The Braves have signed outfielder Conner Capel to a minor league deal, in line 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 decide 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 following few years climbing the minor league ladder however ultimately 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 task in September of that yr, 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 remaining 40 plate appearances of the season.
Capel’s sturdy exhibiting 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 yr, hitting simply .260/.372/.329. These on-base expertise had been sufficient to maintain his general 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 by way of a minor league pact. On the time, it appeared considerably unlikely that he would impression the large 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 as a consequence of a failed PED take a look at, and accidents to TJ Friedl, Matt McLain, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand opened up loads of enjoying time in Cincinnati. That rush of accidents allowed Capel to crack the large league roster in Might, although he appeared in simply 5 video games with the Reds earlier than being designated for task. 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 part of righty-hitting Bryan De La Cruz in that function as Atlanta appears 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 yr, the membership has little certainty within the outfield past Michael Harris II in heart subject and Jarred Kelenic as a possible possibility for a nook spot. The Braves determine so as to add a minimum of one outfielder who can supply extra certainty than both De La Cruz or Capel, however the pair might nonetheless vie for a bench function with the membership this Spring or step in if extra accidents additional complicate the membership’s outfield plans.
