According to the Atlanta Braves’ transaction website, the team has signed veteran catcher Sandy León to a Minor League contract and re-signed right-handed reliever Jackson Stephens.
León, a 12-year MLB veteran, provides organizational depth at catcher with Sean Murphy out with a strained oblique and Chadwick Tromp now with the big league club.
León appeared in 21 games with the World Series-winning Texas Rangers last season, hitting.146/.186/.195 in 44 plate appearances. Throughout his career, he has appeared in 554 games with limited offensive performance, including 31 career home runs in 1,729 plate appearances and 57 OPS+.
A career back-up catcher, the 35-year-old Venezuela-native debuted in 2012 and has seen MLB action in each season since. He adds depth at Triple-A Gwinnett where he joins Sebastian Rivero on the Stripers’ active roster. The team also added catcher Ryan Casteel to the developmental list.
Stephens will return to the Braves organization, where he has pitched since the 2022 season. The 29-year-old was among the final cuts made during Spring Training this season. He appeared in five games with the Braves in 2023 after returning from injury, pitching 12 innings of relief and posting a 152 ERA+ in a small sample size. He appeared in 39 games for Atlanta in 2022, providing the team with 53.2 innings of excellent relief work, a 112 ERA+, and a 1.342 WHIP.
In Stephens, Atlanta has a recognized veteran who can provide the Braves with a low-to-mid-leverage arm capable of pitching many innings if necessary. Stephens joins a Gwinnett bullpen that includes a number of former MLB relievers, including
