The holiday season is here, and everyone at House That Hank Built wishes you safe travels and plenty of gifts under the tree on Christmas morning. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves seem to be in constant motion as they continue to shape their 2025 roster, working right up until the holiday break.
While most of the focus this offseason has been on addressing needs in the outfield, rotation, and shortstop, the Braves also have to shore up their bullpen. AJ Minter remains a free agent with lingering health concerns, Jesse Chavez may be departing for good, and the team unexpectedly lost Joe Jimenez for most, if not all, of the 2025 season. That’s a significant number of innings to fill.
Braves News: Atlanta Signs Reliever Enyel De Los Santos to Minor League Deal for Bullpen Depth
The Atlanta Braves have added another arm to their bullpen, signing reliever Enyel De Los Santos to a minor league contract. Some Braves fans might recognize De Los Santos from his early years with the Phillies, before he bounced around the league starting in 2021. Most recently, he spent time with the Padres, White Sox, and Yankees in 2024, with results that ranged from strong performances to some difficult stretches, especially during his time in New York.
The good news for Atlanta is that De Los Santos throws in the mid-90s and has a history of generating strikeouts. However, he has struggled to replicate the success of his breakout 2022 season with the Guardians. Issues with walks and inconsistency in limiting hard contact have hindered his effectiveness. On some occasions, he can keep the ball on the ground and avoid getting hit hard. On others, opposing batters have had no trouble squaring him up.
For the Braves, there’s minimal risk in this move. Since De Los Santos is on a minor league deal, they can easily part ways if things don’t pan out. However, if he can address his control issues and return to being the kind of mid-3’s ERA reliever he showed in the past—someone who limits hard contact—he could prove to be a valuable, low-cost addition to Atlanta’s bullpen.
