The Atlanta Braves and Wil Nieves have agreed to a minor league deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Nieves, 37, was released by the Padres recently so they could clear space for top prospect Austin Hedges.
Nieves had just one hit this season in 14 plate appearances and that hit was a home run. He didn’t get much playing time being behind Derek Norris on the depth chart.
Nieves has been in the majors for 12 seasons and never has played in more than 72 games in a single season. He owns a career slash line of .241/.280/.317. He’s valued more for his defense and ranks at the top for catchers, according to Baseball Prospectus.
This move is an interesting one for Atlanta with Christian Bethancourt and A.J. Pierzynski getting the bulk of the work behind the plate.
Update
The deal also includes a July 1st opt-out clause.
