They Might Be Stripers: Braves’ Acquisitions that Could Land on the Gwinnett Roster in 2022

The 13th season of Gwinnett Stripers baseball is fast approaching, with the Triple-A East campaign officially starting on Tuesday, April 5. The Stripers open on the road that night with an 8:05 p.m. game at the Memphis Redbirds. The home opener at Coolray Field is one week later, Tuesday, April 12 at 7:05 p.m. vs. Nashville.

Though the previous lockout of Major League Baseball prohibited all teams from signing players to MLB deals, it did not restrict the signing of minor league contracts. That means the Atlanta Braves could continue to build their depth at the minor league level, including signing and re-signing players that will appear on Gwinnett’s roster.

Below is a look at the players who the Braves have acquired so far that could be targeted for Triple-A in 2022. This story will continue to be updated with new players as they sign, but there is no guarantee they will be on Gwinnett’s roster when it is officially announced in early April.

Players who have re-signed with Atlanta:

Ryan Casteel (1B/C)

Re-signed to a minor league contract in November, Casteel will likely return to a versatile reserve role for the Stripers this season. The 30-year-old from Chattanooga, TN spent all of 2021 in Gwinnett, batting .224 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs in 68 games. He led the club in pinch-hit at-bats (28) in primarily a bench role, but also made starts at first base (29 games), catcher (5 games), and designated hitter (3 games).

Despite his limited playing time, Casteel thrived in the clutch for the Stripers. In addition to batting .667 (4-for-6, 12 RBIs, 2.125 OPS) with the bases loaded, he slugged game-winning homers on June 24 at Norfolk (grand slam in 6-2 win), August 8 vs. Charlotte (2-run in 8-2 win), and September 9 at Columbus (solo in 1-0 win).

BOOOOOOM MONSTER HOMER FROM CASTEEL 🤑

Stripers: 1 Clippers: 0 pic.twitter.com/Y3nCWGbmQb

— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) September 9, 2021

Casteel is a career .269/.330/.437 hitter over 10 years in affiliated baseball, and has produced a pair of 20-homer seasons (22 with Advanced-A Modesto in 2013, 21 with Double-A Mississippi in 2019). He has yet to reach the Majors, but has logged 145 career games at the Triple-A level between Albuquerque (2015-16) and Gwinnett (2021).

Ryan Goins (INF)

The Braves brought back the 33-year-old utility-man on a minor league contract in December. Aside from a brief stint on the Temporary Inactive List while he played for Mexico in the Tokyo Olympics, Goins spent all of 2021 with Gwinnett. He batted .233 with nine doubles, one triple, six homers, and 35 RBIs in 91 games.

Goins excelled with runners in scoring position, leading all Stripers hitters (min. 70 at-bats) with a .349 average (28-for-83, 7 extra-base hits, 30 RBIs, .898 OPS). He also showed off a solid glove at four different positions, making starts at shortstop (44 games), second base (25 games), third base (14 games), and first base (1 game).

GOINS GOINS GOINS GONE!!!

Ryan Goins adds two more insurance runs to our lead!

Stripers: 6 Bulls: 3 pic.twitter.com/g5S9Cfanqf

— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) August 14, 2021

The return of Goins once again gives the Braves some experienced depth on the infield. He has hit .228/.278/.333 in 555 career Major League games with Toronto (2013-17), Kansas City (2018), and the Chicago White Sox (2019-20).

New Acquisitions:

Jordan Cowan (INF)

Atlanta signed the 26-year-old Cowan to a minor league deal in December, marking a fresh start for the former Seattle Mariners farmhand. Cowan, a Seattle native, was the Mariners’ 37th-round pick in 2013 out of Kentlake High School in Washington.

Cowan is poised to make his Triple-A debut after spending his last two seasons (2019 and 2021) with Double-A Arkansas. Last year with the Travelers, he batted .258 with 14 doubles, three triples, four homers, 24 RBIs, and career-high-tying 18 stolen bases in 83 games. On defense he primarily played up the middle, posting a .977 fielding percentage in 36 games at shortstop and 1.000 fielding percentage in 28 games at second base. He also made starts at first base (10 games) and third base (9 games).

Over eight MiLB seasons, Cowan is a career .269/.347/.339 hitter in 588 games. His defensive versatility and speed on the base paths could be a welcome addition to the Stripers.

Yariel Gonzalez (INF)

Inked by the Braves to a minor league deal in December, Gonzalez is another flexible option for the Gwinnett infield, albeit one with some rising power potential. The 27-year-old from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico has tallied 10-plus home runs in each of his last three seasons, including a career-high 17 clouts over 92 games between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo in 2021.

After hitting .365 in a 14-game season-opening stint with Erie, Gonzalez earned a promotion to Toledo in May and batted .259 with 14 homers, 51 RBIs, and a .781 OPS over 78 games with the Mud Hens. Though he played three different infield positions with Toledo, he was primarily a third baseman, posting a .970 fielding percentage in 54 games (46 starts) at the hot corner.

