Confirmed Deal: Braves prolong contracts on a couple of minor league agreements to boost depth…
Atlanta Braves add to depth, agree to terms on a couple of minor league deals
The Braves recently added a couple of players on minor league contracts as they continue to build back their roster depth.
The Atlanta Braves made yet another move for a relief pitcher as they announced the signing of Tommy Doyle to a minor league contract for the 2024 season. Atlanta also signed outfielder Luis Liberato, who spent time with the Padres organization over the last two seasons, to a minor league deal.
Let’s briefly discuss who they are and how we can expect them to contribute in 2024.
Tommy
Doyle (RHP)
Doyle was designated for assignment when the Rockies acquired Cal Quantril from the Guardians. Colorado non-tendered him not long after the DFA, meaning he never made it to waivers. This was Doyle’s first time being a free agent.
So… who is Tommy Doyle? He was a third-round pick by the Rockies in 2017. He appeared briefly in the shortened 2020 season. Colorado outrighted him from the 40-man roster around a year later but reselected his contract back in July of 2023 just days after the Rockies traded Pierce Johnson to Atlanta.
He appeared in 15 games, with 23.2 innings of work. Doyle finished with a subpar 6.85 ERA, 17.5% strikeout percentage, and a concerning 12.6% walk rate. Things were better for him in Triple-A, where he featured a 3.41 ERA across 37 innings with Albuquerque. Doyle struck out 26.6% of batters faced at the highest level of minor league competition but still carried a concerning 11.7% walk rate
Those struggles could be attributed to needing to improve on command and a better pitch mix. Pitching in Colorado is especially tough so some of the MLB struggles could be attributed to that. Atlanta brought Pierce Johnson over with a 6 ERA and he immediately improved and finished the season as one of baseball’s best relievers in the second half.
This move for Doyle is once again a depth move to add to the thinned-out 40-man roster. Atlanta is likely to extend a Spring Training invitation to the right-hander but I suspect he starts the season with the Gwinnett Stripers.
Luis Liberato (OF)
Liberato will turn 28 later this month and was originally signed by the Mariners back in 2012. He spent nine seasons in total with Seattle and eventually reached Triple-A in 2021.Liberato slashed .279/.338/.436 while patrolling center field for the Tacoma Rainiers.
Luis agreed to a minor league deal with the Padres in 2022 and began the season at the club’s Triple-A affiliate in El Paso. He turned some heads with a .261/.354/.541 slash line over 99 games. His impressive performance convinced the Padres to give him a shot at the MLB level.
He was brought up in September of 2022 and primarily used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. Liberato had 5 plate appearances and went hitless with 3 strikeouts. So, he hasn’t had ample time to prove his worth on a big-league roster.
2023 saw Luis sign another deal with the Padres but this last season was a bit more tough for the 27-year-old. He carried a .261/.365/.461 line after around 70 games with Triple-A El Paso. He now finds himself on a minor league deal with the former World Champions.
Atlanta needs a left fielder as Eddie Rosario was non-tendered by the Braves. Liberato is just a depth move for the team but I’m sure he will be someone to keep an eye on as Atlanta decides if they want to bring in a MLB-ready outfielder or give Vaughn Grissom a shot in left field.
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Atlanta Braves 2023 season review: Stone Cold Austin Riley
Before the 2023 season, Austin Riley signed a massive contract with the Atlanta Braves to be their third baseman for the foreseeable future. The deal was for 10 years and worth $212 million. Entering the first season of his contract, it was a valid worry that Riley would not perform to his contract’s expectations. He was able to prove all the doubters wrong.
Riley was an All-Star for the second straight season in 2023. He provided the Braves with stability at the hot corner, playing in 159 of the season’s 162 games and performing very well. Riley’s defense is occasionally criticized but he has also shown that he has the potential and ability to showcase Gold Glove-caliber defense..
He hit .281 with 37 home runs and 97 runs batted in. He also tallied 328 total bases last season which is the most in his young career. To put into perspective how impressive this number is, he had 325 total bases in 2022 and that was the most in all of the National League.
Not only was Riley an All-Star but he also won a Silver Slugger Award, finishing 7th in National League MVP voting. This made the third straight season that Riley has finished in the top 10 of MVP voting.
Unfortunately for Riley, 2023 saw so many great players have historic seasons (Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts). Had it not been for these names, Austin Riley would likely have been higher up in the MVP conversation.
Through his first five seasons in the MLB, Austin Riley has flown under the radar a little bit but putting his consistent numbers under a microscope will prove that he is one of the best (if not the best) third baseman in all of the league. He made his case for this title in 2023.
