The Braves have signed outfielder Conner Capel to a minor league deal, in keeping with the transaction tracker on Capel’s MLB.com profile web page. The deal presumably consists of an invitation to MLB Spring Coaching in 2025.
A fifth-round choose by Cleveland within the 2016 draft, Capel was traded to the Cardinals as a part of the Oscar Mercado commerce again in 2018. Capel spent the subsequent few years climbing the minor league ladder however finally made his massive league debut with the Cardinals again in 2022 throughout his age-25 marketing campaign. He appeared in simply 9 video games for St. Louis earlier than being designated for project in September of that 12 months, however the then-Oakland A’s plucked him off waivers and added him to the roster down the stretch. Whereas Capel struggled badly with the Cardinals to the tune of a .176/.211/.353 batting line, he discovered one other gear in Oakland and slashed .371/.425/.600 in his closing 40 plate appearances of the season.
Capel’s sturdy displaying was sufficient to persuade the A’s to place him on their Opening Day roster in 2023. He was a daily fixture within the membership’s nook outfield combine early within the season however put up extra pedestrian numbers than he had in his torrid September stretch the earlier 12 months, hitting simply .260/.372/.329. These on-base expertise have been sufficient to maintain his total slash line above league common, however the lack of energy led the A’s to possibility him to Triple-A. After being despatched again right down to the minor leagues, Capel struggled with the membership’s Las Vegas affiliate and hit simply .252/.346/.402 within the Pacific Coast League’s inflated offensive surroundings. That led the A’s to outright Capel off the 40-man roster, permitting him to elect free company following the 2023 marketing campaign.
Finally, Capel caught on with the Reds in free company through a minor league pact. On the time, it appeared considerably unlikely that he would influence the massive league membership in 2024 given the crowded positional combine in Cincinnati. Issues modified quickly for the Reds after that, nonetheless. Noelvi Marte was suspended for the primary half of 2024 on account of a failed PED take a look at, and accidents to TJ Friedl, Matt McLain, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand opened up loads of taking part in time in Cincinnati. That rush of accidents allowed Capel to crack the massive league roster in Could, although he appeared in simply 5 video games with the Reds earlier than being designated for project. After going two-for-eight with a stolen base and a run scored in Cincinnati, Capel returned to Triple-A Louisville the place he slashed .218/.343/.432 in 74 video games earlier than returning to free company earlier this winter.
Now that he’s latched on with the Braves, Capel figures to supply the membership non-roster outfield depth from the left facet. He’ll be a part of righty-hitting Bryan De La Cruz in that position as Atlanta seems to shore up its outfield depth. With Ronald Acuna Jr. not anticipated to be prepared for Opening Day after struggling a torn ACL early final 12 months, the membership has little certainty within the outfield past Michael Harris II in middle subject and Jarred Kelenic as a possible possibility for a nook spot. The Braves determine so as to add at the very least one outfielder who can supply extra certainty than both De La Cruz or Capel, however the pair might nonetheless vie for a bench position with the membership this Spring or step in if further accidents additional complicate the membership’s outfield plans.
