2:23pm: The contract should be worth around $750K, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.
12:57pm: The two sides have agreed to a major league deal, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
12:36pm: The Braves are attempting to sign free-agent utilityman Ryan Flaherty, Mark Bowman of MLB.com tweets. It’s unclear whether he’d get a major league contract, but Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reported earlier Sunday that Flaherty is set to sign an MLB pact with someone. That may prove to be Atlanta.
The 31-year-old Flaherty was previously with one of the Braves’ NL East rivals, the Phillies, who added him on a minor league deal in the offseason. Flaherty ultimately decided to opt out of that contract on Thursday.
To this point, Flaherty has spent his entire major league career in Baltimore, where the left-handed hitter failed to pose a threat offensively (.215/.284/.355) over 1,270 plate appearances. He was versatile with the Orioles on the defensive side, though, as he lined up at every infield position (primarily second base) and also saw some time in the outfield.
Given the presence of rising star Ozzie Albies, the Braves are all set at the keystone, but Flaherty could back up him and shortstop Dansby Swanson. He could also function as depth at third base, where starter Johan Camargo will begin the season on the disabled list. For now, the Braves’ top reserve infielder is the out-of-options Charlie Culberson (depth chart).
Why?
Why not?
He’ll be taking a spot from a young guy and this is a perfect year to get all the kinks out of their game and get them acclimated to the big leagues.
Honestly who is he really taking a spot away from? Ruiz maybe? Although Ruiz has done nothing to show he’s earned a spot. All of the young infielders who will be potential big leaguers need the minor league AB’s right now. Why disrupt their development?
While it this move hardly hurts Atlanta, it just seems unneeded. They already have Ruiz and Culberson who are basically like Flaherty, plus Camargo who will have a spot when he returns.
Also, won’t Riley be making his debut this year too?
Not true that Ruiz is like Flaherty —- Ruiz only plays 3b
Would be a good move. Depth is never a bad thing.
Yeah I’ve watched him for years in Baltimore. Class act, very versatile defensively. Works hard at his game. Don’t know enough about who else is ther in ATL but he’s a solid pickup.
All for it on a minor league deal
Rather have Cameron Rupp or Trevor Plouff but Braves are hurting on bench options.
JDGoat sucks. Never a nice thing to say.
Lmao ok guy
Apparently teams like Flaherty’s glove, because he really can’t hit at all but he has stretched his very limited skill set to a 6-year career and made himself 6 million dollars in the process. So kids, work on your infield defense.
What a joke.
Don’t like it at all
I’ll never understand the love for this guy. Is there no one in the minor leagues that can play solid defense and hit for more than 75% of the league average? He’s coming off the worst season of his career offensively with a 51 WRC+. He shouldn’t be getting anything other than a minor league deal.
To be fair to flaherty to make any observations about last season where he had all of 48 PA’s is just wrong. However he hasn’t shown much his entire career with the bat. Braves don’t have a lot of utility options and clearly they prefer flaherty. He had a pretty decent spring. They’ll decide between Culberson and flaherty when the time comes. Strong chance if he ends back up on waivers that the orioles would claim him too.
Dumb move. Let the young guys battle it out. He’s not even any good. If ur gonna take up a spot pick a much better player. Doesn’t have to be great, just not pure junk like this guy. I’d still let the young guys battle it out, sink or swim this season, go after more next season
Hey don’t use logic or else people will say you suck
He’s certainly better than Ryan Schimpf….
I’ll agree he’s better than Schimpf but people lashed out on me when I trashed the Schimpf deal. 0-30 this spring and suddenly people are quite lol
31 seems young enough to me.
We already have Culberson, no need for 2 of him
It’s a 750k deal. It’s not 750 million.