Braves lose veteran catcher to Mariners weeks after signing in shocking offseason twist originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves have a lot of roster gaps to fill this winter, which is expected after a lackluster season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in years. Earlier in October, they signed Austin Nola to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite.
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“The Braves have signed catcher Austin Nola to a minor league deal, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The contract contains an invitation to Atlanta’s big league spring camp,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Mark Polishuk wrote.
This signing came after the Braves didn’t bring back Sandy León, as earlier reports had suggested. However, with this move, it raised questions about Sean Murphy’s future, especially with Drake Baldwin proving he can be an everyday catcher.
“If the Braves are going to continue to start Baldwin at catcher and utilize the DH position for another impact addition, it makes sense to save money behind the young starter. Murphy is far too highly paid to be a backup and unreliable offensively to plug into the DH spot. With this in mind, Nola could be the perfect compromise,” ATL All Day’s Nick Halden wrote.
The Nola signing took an unexpected twist on Tuesday when it was announced that the Braves had granted his release so he could become a bullpen coach for the Seattle Mariners — one of the rarest moves a player can make.
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“Catcher Austin Nola, who signed a minor-league contract this winter with Atlanta, has been granted his release to become the Seattle Mariners’ new bullpen coach,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale posted.
Nola heading to the Mariners for a coaching role wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card this winter. This could prompt the Braves to sign León to have a veteran presence in the minors in case of injury.
The Braves have already lost a signing this offseason — and in one of the most inconvenient ways. Still, this was more about having a veteran presence for the younger players, so it ultimately doesn’t impact much overall.
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