The Braves recently signed right-handed pitcher Zach Thompson to a minor league contract, as noted on his MLB.com transactions page. Thompson confirmed the news on his Instagram account yesterday. Now 31, Thompson hadn’t joined a team in 2024 following surgery last October to repair a partially torn flexor tendon.
Selected by the White Sox in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, Zach Thompson debuted in the major leagues with the Marlins in 2021. He delivered an impressive rookie season as a versatile swingman for Miami, starting 14 of his 26 appearances. Over 75 innings, Thompson posted a solid 3.24 ERA and 3.69 FIP, with a 21% strikeout rate and an 8.9% walk rate. His strong performance made him an appealing trade asset, leading the Pirates to acquire him as part of the deal that sent Jacob Stallings to Miami during the 2021-22 offseason.
Thompson’s 2022 season with the Pirates fell short of his impressive rookie year with the Marlins. Over 122 1/3 innings in 29 appearances (including 22 starts), the right-hander’s performance declined, posting a 5.18 ERA and a 4.87 FIP. Although his walk rate remained steady at 8.5%, his strikeout rate dropped to 16.6%, and his home run rate nearly doubled. This downturn led the Pirates to designate him for assignment in January 2023, as his effectiveness as a swing option had significantly decreased.
Thompson was traded to the Blue Jays in a minor deal soon after but didn’t make their roster out of spring training, leading Toronto to designate him for assignment in June. He spent nearly all of 2023 as a starter in Triple-A, where he recorded a modest 4.61 ERA over 105 1/3 innings in 24 starts, with a 17.4% strikeout rate. Following his season-ending surgery in October, Thompson elected free agency shortly after.
Now that Thompson seems to have recovered from last year’s surgery, he’ll aim to re-establish himself as a reliable big-league option with the Braves. Atlanta has a track record of helping struggling pitchers find success, as seen with 2024 bullpen contributors like Grant Holmes and Jesse Chavez. With Chavez and lefty A.J. Minter expected to hit free agency, Thompson could compete for a bullpen spot out of spring camp, especially if the Braves focus on other roster areas, such as the rotation, where Max Fried and Charlie Morton are likely to depart from this year’s staff.
