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ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Tuesday evening that the Braves have signed relief pitcher Chasen Bradford to a minor league deal.
Right-hander Chasen Bradford and Atlanta are in agreement on a minor league deal, sources tell ESPN. Bradford pitched for Mets and Mariners from 2017-19 and missed last season after Tommy John surgery. Another arm that helps Atlanta with something all teams covet: pitching depth.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 17, 2021
Unfortunately, not many hitters have been Chasen (hehe) his pitches, as he has a career strikeout rate of 6.58 K/9 and a career FIP and xFIP of 5.00 and 4.62 respectively. He additionally has a career home run rate of 1.56/9. Bradford is 31 and has had a decent ERA in two of his three short seasons in the majors. The positives are that he has low walk rates and has a decent fastball spin rate. That’s about it though, as even his ability to suppress hard contact isn’t particularly good. In summary, Bradford is a pitcher who doesn’t tend to issue walks, but also doesn’t strike people out, allows hard contact, and allows home runs. It seems unlikely that he will ever see the major league roster in Atlanta, but he can certainly be organizational depth.