The Braves have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran reliever Darren O’Day, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Presumably, the Ballengee Group client will be in Major League Spring Training and hope to secure a roster spot in what would be a return bid with Atlanta.
O’Day, 39, signed a one-year deal with the Yankees back in January. He was limited to only 10 2/3 innings in 2021 due to a rotator cuff strain as well as a season-ending hamstring injury that required surgery in July. Despite the injury, O’Day chose a $700K buyout over his $1.4MM player option with the Yankees. O’Day will make a $1MM salary if he’s in the Majors, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, so he still has a chance to come out ahead.
O’Day, a side-arming righty, is a 14-year MLB veteran with a 2.53 ERA in 587 1/3 career innings. He began his pro career as an undrafted free agent back in 2006, joining the Mets’ bullpen in 2009 as a Rule 5 pick from the Angels. He was quickly claimed by the Rangers and ascended to the club’s setup job in short order. After a lost 2011 season that included hip surgery, O’Day joined the Orioles on a waiver claim. He went on to post a 1.92 ERA over the next four seasons, making the 2015 All-Star game and landing a four-year, $31MM contract to remain with Baltimore.
At the 2018 trade deadline – with O’Day out for the season due to hamstring surgery and still owed $9MM in 2019 – the Orioles shipped him to Atlanta as a salary dump along with Kevin Gausman. Though O’Day only pitched 21 2/3 innings for Atlanta from 2019-20 due to injuries, he must have enjoyed his time there. O’Day hasn’t topped 20 innings in a season since 2017. He was death on righties in his heyday, but had difficulties with lefties even back then. Specialists can be difficult to employ in the three-batter minimum era, but O’Day will have a crack at joining Atlanta’s 2022 bullpen. The current Braves pen includes Tyler Matzek, Will Smith, A.J. Minter, and Luke Jackson, plus the recently-acquired Jay Jackson. Richard Rodriguez, with a potential arbitration salary north of $3MM, is a threat to be non-tendered or traded by tomorrow’s non-tender deadline.
Good luck Atlanta. At least it’s a minor league deal.
He was good for us in the fake 2020 season but he’s definitely getting up there in age.
I’m fine with O’Day on any minor league deal. He likely won’t stay healthy but if that happens you can just cut him at no cost. When he is healthy he’s always been pretty good. It’s a no risk contract for the team with medium to high reward potential.
He quickly got injured for us last year. He pitched fairly well until then.
Yeah. I followed him after he left the Braves to sign with the Yankees. I was surprised when the Yankees paid him that much with his age and injury history. It seems he will never stay healthy with that delivery. I think the Yankees are still paying him around $700k for his buyout. I like him on a minor league deal though. When he’s healthy enough to play he’s worth it so pay him. When he’s injured just get rid of him because his salary won’t be guaranteed.
Give it a few months and we’ll sell him back to you for your top-20 prospect.
Go ahead, punk — make my O’Day.
No worries Braves just got Ozuna back
Now that it’s retroactive I wish the suspension was longer. Ozuna missed the last 113 games of last season. Since the Braves paid him for all of that they won’t have to pay him for the first 20 games of next season per the “retroactive 20 game suspension.” If it were a “retroactive 113-game suspension” the Braves wouldn’t have to pay him for the first 113 games but he would still have to play for free. Better yet… Have those free 113 games kick in at the end of his deal when he’s oldest. Or just make it the last 93 games and the Braves don’t have to pay his million dollar buyout. If they unlikely decide to keep him then make the last 10 games of the entire contract unpaid instead of eliminating the buyout. He got paid to play when he didn’t. Now he won’t get paid to play when he does.
This will cement our status as Team of the ‘20s.
Braves made a deal!
It is a miracle!
Is MadBum next?????
Great, the news we all we’re looking forward too. SMH . Ughhh what’s up with Freddie Freeman?
MISSED IT BY THAT [ = ] MUCH !!
According to informed sources, The Marlins were in on Darren O’Day right up until he signed the deal to join the Braves.. The Marlins made a “strong” offer, but not one that matched the Braves’ financial commitment. The Marlins weren’t the only team to be outbid.
The Marlins “strong offer” got outbid by a minor league deal? How is that even possible? In what way is a minor league deal a strong offer?
Did you even read his comment? The Marlins made a “strong” offer, but not one that matched the Braves’ financial commitment. The Marlins weren’t the only team to be outbid.
He’s just doing this dumb bs on every post, just changing the persons name and signing teams name. Simply trolling the marlins, which a part of me kinda loves
Apparently this is a new shtick by nentwigs. It’s appeared in multiple posts.
Huh… I can’t say I’m a fan. Nothing personally against it. I just don’t find it particularly funny and I’m not even a Marlins fan.
If he stays off the IL the Braves will be like O’Wow
should have an MLB deal
Worth a flier
Why should a pitcher who hasn’t thrown over 20 innings in a single season for over 4 years deserve a major league contract? Chances are the Braves will end up paying him over a million dollars to spend the last 5 months of the season on the IL. Sounds like a pretty good deal for him to me. Unless of course he falls apart in spring training and doesn’t get the million dollar bonus. In that case he isn’t worth a contract at all.
It’s a minor league deal….
If he can stay healthy, then this is a steal …
Come on braves, more signings, including Freddie Freeman
Where’s Freddie?
This is the stuff that helps the chances of landing Freddie, so I don’t mind it. The Braves are trying to fill out the rest of the team with cost-effective risks so they can edge up on Freddie without going too high.
If they sign Freddie first and other teams gobble up the low financial risk types, then they will be over their self-imposed limit. They just aren’t willing to do that, no matter what AA may say about Liberty letting him increase payroll.
FREDDIE, FREDDIE, FREDDIE got to get this done AA.
At least one dumpster diving move I like , O’day is a good guy who battled such arm problems and did well for the Braves. It was always about the money that he was let go before.
Maybe the 51 total innings since 2018 has something to do with this…….an injury waiting to happen.
I dig Atlanta’s BP.
This guy is almost always good when fully healthy. Great signing.
Thank you everyone for all of your comments, they bring me a lot of laughter when I’m taking my morning poo
Depth signing, don’t get too excited either way.