The Atlanta Braves have made another move to bolster their bullpen, signing reliever Enyel De Los Santos to a minor league deal just before the Christmas holiday. While much of the team’s offseason focus has been on addressing needs in the outfield, starting rotation, and shortstop, the bullpen has also required attention, especially with several key arms unavailable for 2025.
The Braves face significant gaps in their relief corps. A.J. Minter remains a free agent with unresolved health concerns, Jesse Chavez’s future with the team is uncertain, and Joe Jimenez is expected to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season. These challenges leave Atlanta with innings to fill, prompting the team to explore low-cost options to reinforce its bullpen depth.
De Los Santos brings familiarity for Braves fans, as he began his career with the Philadelphia Phillies before moving between several teams, including the Padres, White Sox, and Yankees in 2024. His performances last season were highly variable, with some solid outings but also notable struggles, particularly during his time in New York.
Despite these inconsistencies, De Los Santos has attributes that make him an intriguing pickup. He throws in the mid-90s and has shown an ability to generate swings and misses. However, since his breakout 2022 campaign with the Cleveland Guardians, he has struggled with control issues and inconsistency in limiting hard contact. Some seasons he excels at keeping the ball on the ground, while in others, opposing hitters find barrels more often than desirable.
The minor league deal offers Atlanta a low-risk opportunity to assess De Los Santos’s potential. If he can address his control problems and recapture the form that once made him a reliable mid-3.00 ERA reliever, he could provide valuable innings for the Braves. However, if his struggles persist, the team can easily move on without significant loss.
For now, the signing is a calculated move to add depth to Atlanta’s bullpen, with the hope that De Los Santos can emerge as a reliable contributor for the 2025 season.
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