A short time after the Braves inked Bryan De La Cruz to a one-year contract, the club continued to bolster the depth of the outfield, inking Conner Capel to a minor league deal, presumably with an invite to Spring Training.
Capel was originally drafted by the Indians in the fifth round of the 2016 draft but was traded to the Cardinals in 2018. He spent a few years in the minors before making his big league debut with St. Louis in 2022. He appeared in just nine games before the Cardinals designated him for assignment in September of that year. Capel landed in Oakland after the Athletics plucked him off waivers, where he improved dramatically. While Capel slashed .176/.211/.353 with the Cardinals, he slashed .371/.425/.600 with the A’s.
That improvement earned him an opportunity with the Athletics in 2023, regularly appearing in Oakland’s outfield early in the season, hitting .260/.372/.329. Capel can get on base but has virtually no power, which resulted in a demotion to Triple-A, where he struggled. With the A’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, he hit just .252/.346/.402 in the Pacific Coast League’s inflated offensive environment.
Following the 2023 campaign, he entered free agency, catching on with the Reds on a minor league pact. In 74 games with Triple-A Louisville, Capel slashed .218/.343/.432 in 74 games before returning to free agency earlier this winter.
With the Braves, he’ll be more organizational depth, which is all Bryan De La Cruz should be as well.
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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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