined him the entire season.
Tanner Roark (2021)
Tanner Roark is mostly known for his five years spent with the Washington Nationals, but when he signed a minor league deal with the Braves in 2021, it was his fourth organization in three seasons.
Roark pitched well for Gwinnett and on June 24, he was called up along with Jesse Chavez. Like the other pitchers on this list, the Braves were in need of long relievers.
Jesse Chavez and Tanner Roark are both here tonight. Kyle Wright and Ty Tice were optioned. To make room for Chavez and Roark on the 40-man, Tucker Davidson and Alex Jackson were transferred to the 60-day IL
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) June 24, 2021
While Chavez went on tobecome a fan favorite, Roark's tenure with the big league club only lasted three days. On June 27, he was optioned to make room for Kyle Muller, and opted out of his contract on September 5, never appearing in a game with the team.
Ryan Goins (2022)
Prior to joining the Braves organization in 2021, Ryan Goins had played in eight major league seasons, playing with the Blue Jays, Royals, and White Sox, with varying degrees of success.
The infielder would play all of the 2021 season with Gwinnett, and it was looking like he'd spend all of 2022 with the Stripers as well. But after Chadwick Tromp strained his quad after a legendary game against the Marlins, the Braves needed an extra position player.
The #Braves today recalled RHP Freddy Tarnok to Atlanta and selected INF Ryan Goins to the major league roster. In order to make room on the roster, the club placed C Chadwick Tromp on the 10-day injured list, backdated to August 14, with a strained left quadricep.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 16, 2022
Goins would stay with the team for a week before being optioned after Ehire Adrianza returned from the IL, but he would never actually enter into a game.
Alan Rangel (2022)
Alan Rangel was signed by the Braves as an international free agent in 2014, and would slowly rise through the minor leagues. After the end of the 2021 season, the team added him to the 40-man to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft (just like De La Cruz two seasons earlier), despite only pitching in 34 innings at AA Mississippi.
The righty spent the majority of 2022 in Mississippi, and struggled, but when Spencer Strider was placed on the IL, the Braves opted to call him up. Rangel spent five days on the active roster, before being sent down to make room for Kyle Muller.
Rangel, unlike the others on this list, is still in the Braves system and still has plenty of time to debut.
Almost phantom Braves
There have been several players who appeared in just one game for the organization in the last decade.
Ryan Buchter (2014)
John Cornely (2015)
Tony Sanchez (2017)
Chase Whitley (2018)
John Ryan Murphy (2019)
Scott Schebler (2020)
Chris Rusin (2020)
Patrick Weigel (2020)
Cole Hamels (2020)
Ty Tice (2021)
Jay Flaa (2021
Freddy Tarnok (2022)
Rylan Bannon (2022)