Braves sign Leury García and Jorge Juan to minor league contracts

The Atlanta Braves have recently made two acquisitions to bolster their roster depth, signing centerfielder Leury García and right-handed pitcher Jorge Juan to minor league contracts, as indicated by the team’s transactions page.

García, aged 32, originally joined the Texas Rangers as an international free agent in 2007. Following his 2013 debut, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. Over his ten-season MLB career spanning 701 games, García has maintained a lifetime .253/.293/.350 slashline.

While initially a shortstop in the Rangers organization, he transitioned to a utility role in the minors, showcasing versatility by playing centerfield, second base, and third base, with occasional appearances at shortstop. Throughout his MLB career, García has demonstrated proficiency in every position except first base and catcher, primarily excelling in centerfield with a notable .974 fielding percentage and only 19 errors in 3,048.2 defensive innings.

Juan, aged 24, entered the professional scene as an international free agent with the Oakland Athletics in 2017. Despite missing most of the 2022 season due to an unspecified injury, he found success in High-A in 2023, posting a 1-0 record and a 0.63 ERA in 14.1 innings with the Lansing Lugnuts.

However, his performance wavered after a mid-May promotion to the AA Midland RockHounds, finishing with a 1-4 record and a 5.66 ERA in 35 relief innings. Opting for free agency after the season, Juan is now listed on Atlanta’s AA roster by MLB. Standing at 6-8 and weighing 200 lbs, Juan is known for his mid-90s fastball, occasionally reaching 99 mph, and a mid-80s power slider with distinctive break. Despite these strengths, control has been a persistent challenge throughout his career, averaging 6.4 walks per nine innings over his 173 minor league innings.