Former Diamondbacks Reliever Released by Braves

One of the Arizona Diamondbacks' former minor league relievers has been released by the Atlanta Braves' organization, according to the transaction log on his player page.

Right-hander Austin Pope, who had previously spent six seasons climbing his way up the ranks of Arizona's minor league system, had elected free agency at the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Pope was picked up by the Braves, who signed him to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Triple-A club. Now, he'll move on in his baseball journey, in search of another opportunity.

Former D-back Austin Pope released by Braves

Feb 10, 2026; North Port, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Austin Pope (68) works out during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The right-hander was drafted by the D-backs all the way back in 2019, in the fifth eound

For the entirety of his minor league career, Pope owns a 5.44 ERA. His release from the Braves' organization comes as somewhat less of a surprise, given the fact that he posted a 7.50 ERA in 12 innings (nine appearances) for the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers.

Pope had pitched to a 4.60 ERA with the Reno Aces in the D-backs' organization in 2025, which is a much more impressive number than it would appear, given the extreme offense-friendly environment that is the Pacific Coast League.

In fact, those results earned Pope a relatively surprising late-season call-up to the major leagues. The right-hander made his MLB debut with Arizona on September 25, pitching two shutout innings against the star-studded lineup of the Los Angeles Dodgers, of all teams.

Should D-backs consider reunion with former farmhand?

Austin Pope during photo day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Feb. 21, 2024. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pope was never exactly high on Arizona's radar when it came to prospects or potential future major league contributing arms, but there was some value in his ability to pitch multiple innings in relief, and he did have some success coming out of the Amarillo and Reno bullpens in recent seasons.

Despite his relatively inconsistent results, Pope was always a high-volume strikeout artist. He punched out north of 10 batters per nine innings at nearly every stop along the way of his minor league journey.

With a fastball that climbs up into the mid-90s, it's not inconceivable that a team would see value in signing the 27-year-old. Arizona's pitching staff is certainly in a state of disarray, but not exactly due to a lack of arms.

Pope could be an option to provide some minor league relief depth, but to expect high-quality results or MLB-level upside might be unrealistic, and it does not feel extremely likely that a reunion is in the cards.

As it stands, Arizona holds a 4.83 major league ERA, and the Reno Aces' 4.76 relief ERA ranks middle of the pack in the PCL.

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