The Braves have brought Kyle Farmer back into the fold, re-signing the infielder to a minor league deal and sending him to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Farmer was set to debut with the Stripers tonight, but the game was washed out before he could take the field.
His return comes just a week after Atlanta released him. Farmer spent most of the season on the big league roster, though a roughly six-week stint on the injured list interrupted that run.
Even when he was active, his playing time came in fits and starts. He appeared in 12 games overall, started only once, and finished 4-for-16 with a double and four strikeouts.
For all of his reputation as a steady clubhouse presence, the roster spot never produced much on the field.
Now the Atlanta native gives Gwinnett some veteran infield insurance. That matters because the Braves don’t have much wiggle room with their position-player group. None of their bench bats - Joey Bart, Jorge Mateo, Dominic Smith or Eli White - have minor league options.
Jim Jarvis does have options, and the rookie shortstop hasn’t exactly forced the issue. Since the All-Star Break, he has seven hits in 39 plate appearances and has committed four errors in 19 starts. Atlanta is expected to be in the market for shortstop help, and if that happens, Jarvis could be the one headed back to Triple-A.
The trade market, though, isn’t exactly overflowing with clean fits. It’s a thin rental class, and the shortstops on the most obvious sellers don’t look likely to move.
Francisco Lindor, Willy Adames, Javier Báez, Ezequiel Tovar and Andrés Giménez all have underwater contracts. Bobby Witt Jr., Elly De La Cruz and Jacob Wilson are not getting dealt.
The Angels are expected to listen on Zach Neto, but they would surely ask for a major return for three and a half years of their franchise shortstop.
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