After turning down a contract offer from another experienced, talented star, the Atlanta Braves formally agree to announce the signing of
According to the MiLB.com transactions page, Yohel Pozo, a former A’s minor league catcher, has signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves. The 27-year-old Maracaibo, Venezuela native has been in the A’s organization for the last two seasons.
Originally signed by the Texas Rangers in 2013, Pozo made his Major League Baseball debut in 2021. He played in 21 games and did a respectable job, going 21-for-74 (.284) with a.312 OBP and one home run. After the 2022 season, he chose free agency and joined the Athletics.
Pozo has been a strong contender to be the A’s backup catcher behind former Braves prospect Shea Langeliers in each of the last two spring trainings. However, in 2023, the team chose Carlos Pérez because of his roster experience, and in 2024, they selected Kyle McCann, a former fourth-round pick who was due a chance. The issue was always going to be when McCann would get his chance if he didn’t receive one this past season.
Unfortunately, it excluded Pozo from consideration; yet, he still had impressive numbers in the minor leagues, batting over.300 each season (.306 and.324), with on-base totals of about.335 and home run totals of 18 and 15. Drawing seven bases on balls in 90 games last season, he had a single-digit strikeout rate of 8.3% and a walk rate of only 1.9%, indicating that he is not a huge fan of walks or strikeouts. Pozo is skilled at making contact, and based on the stat line, it’s often rather excellent.
One of the most intriguing facts about Pozo is that, in the last two seasons, he has appeared in 11 games as a position player pitcher for Las Vegas. In three games in 2023, he pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings while striking out two and giving up six hits. In 2024, that same magic was absent. Pozo got hammered for four runs on two singles and two walks in an inning of work against Tacoma following a scoreless first appearance. A few months later, he allowed another run over 1 1/3 innings, resulting in a 7.50 lifetime ERA.
How likely is it that Atlanta will follow their instincts and sign Pozo based on his pitching prowess rather than his bat? Could he do what David Fletcher did in 2024 and fly through the system?
He was throwing a fastball and an eephus to spice things up, and he sat between 54 and 76 miles per hour on the heater, in case the Braves front staff is interested. The speed range of the eephus was 30 to 39 mph. Perhaps he receives a great extension, making 39 seem like 42.
Pozo will join Atlanta’s organization along with Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, Ramón Laureano, Nick Allen, and Royber Salinas, who was just re-acquired. It’s possible that a backup opportunity will present itself at some point during the 2025 campaign, given Travis d’Arnaud’s departure.
