Braves' Charles Leblanc: Signs minors deal with Atlanta
Rotowire
Atlanta signed Leblanc to a minor-league contract Wednesday.
Leblanc, 28, is a career .254/.330/.412 hitter over parts of two big-league seasons. He will provide Atlanta with some infield depth.
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Braves' Yohel Pozo: Links up with Atlanta
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Atlanta signed Pozo to a minor-league contract Wednesday.
Pozo's lone action in the big leagues came in 2021, but he's been raking at the Triple-A level since then, most recently slashing .324/.335/.538 with 15 home runs over 90 games with Las Vegas in the Athletics organization. Atlanta has an opening at backup catcher following the departure of Travis d'Arnaud, although Chadwick Tromp has a leg up for that job.
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Braves' Enoli Paredes: Latches on with Atlanta
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Paredes agreed to a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Paredes returned to the big leagues in 2024 after spending the entire 2023 campaign at Triple-A. He made stops with the Cubs and Brewers, posting a 1.66 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with a 16:10 K:BB over 18 regular-season relief appearances (21.2 innings). Paredes will get the opportunity to make the Opening Day roster with his new club, who is looking for bullpen help following the news that Joe Jimenez is out for the next 8-to-12 months while recovering from knee surgery.
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Braves' Nick Allen: Traded to Atlanta
Rotowire
Atlanta acquired Allen from the Athletics on Monday in exchange for Jared Johnson.
Allen, 26, has managed just a .209/.254/.283 batting line over parts of three seasons at the major-league level. He does have a reputation as a solid glove at shortstop, although he came in at negative-2 Outs Above Average during his 41 games with the Athletics in 2024. Allen offers an alternative at shortstop to Orlando Arcia, who is coming off a disappointing season, but ultimately Allen should be more of a depth option.
Braves' Spencer Strider: Not expected by Opening Day
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Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Tuesday it's unlikely Strider (elbow) will be ready for Opening Day, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The revelation isn't altogether surprising, as Anthopoulos indicated last month that while Opening Day was possible for Strider, the pitcher's season debut might not come until early June. Any timeline at this point is approximate, with more clarity likely to come by spring training. Strider is working his way back from an internal brace procedure he underwent in mid-April.
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Braves' Ronald Acuna: Unlikely to be ready Opening Day
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Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Tuesday it appears unlikely Acuna (knee) will be ready for Opening Day, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Anthopoulos indicated last month that Acuna's readiness for Opening Day was in question, and now it appears things are trending toward a stint on the injured list as the outfielder continues his recovery from left ACL surgery. A timetable for Acuna's season debut remains vague, although Anthopoulos previously suggested it could come as late as early June. A more definitive timeline for Acuna might be available by spring training.
Jimenez is expected to mis the next 8-to-12 months while recovering from surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his left knee, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
This news came out of the blue for Jimenez, who was one of Atlanta's top relievers during the 2024 campaign. A timeline for his return should come into focus as he begins to progress in his rehab, but it appears he'll be sidelined for the first half of the 2025 season if not longer.
Braves' Marcell Ozuna: Option officially picked up
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Atlanta exercised Ozuna's $16 million club option for 2025, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
The transaction was a given after Ozuna batted .302/.378/.546 with 39 home runs and 104 RBI in 2024. He is a full-time designated hitter at this point in his career, having not played a single inning in the outfield this season, but Ozuna should be a middle-of-the-order force again in 2025 in what will be his age-34 season.
Atlanta selected Gonzalez's contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday.
Gonzalez began the 2024 season at Double-A Mississippi but was promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett midway through the year, and he logged a 3.41 ERA over 29 innings with the top affiliate. Now part of Atlanta's 40-man roster, the 25-year-old righty will get a chance to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training, though it's more likely he heads back to Gwinnett to begin 2025.
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Braves' Reynaldo Lopez: Reworks contract
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Lopez signed a three-year, $30 million contract with Atlanta on Saturday.
Lopez was originally set to make $11 million in 2025 and 2026 with an $8 million club option for 2027. In an effort to minimize payroll, Atlanta will now pay him $8 million next season while his 2026 salary increases to $14 million, and he's now guaranteed to make $8 million in 2027 (compared to his $4 million option buyout). The 30-year-old posted a minuscule 1.99 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 135.2 innings this year.
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Braves' Aaron Bummer: Gets new deal from Atlanta
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Bummer signed a two-year, $13 million contract with Atlanta on Saturday.
Bummer's original deal included two club options over the next two years, worth $7.25 million and $7.5 million, respectively. However, his latest contract will void those two option years while saving the team a bit of cash, as the left-hander is now due to make $3.5 million in 2025. The 31-year-old finished with a 3.58 ERA and 1.43 WHIP across 55.1 innings during his first season in Atlanta.
