The Atlanta Braves have signed Harold Ramírez to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate, Gwinnett. This news was shared by Gwinnett broadcaster Dave Lezotte on X (formerly Twitter).
This marks Ramírez’s third team this season. He began the year with the Tampa Bay Rays but struggled early and was released in June. He then signed with the Washington Nationals, where he posted a .243/.273/.365 batting line over a short stint before being released last week.
Across his time with the Rays and Nationals this season, Ramírez hit .261/.280/.324 in 246 plate appearances, with a lack of power and walks limiting his overall effectiveness. However, in the previous two seasons (2022-23), he was a more productive hitter, slashing .306/.348/.432 over nearly 900 plate appearances with the Rays. Ramírez was known for his aggressive approach at the plate, strong contact skills, and ability to hit to all fields. He particularly excelled against left-handed pitching, posting a .374/.412/.509 line.
For the Braves, there’s minimal risk in bringing Ramírez to Gwinnett to see if he can regain his prior form. The Rays are still covering his $3.8 million salary, and if the Braves promote him, they would only need to pay a prorated portion of the league minimum salary. If Ramírez performs exceptionally well, he could be eligible for arbitration and remain under team control through 2025, although it would take a significant performance for the Braves to consider offering him a contract exceeding $4 million.
In related news, Jorge Soler has returned to the Braves’ starting lineup after recovering from a hamstring injury, which moves Ramón Laureano back to the bench. Laureano has improved his performance since joining the Braves, hitting .284/.318/.520 in 29 games, thereby securing his spot on the roster. If Ramírez is to make it onto the team, it might be at the expense of Adam Duvall, who has excelled against left-handed pitchers but struggled significantly against righties.
Ramírez could also be considered for the Braves’ postseason roster, even if he isn’t on the 40-man roster by September 1. As long as he is with the organization on a non-roster deal by the start of the month, he could participate in the playoffs, pending approval from the commissioner’s office, a common formality for injury replacements.
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