Braves bring Peter O'Brien in as a non-roster invitee to spring training
The Braves have invited right-handed hitting outfielder and first baseman Peter O’Brien to big league camp on a minor league contract.
The 29-year-old O’Brien was once a solid prospect in the Yankees organization. He was traded two years later to Arizona for former Braves star Martin Prado.
O’Brien would then make his MLB debut for Arizona in 2015. He played in eight games and had a home run and three runs batted in. The next season O’Brien played in 105 games in Triple-A and got 67 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks. He hit just .141 with five home runs and nine RBI.
The Diamondbacks then sent O’Brien to the Royals in January 2017. O’Brien was then selected off waivers by the Reds, Rangers and Dodgers before being purchased by his hometown Marlins in 2018. O’Brien went to Braddock High School in Miami and then attended the University of Miami in college.
The last two years, O’Brien has had short stints with the Marlins at the big-league level and not done very well. He hit .273 with four home runs in 66 at bats in 2018, but then O’Brien hit just .167 in 14 games last year with a solo home run.
For the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate last season, O’Brien hit .220 with 17 home runs and 45 RBI.
O’Brien will likely be a candidate for Triple-A Gwinnett if he has a good spring training. He can play both corner outfield positions and first base.