Braves Ink Veteran Power Bat to Minor League Deal

The Atlanta Braves made the move to add a bat. According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, they have signed Rowdy Tellez to a minor league deal. It's unknown yet if he'll see any action in the remaining games in spring training.

Rowdy Tellez to Braves. Minors deal.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 21, 2026

Tellez isn't completely without reps during spring training. He represented Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. In four games, he went 1-for-9 with two walks. He was teammates with Braves infielder Nacho Alvarez while on the team. Now, they're teammates in the system.

It can be presumed that he'll be assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett. For what it's worth, the Braves have made the move to add a veteran bat into the system. He has an emphasis on right-handed pitching. As a matter of fact, that's all he'll likely face based on recent splits.

Against right-handers in 2025: .753 OPS
Against left-handers in 2025: .258 OPS

He'll likely play first base and DH in the minor leagues. Those have been his two positions in the majors during his entire career. If he were to come to the majors, he would likely just be a DH option for matchups. Matt Olson is on an Iron Man streak. Don't count on him playing first base, unless it's the late innings of a blowout.

Tellez is an eight-year veteran of the major leagues, playing most of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Milwaukee Brewers. Over the past two seasons, he played for the Pirates, Mariners and Rangers.

He struggled in Pittsburgh and Seattle, but he had a solid performance in Texas. In 50 games, he batted .259 with a .770 OPS. Overall, he still has some pop. He had 17 home runs last season.

It wouldn't be surprising if he made an appearance with the Braves at some point during the season. He would need to get some serious reps in Triple-A to make up for not getting any spring training outside of the World Baseball Classic.

We could be compared to Alex Verdugo, who was signed near the end of spring training last season. However, Verdugo was inked to a major league deal.

If there is a non-roster bat who would likely get a spot, it would be Dominic Smith. He's batting .242 with a .706 OPS in spring training. He's slowed down a bit after a strong start, but he remains in big league camp. Others have been reassigned in the meantime.