Atlanta Braves Sign 3 Minor League Pitchers
Jun 24, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Chris Volstad (38) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Reds won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Braves have added three right-handed minor league pitchers to their organization today. Two of them were plucked from Independent leagues, one a former major leaguer.
Braves have signed indy ball pitchers Bryan Morgado (@Lanbarnstormers), Connor Little (@EvilleOtters). Little was No. 8 on BA Indy Top 10.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) October 30, 2015
Braves also signed former big league RHP Chris Volstad to a minor league contract with spring training invite. Pitched for AAA Indy in '15
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) October 30, 2015
VOLSTAD
Chris Volstad is a 29-year-old righty who stands 6’8″ and is a former middle-of-the-1st-round draft pick of the Marlins (2005).
He made the majors in 2008 as a starter, peaking at 175 innings in 2010. He had stints both in the majors and AAA virtually every year since. Beginning in 2012, he started bouncing around: Cubs that year, Rockies in 2013, Angels in 2014, and Pirates this season.
His lifetime record is 35-51 over 123 starts, 131 appearances, and 705 total major league innings with a 4.92 ERA, 4.61 FIP, and 4.28 xFIP. Volstad is not a strikeout artist, has decent control, but a WHIP in the 1.40’s that tends to put him into trouble quite a bit.
Barring a big surprise, Volstad will likely be assigned to AAA Gwinnett to help fill out their rotation and provide some veteran guidance.
MORGADO
Bryan Morgado had been released by the Phillies in 2012, having been drafted by them late in 2010’s Round 4. He’s 6’3 and just short of 27 years old. He never got past their High-A affiliate, nor threw very much (no year over 43 innings).
Since then, he’s been floating around several Indy teams, posting ERAs around 3.00 over the past 2 seasons – still not with a high workload. He’s been relieving mostly, though started 10 games for Lancaster this year. His K/BB ratio was approaching 3:1. I would guess that he’ll get a shot starting for either Rome or Carolina.
LITTLE
Connor Little is not (little). He’s 6’6″ and 25 years old – born in San Diego, but was attending the University of Hawaii when drafted by the Marlins in the 49th round of 2011.
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I have no indication that he ever signed with the Fish (certainly never played for them), and he appears to have started playing independent ball in 2013, trading the idyllic settings of Hawaii for a travel-team bus and no-name hotels. However: that seems to be working for him. In those 3 seasons, he’s pitched to a 3.02 ERA in 64 games, primarily as a reliever. In 113 recorded innings, he shows 136 strikeouts with a scant 29 walks and a WHIP of 1.06. That’s pretty good, no matter what league you’re playing in – which is why BA is showing him as a Top 10 player in those Indy leagues.
It’s hard to guess where the Braves will start him, but once again, I’ll suggest either Rome of Carolina.