Gonzalez, originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by St. Louis in 2016, is a career .286/.342/.429 hitter in 416 minor league games with the Cardinals (2016-19) and Detroit Tigers (2019-21) organizations. He will seek to make his Major League debut in his first year with the Braves.

John Nogowski (1B)

Nogowski was one of four players selected by the Braves during the 2021 Rule 5 Draft on December 9, claimed in the Triple-A phase from San Francisco. He’ll be hoping for a more permanent home with Atlanta in 2022 after playing for three different organizations and two Major League clubs a year ago.

The 29-year-old from Tallahassee, FL was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2021 Opening Day roster, but by July 3 had been traded to Pittsburgh. Released by the Pirates on September 20, he signed a minor league contract with the Giants on September 23. Nogowski’s frequent transactions led him to suit up for five different teams, including Memphis, Indianapolis, and Sacramento at the Triple-A level (.211 with 6 homers, 29 RBIs in 64 games) and both the Cardinals (.056, 1-for-18) and Pirates (.261, 1 homer, 14 RBIs in 33 games) in the big-leagues. His head-spinning year even included his debut as a Major League pitcher (15.00 ERA in 3 games with Pittsburgh).

Originally selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 34th round of the 2014 draft out of Florida State University, Nogowski has played eight professional seasons. The bulk of his experience has been in the minors, where he is a career .279/.370/.403 hitter in 576 games.

Darren O’Day (RHP)

The Braves secured some bullpen depth with a familiar face when they signed the 39-year-old O’Day to a minor league contract in November. The side-arming righty joins Atlanta for a second time, having gone 4-0 with a sparkling 1.25 ERA in 27 relief outings from 2019-20.

O’Day will be looking to bounce back from an injury-shortened campaign with the New York Yankees in 2021. He was effective in 12 big-league appearances (3.38 ERA, .220 BAA) but couldn’t stay healthy, landing on the injured list from May 1 to June 28 (right rotator cuff strain) and from July 6 to the end of the season (left hamstring strain).

If O’Day joins Gwinnett in 2022, it will also be his second stint with the Stripers. He made two relief appearances during a late-season rehab assignment with the club in 2019, tossing 2.0 one-hit innings and striking out three. If he works his way back to Atlanta’s bullpen, he’ll bring 616 games of MLB experience (40-19, 2.53 ERA, .206 BAA, 21 saves) with the Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Yankees, and Braves.

Jackson Stephens (RHP)

Stephens signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in January, marking his first time with a Major League organization since 2019 with Cincinnati.

After going unsigned during the abbreviated 2020 season, the 27-year-old from Oxford, AL spent all of 2021 pitching in foreign leagues. He began the year with Tecolotes de Dos Laredos of the Mexican League, going 4-3 with a 4.98 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). His biggest breakthrough came in winter ball as he won the Venezuelan Winter League Pitcher of the Year award after going 6-3 with a 1.82 ERA in 14 games (9 starts) with the Cardenales de Lara.

Originally selected by Cincinnati in the 18th round of the 2012 June draft out of Oxford High School (AL), Stephens spent eight years in the Reds organization from 2012-19. He was a staple at the Triple-A level with Louisville from 2017-19, going 16-15 with a 5.06 ERA in 89 games (34 starts). The Reds called him up in 2017 and 2018, and he combined to go 4-4 with a 4.83 ERA in 36 games (4 starts) in his lone MLB stints.

Michael Tonkin (RHP)

Tonkin joined the Braves on a minor league pact in January, his first contract with a Major League organization since 2019 with Arizona.

Similar to Stephens, Tonkin put himself back on the MLB map thanks to his performance in non-affiliated baseball in 2021. The 32-year-old from Glendale, CA produced impressive numbers in the independent Atlantic League (2-1, 0.53 ERA, 9 saves in 16 games with Long Island), Mexican League (2-1, 2.00 ERA in 6 games with Toros de Tijuana), and Dominican Winter League (1-0, 0.68 ERA in 13 games with Aguilas Cibaenas).

Originally selected by Minnesota in the 30th round of the 2008 June draft out of Palmdale High School (CA), Tonkin was a regular contributor out of the Twins’ bullpen from 2013-17, going 3-3 with a 4.43 ERA over 141 relief appearances. He’s also a seasoned Triple-A veteran, having gone 13-9 with a 2.81 ERA, .224 BAA, and 43 saves over 152 career outings with Rochester (2013-15, 2017), San Antonio (2019), and Reno (2019). His well-traveled career includes time in the Japanese Pacific League (2018 with Nippon Ham) and two separate stints with the independent Long Island Ducks (2019, 2021).

Allan Winans (RHP)

Winans was another 2021 Rule 5 selection by the Braves, taken in the Triple-A phase from the New York Mets on December 9. The 26-year-old from Bakersfield, CA could make his Triple-A debut in 2022 despite having just 67 minor league appearances under his belt.

Selected by the Mets in the 17th round of the 2018 June draft out of Campbell University (Buies Creek, NC), Winans made his High-A and Double-A debuts last year, combining to go 2-3 with a 1.72 ERA, .145 BAA, and three saves in 26 games between Brooklyn and Binghamton. Following a strong start with the Cyclones (1-2, 1.83 ERA, .167 BAA in 12 games), he joined the Rumble Ponies on June 29 (1-1, 1.65 ERA, .129 BAA, 3 saves in 14 games).

