On Friday, the Atlanta Braves added lefty reliever Sam Freeman on a minor league deal. They will be his fourth team in four years.
Originally a 32nd round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals back in 2008, the fact that Freeman even made it to the majors is pretty impressive. Few players from that far back in the draft ever emerge as effective big leaguers.
After slowly working his way up the minor league ladder, he made his MLB debut in 2012 and has seen at least a bit of big league action in every season since.
Perhaps his best season came in 2014. Still with the Cardinals, Freeman pitched to a 2.61 earned run average in 38 innings over 44 games.
The following season he was traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for a player to be named later. After one solid season in Arlington, he was purchased by the Milwaukee Brewers.
In 2015, his only season with the Brewers, Freeman struggled mightily. He was shelled in seven big league appearances (12.91 ERA, 10.6 BB/9) and didn’t fare much better in Triple-A (5.20 ERA as a 29-year-old).
However, the addition of Freeman makes sense for an Atlanta staff woefully lacking in left-handers. Last season, a total of six left-handed relievers pitched for the team. Of that group, only Ian Krol is a lock to return next year.
Hunter Cervenka and Dario Alvarez were traded; Jed Bradley was placed on waivers and claimed by the Baltimore Orioles; Eric O’Flaherty is a free agent; and Matt Marksberry’s future is uncertain after a health scare.
Given the lack of competition and his relatively recent success, Freeman seems likely to challenge for a spot in the big league pen. Whether that means starting the season with Atlanta or biding his time in Triple-A, odds are good that Freeman will appear in the bigs for his sixth straight season.
Scott Ferris covers the Braves as a Staff Writer for Outside Pitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter @ScottHFerris
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