Braves sign Josh Tomlin to minor league deal

On the day that pitchers and catchers report, the Braves announced that they will be bringing back a familiar face to Spring Training. The team signed veteran right-handed pitcher Josh Tomlin to a minor league deal.

Tomlin pitched pretty well for the Braves in 2019 as a long reliever. He posted a 3.74 ERA, 4.49 FIP, and an impressive 2.2% walk rate over 79.1 innings in the regular season and pitched 3.2 shutout innings in the postseason.

Despite a plethora of pitching talent in the Braves’ system, the team seemingly did not have anyone ideal to fill the long relief role. Such a role is not ideal for developing young pitchers as getting innings as a long reliever is usually sporadic and places young pitchers trying to adjust the the big leagues in unfamiliar situations. If Tomlin performs well in Spring Training, he could fill that role again for the Braves in 2020.