Saturday, August 02

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- When the Braves signed Buck Farmer to a Minor League deal and brought him to big league camp as a non-roster invite this past week, there was reason to wonder why the veteran reliever was unable to land a big league deal with any Major League club.

“It was kind of alluded to that my outs weren’t 'sexy enough,'” Farmer said. “I guess with strikeouts, swing-and-miss and stuff like that. Still had 70-plus strikeouts in 70 innings. So, it was there at some point. So, I don’t know if it was that. The velo was down a little because I was throwing a sinker instead of a four-seam. And getting a year older with the velo going down. I don’t know if teams didn’t find that attractive. I just couldn’t tell you.”

If Farmer pitches as effectively as he did while posting a 3.04 ERA over 61 appearances for the Reds last season, he should be a good fit. The 34-year-old right-hander and Georgia Tech product was raised in Conyers, and he currently lives in Buford. Playing for his hometown team had started to feel like a fleeting dream.

“I didn’t think it was ever going to come true,” Farmer said. “Being this far into my career and this is the first time I’ve worn it. That means a lot.”

Farmer’s average four-seam fastball velocity dropped from 93.9 mph in 2023 to 92.7 mph in ’24. The expected batting average (.250) for this pitch in ’24 was higher than the actual batting average (.216), indicating that he might have benefited from some good fortune. But the weighted on-base average (.311) produced by this pitch in ’23 was better than the ’24 mark (.344). 

After looking at Farmer’s Baseball Savant page, there was reason to question whether he might ditch the sinker, a pitch he introduced last season, and rely more on the changeup, a pitch that would also move away from lefties and in on righties.

Opponents hit .265 and produced a .412 slugging percentage against Farmer’s sinker last season, but they also hit .267 with a .367 slugging percentage against his changeup. So, maybe it makes sense that he plans to stick with the sinker.

“Especially early on, [the sinker was getting weak contact early in the counts],” Farmer said. “So, it was helping me be available day after day. I was going out there throwing 10, 11 or 12 pitches in an outing. That allowed me to be ready the next day. On paper, it might not have looked great, but it was still a very effective pitch for me.”

Braves manager Brian Snitker likes what he has seen thus far from Farmer, whose experience could solidify a still-uncertain bullpen mix. Closer Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer and Dylan Lee are the only locks for the eight-man relief staff.

Daysbel Hernández will likely fill one of the other spots. Farmer, Angel Perdomo, Anderson Pilar and Jake Diekman are among the top candidates in the fight for what would be the final three spots.

“[Farmer] had a good year last year,” Snitker said. “I was excited when we got him in camp. He’s had some success in the role that we’re looking for. He looked good when I saw him throw [Friday].”

Who holds the Braves record for most career appearances by a Georgia-born pitcher?

A) Tim Hudson

B) John Rocker

C) Blaine Boyer

D) Rick Camp

Eli White was Clemson’s shortstop and he was an infielder during the first few years of his professional career. Now, the Braves are giving the 30-year-old journeyman a chance to prove he could be a superutility player. The outfielder will be used as an infielder throughout Grapefruit League play. 

White batted leadoff and played second base on Sunday, finishing 1-for-1 at the plate and drawing a walk as the Braves lost, 4-2, to the Rays. If he proves he can play each of the infield and outfield spots, he’ll strengthen his bid to win one of the three available bench spots. 

Bryan De La Cruz could fill one of those spots if Atlanta chooses to have him platoon with Jarred Kelenic in left field. White could also fill the right-handed portion of that platoon if the Braves choose. Nick Allen offers a solid defensive option at both middle-infield spots. Luke Williams is another candidate who can be used around the diamond. 

FanDuel Sports Network and the Braves have partnered to give fans a streaming option that makes Braves games accessible throughout the team’s entire Braves television territory with no local blackouts.

Fans can visit FanDuelSportsNetwork.com/packages to see which teams are available in their area.

• Austin Riley continues to honor Mike Brumley, his beloved hitting instructor who was killed in an auto accident a few days after helping Riley with his swing last summer.

• Here are some of the questions the Braves face during the early portion of this Grapefruit League season.

• Chris Sale was perfect on Saturday, when he pitched in a game for the first time since doing what no other Braves pitcher had done since 1913.

D) Rick Camp

Camp made 414 appearances (65 starts) for the Braves from 1976-85. Next on the list with 244 is Hudson, who was born in Columbus, Ga., and raised just across the border in Phenix City, Ala. Rocker ranks third with 210.   

To subscribe to Braves Beat, visit this page and mark "Braves Beat" from our newsletter list. Make sure you're following the Braves or that they're checked as your favorite team.

View Online

© 2025 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Please review our Privacy Policy.

You (mlb-newsletters@mlb.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from MLB. 

Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe or log in and manage your email subscriptions.

Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.