The holiday season is here, and everyone at House That Hank Built wishes you safe travels and a Christmas morning filled with gifts. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves seem to be working around the clock as they continue shaping their 2025 roster right up until the holiday break.
While much of the focus this offseason has been on the Braves’ needs in the outfield, rotation, and at shortstop, there’s also a need to bolster the bullpen. AJ Minter remains a free agent with lingering health concerns, Jesse Chavez may be gone for good, and the unexpected loss of Joe Jimenez for most, if not all, of 2025 leaves a significant gap. That’s a lot of innings to account for.
In response, Atlanta has been busy scouring for budget-friendly bullpen options, and it looks like they’ve added another arm to the mix in Enyel De Los Santos.
Braves News: Atlanta signs reliever Enyel De Los Santos to minor league deal in another bullpen depth move
De Los Santos may be recognized by some Braves fans, as he began his career with the Phillies before moving around the league since 2021. Most recently, he played with the Padres, White Sox, and Yankees in 2024, experiencing a wide range of outcomes, including some significant struggles with New York.
The positive aspect is that De Los Santos throws in the mid-90s and has generally been effective at generating strikeouts throughout his career. However, he has had difficulty replicating the success he found with the Guardians in 2022. Issues with walks and inconsistent performance in limiting hard contact have hindered his effectiveness. At times, he can induce ground balls and avoid getting hit hard, while in other seasons, hitters tend to make better contact than desired.
Ultimately, there’s little risk for the Braves in this move. De Los Santos signed a minor league deal, so Atlanta can easily part ways if things don’t work out. However, if he can reduce his walk rate and return to being the reliable mid-3.00 ERA reliever he’s been in the past, limiting hard contact, he could prove to be a valuable addition.
Be the first to comment