Braves Minor League Free Agents: Where Are They Now?
Every team rotates through an array of minor league free agents each year. Some became free agents this past offseason after reaching the max number of years in the organization, while others have had that status for some time and are carving out careers at Triple-A.
It’s not an exciting proposition to spend a career at Triple-A, but it’s the ceiling for many players. Just getting to the highest level of the minors is a tough thing to do, evident when you realize how many flame out in A-ball. They serve as minor league depth and emergency call-ups for years, just outside the level of talent needed to hold a spot in the majors.
The Braves saw a fairly large group of minor leaguers leave the organization as free agents this offseason. Let’s go through the list.
Jonathan Aro - RHP
Aro is 29 years old and just completed a season with his third organization by splitting time between the bullpens in Gwinnett and Mississippi. He actually had really good numbers in relief this past season, but he’s clearly a depth arm at this point with 11 innings of major league experience. He joined the Mexican League for 2020.
Claudio Custodio - RHP
Custodio is also 29 and became a free agent after 2018 with the Blue Jays. He signed with the Braves and was a depth arm at Mississippi, where he performed very well to the tune of a 2.61 ERA over 31 appearances, including six starts. Custodio again became a free agent this past offseason but re-signed with the Braves in January on another minor league deal.
Rafael De Paula - RHP
De Paula has put in a lot of time at a lot of levels and affiliates since 2012 and is also 29. His time as a Yankees prospect never materialized and he’s bounced around since, spending last year at Gwinnett and having a rather rough season considering his age and experience. It might have cost him another chance in affiliated ball. He signed with the same team as Aro in the Mexican League.
Jason Hursh - RHP
Hursh is one of the most notable names in this year’s group as a former first-round pick in 2013. Nothing against Hursh, but it was a reach to select him so high as a clear future reliever with no impact pitch. He’s always had a good slider, but his sinking fastball needs plus command and the changeup didn’t develop. He ended up with 12 major league innings in Atlanta before his initial time with the organization ended. He remains a minor league free agent.
Lukas Young - RHP
Young’s situation is different than most because he was released by the Red Sox in January 2019. The Braves picked him up four days later and had him throw out of Florida’s bullpen for most of the year. The numbers weren’t that great and the Braves let him walk. He signed with the Twins as a minor league free agent this past February. He’s only 23 and will probably get more chances, but he’s clearly depth.
Jordan Harrison - LHP
Harrison carved out a lengthy minor league career as a crafty lefty in the Rays organization before becoming a free agent after 2018. The Braves signed him to fill a spot in the Mississippi bullpen, and he did a very good job of it by producing an ERA under 3. He became a free agent again and is now 29 and looking for another opportunity.
Caleb Thielbar - LHP
Thielbar has a somewhat interesting story he can now tell, having been traded from the Tigers to the Braves on Aug. 30 and throwing exactly two innings for Gwinnett before becoming a free agent. He was acquired for cash and served as depth for the final month in case a major league player got injured. The Twins signed him on a minor league deal in December.
Andy Wilkins - 1B
Wilkins is the definition of upper-level depth as a 31-year-old first baseman. He had a tough 2019 by dealing with injuries and never getting on track between Mississippi and Florida. He’s a free agent again.
Daniel Lockhart - IF
The son of former Brave Keith Lockhart, Daniel signed with the Braves as a minor league free agent for 2018 and was re-signed for 2019, spending both seasons at Mississippi and providing steady play as a minor league veteran. He was never able to take that step forward to be a real option for the big league club, however, and is now a free agent again at 27.
Andres Blanco - IF
Blanco has spent a considerable amount of time in the majors as a bench player, but he’s now 36 and at the tail end of his career. He spent the 2019 season at Gwinnett and had a very good year, but he’s likely past the point of being a 40-man candidate. He signed with the Brewers as a minor league free agent in January.
Pedro Florimon - IF
Florimon is a known name as a former utilityman in the majors, including 50 games for the Phillies in 2018. He played all of 2019 at Gwinnett and, not surprisingly, had a good season. Like Blanco, Florimon is probably not a 40-man candidate anymore at 33, but he should keep getting work as depth. He’s now a free agent.
Luis Marte - IF
Marte was another depth infielder for Gwinnett last season. He actually earned a non-roster spring invite for 2019 after playing well between Gwinnett and Mississippi in 2018. He’s only 26 and plays good defense up the middle, so he may still have a chance to be an up/down infielder. He’s a free agent now, though.
Lane Adams - OF
Adams is a Braves minor league and Twitter favorite. He’s a great personality and solid depth outfielder, having played the vast majority of his 117 major league games in Atlanta, including 85 in 2017, hitting .275 with five home runs and 10 stolen bases. He was released by the Phillies in July 2019 and returned to the Braves organization in August, finishing out the season at Mississippi before becoming a free agent again. He signed with the Twins in early March and should continue getting work as a depth outfielder.
Ray-Patrick Didder - OF
Didder has been a somewhat notable prospect since signing out of Aruba and coming stateside in 2014. He’s always had some of the best speed in the Braves system and is capable of playing all over. He also draws a ton of walks and there’s a little more pop in the barrel than some realize. However, he struggled at the plate in his first full season at Mississippi at 24 years old and the clock expired on his prospect status. He signed a minor league deal with the Padres and will try to bounce back in another Double-A attempt. I still like Didder as a possible up/down utility player with tons of speed if the bat can come around even a little.