Earlier this afternoon, the Atlanta Braves announced that four veteran players have been reassigned to minor league camp.
Right-handed pitcher Buck Farmer and left-hander Jake Diekman, both considered contenders for spots in the Opening Day bullpen, were among those sent down. Additionally, catcher Curt Casali and outfielder Jake Marisnick were also reassigned from big league camp.
The decisions to reassign Buck Farmer and Jake Diekman come as somewhat of a surprise. Both pitchers were late offseason additions, signing minor league deals with the Braves. Farmer, 34, is an 11-year MLB veteran who spent most of his career with the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds. Diekman, 38, brings 13 years of big-league experience and has pitched for nine different MLB teams.
Catcher Curt Casali, 36, was also reassigned. A veteran of 11 MLB seasons, Casali has primarily served as a backup catcher throughout his career, including a stint with the San Francisco Giants last year. He was viewed as the fifth catcher on Atlanta’s depth chart.
Outfielder Jake Marisnick, who turns 34 soon, has 11 seasons of major league experience but did not play in the majors last year. He previously appeared in 17 games at Triple-A Gwinnett for the Braves in 2022.
Farmer had been considered a frontrunner for the bullpen’s long-relief role but may have been pushed out of the mix following the team’s signing of Hector Neris a few weeks ago.
Diekman had been competing with fellow veteran Chasen Shreve for the third left-handed spot in the bullpen. With Shreve already reassigned to minor league camp earlier in the spring, Angel Perdomo now appears to be the leading candidate for that role.
If they remain with the organization after spring training, all four players are expected to begin the season with Triple-A Gwinnett.
