The Atlanta Braves certainly learned the value of pitching depth during their disappointing fourth-place season. While pitching injuries weren’t the sole reason the Braves fell short of expectations, they were arguably the biggest factor. Every member of the rotation spent time on the injured list, and in total, the Braves used 46 pitchers this season—a new franchise record.
Accordingly, the Braves have spent the early part of their offseason bolstering their pitching depth before presumably targeting bigger names in major league free agency. Recently, they added another intriguing minor-league arm to their roster.
Connor Thomas, the 27-year-old left-hander who made his major league debut in March with the Milwaukee Brewers, has signed a minor-league deal with the Braves, according to the transactions log on his official roster page. The deal was officially signed on November 6, though it took several more days to be reflected in the log.
After the Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs in mid-October, Thomas was waived. When he went unclaimed, he elected free agency. It took only two weeks for him to find a new organization.
Thomas underwent surgery in July to repair his left UCL, so his best-case scenario projects a return around midseason. That timing could be a good fit for the Braves if injuries strike again, but the team won’t rush their new addition coming off surgery.
Since Thomas is not on the 40-man roster, the Braves don’t need to clear space for him or worry about using one of his options to start the season.
His first two major league outings were rough, as he allowed 12 hits and 12 earned runs in just 5 1/3 innings. However, the Brewers clearly had high hopes for Thomas—they selected him in the Rule 5 Draft last December. Prior to that, he posted a solid 2.89 ERA in Triple-A for the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
A former standout at Georgia Tech, Thomas will now return to familiar surroundings as he rehabs and aims to contribute to the Braves’ turnaround.
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/mlb/braves-acquire-27-year-old-lefty-after-brief-brewers-stint-11055360