Brian Moran, a former Los Angeles Angels reliever, has signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves for the third time this offseason.
Moran has yet to appear in a major league game for the Braves.
In reality, Moran last played in a major league game with the Angels in 2022. Moran appeared briefly with the Halos, pitching only a third of an inning.
The Braves appear to view Moran as a valuable experienced depth option, but they have not been inclined to bring him back to the active roster. Breaking into the bullpen could be difficult once again.
Moran pitched for Triple-A Gwinnett in 2024, going 2-1 with a 5.91 ERA and 1.577 WHIP in 45.2 innings. His performance in 2023 was better, as he went 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.280 WHIP in 47.2 innings.
Moran has formerly thrown for the Miami Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays. He is 2-0 in 11.1 big league innings, although his ERA and WHIP are 7.94 and 2.118, respectively.
Moran’s professional career began in 2009, when the Seattle Mariners drafted him in the seventh round. After a decade in the minors, he made his Major League Baseball debut with the Miami Marlins in 2019.
Moran had a 34-29 record in 14 minor league seasons, with a 3.34 ERA, 1.218 WHIP, and 772 strikeouts over 658.1 innings. Out of his 507 minor league appearances, 503 were as a reliever, with only four starts. Two of their starts occurred in 2024 for Triple-A Gwinnett.
The left-hander is projected to serve as a minor league depth option to begin the season and might make an appearance with the Braves in 2024. However, any opportunity would be restricted due to Atlanta’s bullpen depth and a dearth of open places at the start of the season.
