On Friday, the Braves announced that the club has signed right-handed pitcher Connor Gillispie to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract.
The #Braves today signed RHP Connor Gillispie to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract for the 2025 season.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) November 30, 2024
On the surface, this deal doesn’t move the needle at all.
The 27-year-old just made his major league debut in 2024 with the Guardians after being drafted by the Orioles in 2019. Spending four seasons in Baltimore’s farm system, Cleveland snapped him up from the minor league phase of last year’s Rule 5 draft.
The Guardians then selected him to the big league roster in August, and he tossed eight innings for them down the stretch, allowing two earned runs. However, he was designated for assignment last week.
Without much major league experience, the Braves are clearly intrigued by his work in the minor leagues. Gillispie tossed 113 1/3 Triple-A innings this year, allowed 4.05 earned runs per nine innings, striking out 25% of batters against a 10.1% walk rate while surrendering 22 home runs.
Let’s dig a little deeper. He made 15 starts last season and 12 relief appearances, posting a 4.68 ERA as a starter but a 2.63 mark in relief. Perhaps Alex Anthopoulos sees him as an intriguing camp arm or someone they can actually mold into a major league reliever.
Either way, Gillispie still has options, so he can be retained.
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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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