The Atlanta Braves continue to stockpile potential pitchers to begin the offseason.
The Atlanta Braves announced Friday night that they had signed right-handed pitcher Connor Gillispie to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal for the 2025 season.
According to MLB’s page on non-guaranteed contracts, Gillespie’s deal will become guaranteed whenever he makes the Major League roster after Spring Training.
Let’s clarify up one issue because the names are identical. This is not Conor Gillaspie, a former MLB infielder, attempting a comeback. This person is 10 years younger, has a very similar name, and also pitches.
Gillispie made his Major League Baseball debut in 2024 with the Cleveland Guardians. He made three appearances, recording a 2.25 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and eight strikeouts in eight innings pitched.
In addition to his three MLB appearances, he appeared in 27 games at Triple-A Columbus, 15 of which were starts. He had a 4.05 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP, limiting opponents to a.221 average.
According to his MLB.com biography, Gillispie was designated for assignment on November 19 and became free agency on November 22.
This crew like finding diamonds in the rough and turning them into something wonderful, so we’ll see what happens with this deal. However, if his MLB stats reflect who he is as a pitcher, that description will be wrong.
His statistics are based on a limited sample size, but the Braves must like what they see. He might be a valuable addition to the Braves’ pitching rotation. This would not be the first time, nor will it be the last.
While they have previously bolstered the rotation with surprise signings like Reynaldo Lopez, he would most likely aid a bullpen that has a big ailment in Joe Jimenez and could lose AJ Minter.
The Braves continue to stockpile potential pitching help for next season. After originally choosing to non-tender them, they signed Ray Kerr and former prospect Royber Salinas to minor league contracts.
