The Braves have added another name to the mix, signing utility man Tyler Freeman to a minor league deal.
Freeman is not the Freeman some fans might have been hoping for, but he does bring a lot of experience. He’s logged parts of five major league seasons, with three coming in Cleveland after being drafted there and the last two spent with the Rockies. Even with all that time in the big leagues, he still hasn’t really settled in.
What Freeman has done is bounce around the field. He’s played every position except pitcher and catcher, but the results haven’t matched the versatility.
His work in both the infield and outfield has graded below average, and the bat hasn’t carried him either. In 1,353 plate appearances, he has a .296 wOBA and a .312 xwOBA, numbers that help explain why his career has been worth -1.3 fWAR.
For now, this looks like a depth move aimed at Gwinnett more than anything else. The Braves need bodies there, and they need someone available if Luke Williams and Kyle Farmer are not. Freeman, at 28, is in the running to fill that roster spot.
There are reasons the Braves might still be interested in trying to work with him. He has tools: he was fast earlier in his career and owns a big throwing arm.
He also makes a lot of contact, but the tradeoff is a hyper-slap style that has kept him from producing much power. On top of that, his defensive reactions have been described as truly awful, and he hasn’t consistently made the plays a utility player is supposed to make.
Still, those are the kinds of things a team might hope to clean up.
In Other News...
Braves Bullpen Plan May Not Be Over After Evan Phillips Deal
The Braves have already made one notable bullpen move by signing Evan Phillips to a three-year contract, but the work in the late innings may not be finished. According to reporter Francys Romero, Atlanta is also showing interest in bringing back closer Raisel Iglesias, a familiar arm who remains one of the more established ninth-inning options on the market.
Iglesias drew interest from multiple teams, including the Braves and Detroit Tigers, after a strong 2026 season in which he posted a 2.55 ERA and saved 34 games. For Atlanta, the appeal is obvious: adding Phillips and potentially keeping Iglesias would give the club a deep, proven bullpen core with Robert Suarez in the mix, and it suggests the front office is still weighing how aggressive it wants to be in fortifying the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Shortstop Buzz Comes With More Risk Than Fans Realize
The Braves have already made one notable bullpen addition this offseason in right-hander Evan Phillips, but the bigger roster question still hanging over them is shortstop. That uncertainty has kept Atlanta tied to trade chatter, and the name that keeps surfacing is Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, a player who would instantly change the conversation if he were to become available.
Hendersons appeal is obvious because he could give the Braves a temporary answer at a premium position, but the fit comes with real risk. His recent offensive dip has raised questions about how much of the decline is tied to injuries, and his arbitration eligibility only adds another layer of cost and control concerns for Atlanta if the front office decides to pursue a deal. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Fans Have A New MVP Ballot Debate On Their Hands
The latest MVP voting brought a little extra intrigue for Braves fans, even with Pete Crow-Armstrong taking home the award for the season. Atlanta had its share of representation on the ballot, with Chris Sale, Matt Olson, Michael Harris II and, more surprisingly, Ozzie Albies all drawing votes in the National League race. For a club that spent much of the year sorting through its own highs and lows, seeing that many names surface in the conversation says something about how much talent was on the roster.
The real debate, though, has centered on Albies, whose placement from Rick Cerrone of Baseball Digest has already stirred pushback. Cerrone ranked Albies sixth in the NL MVP voting, a choice that has become the kind of outlier fans tend to circle immediately when ballots are published. It is the sort of wrinkle that does not change the final award, but it does give Braves supporters one more reason to argue over how the season should be remembered. [Read more 🡒]