The Atlanta Braves continue to search for answers after injuries derailed their World Series hopes last season, and their misfortune has carried into the new year.
The Braves recently re-signed former Gold Glove winner Ha-Seong Kim to a one-year, $20 million deal to serve as their everyday shortstop. However, shortly after the agreement, Kim suffered a freak accident in his native South Korea, slipping on ice and sustaining an injury that is expected to sideline him for at least four months. Atlanta quickly moved to address the setback.
According to the Associated Press, the Braves agreed to a one-year, $1 million contract with free agent Jorge Mateo. Mateo, who can play both the infield and outfield, was signed just one day after the team announced Kim would miss four to five months following surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger.
While the Mateo signing drew attention, it may have overshadowed another quiet move with potential upside. Around the same time, the Braves added veteran pitcher Sean Reid-Foley on a minor league deal, a transaction that appeared on his official player profile.
Reid-Foley previously spent three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays before pitching four years with the New York Mets, a division rival of Atlanta. Shoulder issues limited him in 2024, and the Mets placed him on outright waivers ahead of last season. After going unclaimed, he was sent to the minors, later joined the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, and was eventually released before landing with the Braves.
Now 30, Reid-Foley is looking to revive his major league career in Atlanta. He owns a career 4.10 ERA with 151 strikeouts across 131.2 innings at the MLB level with the Blue Jays and Mets, showing flashes of effectiveness along the way.
Once considered a top prospect, Reid-Foley was a consensus Top-100 player in baseball in 2017 while in Toronto’s farm system. Drafted by the Blue Jays in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft, he reached the majors by 2018. Improving his control will be key, as walks were an issue in the minors last year, though early results in the Mexican Winter League have been encouraging, with fewer free passes and solid strikeout numbers.
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