Braves Sign Jackson Stephens, Sandy Leon To Minors Deals
The Atlanta Braves signed relief pitcher Jackson Stephens and catcher Sandy Leon to minor-league deals Tuesday, per The Athletic's David O'Brien. Stephens elected free agency in March after being outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett by the Braves and served as a decent reliever for the Braves from 2022 through 2023. Leon should serve as catcher depth for the organization with Sean Murphy (oblique) on the injured list with an oblique injury but will not contribute much offensively. Neither of these players should factor into the fantasy landscape at this time.
Relief pitcher Jackson Stephens elected free agency on Wednesday after the Atlanta Braves outrighted him to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. The 29-year-old right-hander will now look to latch on with another organization with Opening Day in 2024 just one day away. The former 18th-round pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2012 out of high school was let go by the Braves after the signed veteran reliever Jesse Chavez just the other day. In the last two seasons with the Braves, Stephens went 3-3 with a decent 3.56 ERA (3.58 FIP), a 1.37 WHIP, two saves, 28 walks and 58 strikeouts in 65 2/3 frames over 44 appearances (one start). In his 12 Grapefruit League innings this spring, he allowed four earned runs on 13 hits while walking five and striking out 11.
The Atlanta Braves and right-hander Jackson Stephens have agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed split contract for the 2024 season. The club outrighted Stephens off of their 40-man roster earlier in the month but have brought him back on a non-guaranteed deal after he worked five appearances out of their bullpen in September. The 29-year-old worked to a solid 3.00 ERA in those 12 innings before elbow inflammation claimed the remainder of his season. While it's unclear if he will be ready to go for spring training, Stephens owns a respectable 4.19 ERA across 80 big-league appearances between the Reds and Braves, so a flyer low-risk flyer makes sense in this situation.
The Atlanta Braves signed free-agent relief pitcher Jackson Stephens to a one-year, non-guaranteed split contract Monday, the team reported on their Twitter account. The 28-year-old pitched 53 2/3 innings out of the bullpen for the Braves in 2022, going 3-3 with two saves and a 3.69 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 20% strikeout rate. While Stephens may be a useful bullpen piece for the Braves throughout the season, it would be surprising to see him bring any fantasy value given the other strong arms available for high-leverage situations.
Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Jackson Stephens (head) left the game on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals when he was hit in the head by a line drive. It was a scary scene, but the good news is that Stephens was able to walk off the field under his own power after he was looked at by trainers. Before leaving, he was roughed up, allowing three runs on four hits while walking one and striking out none in just one-third of an inning. It remains to be seen if the 28-year-old right-hander is dealing with a concussion, but if he is, he'll likely land on the seven-day injured list. In 32 appearances for Atlanta this year, Stephens has a 3.89 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP and a 43:19 K:BB with two saves in 44 innings pitched.
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jackson Stephens was optioned back to Triple-A on Sunday, a day after defeating the Chicago Cubs in his MLB debut. Stephens showed well in his debut, striking out eight batters in five innings of work, but it wasn't enough to keep him in the majors. According to beat reporter Zach Buchanan, the Reds sent Stephens back down because they wanted to add an extra reliever for their upcoming road trip. Expect to see Stephens back up at some point soon as Cincinnati doesn't have a strong starting rotation.
Cincinnati Reds rookie pitcher Jackson Stephens turned in an excellent debut against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday. Stephens earned his first career win, limiting Chicago to three runs over five innings while racking up eight strikeouts. While the strikeouts were a pleasant surprise, Stephens was only averaging 7.11 strikeouts per nine innings in Triple-A this season, so don't expect him to continue to average well over one per inning in the big leagues. It appears Stephens will stick around in the Reds' rotation for now. He draws a tough task in his next start as he will take the mound at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies.
Jackson Stephens Will Start Against Cubs On Saturday
Cincinnati Reds rookie pitcher Jackson Stephens will make his MLB debut on Saturday when he takes the mound against the Chicago Cubs. Stephens, an 18th round draft pick in 2012, is a very deep prospect sleeper for the Reds. In 76 innings at Triple-A Louisville this season, Stephens has posted a 4-4 record, 4.97 ERA, and is averaging 7.11 strikeouts and 3.91 walks per nine innings. Those aren't exactly eye-popping numbers but the Reds needed an extra pitcher after Brandon Finnegan was placed on the disabled list for the second time this season. The Cubs haven't been great against right-handed pitching this season but Stephens should still be avoided in fantasy for now.
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