In a three-year MiLB career, Winans is 3-7 with a 2.64 ERA, .190 BAA, and 14 saves (14-for-17) in 67 games.

Jason Creasy (RHP)

Creasy signed a minor league deal with the Braves in February making him a new acquisition for 2022, but it is actually his second stint with the organization.

Originally Pittsburgh's eighth-round pick in 2011, Creasy was selected by Atlanta from the Pirates during the Triple-A phase of the 2018 Rule 5 Draft. He split the ensuing 2019 season between Double-A Mississippi and Gwinnett, going 4-1 with a 4.45 ERA, .260 BAA, and 11 saves (11-for-14) in 49 appearances. The Clayton, NC native spent the majority of his time in a Stripers uniform that year, going 3-1 with a 5.59 ERA, .259 BAA, and three saves (3-for-4) in 30 games for the International League South Division champions.

The Braves re-signed Creasy in December 2020 and invited him to MLB Spring Training, but he wasn't a part of the Alternate Training Site and was eventually released in February 2021. The 29-year-old reliever hasn't pitched in affiliated baseball since 2019, but has plenty of minor league experience, going 35-29 with a 4.12 ERA and 15 saves in 171 career appearances.

Jared Robinson (RHP)

Robinson signed a minor league deal with the Braves in February after spending the 2021 season in the New York Mets organization. Robinson struck out 72 hitters in 29 games for the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies (1-4, 3.78 ERA, .239 BAA, 5 saves).

The 27-year-old California native was Cleveland’s 11th round pick in the 2014 draft. In six seasons in the organization, Robinson made 170 appearances and struck out 325 batters. He signed with the Mets before the 2020 season but did not pitch, as the 2020 minor league season was canceled.

The former Cerritos College (Norwalk, CA) righty has struck out nearly 12 hitters per nine innings over his last three professional seasons. Robinson last pitched at the Triple-A level in 2019 when he made 10 appearances for the Columbus Clippers.

In his seven-season MiLB career, Robinson is 20-31 with a 3.86 ERA, .255 BAA, and 18 saves (18-for-27) in 431.1 innings.

Brandyn Sittinger (RHP)

Sittinger inked a minor league contract with the Braves in February after making his major league debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks last September.

The 27-year-old Elyria, Ohio native pitched 4.2 innings for the Diamondbacks in five games, posting a 7.71 ERA. Before his call to the show, Sittinger split the 2021 season between Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno, going 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA and six saves in 35 games. Sittinger struck out 53 hitters in 39.1 minor league innings.

Originally drafted by Detroit in the 17th round of the 2016 draft out of Ashland University (Ashland, OH), Sittinger spent four seasons in the Tigers organization and was named a Midwest League All-Star in 2018.

Between being released by the Tigers in July and signing with Arizona in November of 2019, Sittinger appeared in seven games for the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League and dominated, posting a 1.42 ERA and striking out 52 in 38 innings. Sittinger is 7-7 with a 3.91 ERA, .239 BAA, and 14 saves (14-for-19) over parts of five MiLB seasons.

Arden Pabst (C)

Atlanta signed the 27-year-old Pabst to a minor league deal in March, marking a fresh start for the long-time Pittsburgh Pirates farmhand. Pabst was the Pirates’ 12th-round pick in 2016 out of Georgia Tech.

The Los Angeles, California native slashed .194/.220/.330 with seven home runs for Double-A Altoona in 2021. On the defensive side, he successfully threw out 18 percent of baserunners (10 of 57). Pabst had a hot July, posting an .830 OPS and smashing home runs on consecutive nights (July 20 and July 21).

Pabst has one career appearance at the Triple-A level, going 2-for-3 with two singles for Indianapolis on August 24, 2019. In 2018, he was named a Florida State League All-Star, posting an .832 OPS in 46 games for Advanced-A Bradenton. In his career, Pabst is slashing .224/.269/.354 with 25 home runs in 302 games over five minor league seasons.

Brandon Brennan (RHP)

Brennan signed a minor league deal with the Braves in March after spending the 2021 season in the Boston Red Sox organization, appearing in one game for the major league club.

The 30-year-old from Mission Viejo, CA threw 37.2 innings for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, posting a 1-2 record and 5.97 ERA. Brennan was recalled by Boston on June 10 and made his only Major League appearance of the season on June 12 (3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 SO) before being designated for assignment on June 13. He spent the 2020 season on the Seattle Mariners’ 60-man roster, making five appearances for the major league club and striking out seven.

Originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the fourth round of the 2012 draft out of Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa, CA), Brennan made his major league debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2019.

Brennan is 27-37 with a 4.67 ERA, .273 BAA, 1.45 WHIP, and 17 saves (17-for-21) over nine MiLB seasons. In his Major League career, Brennan is 3-6 with a 4.21 ERA in 50 appearances over parts of three seasons.