Ex-Yankees Reliever Signs Minor League Deal With Braves

A former southpaw reliever for the New York Yankees just agreed to terms with a NL team.

May 23, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Chasen Shreve (45) wipes his brow as manager Aaron Boone (17) walks to the mound to change pitchers in the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-Imagn Images | Ray Carlin-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees are likely still looking to add a left-handed reliever to their bullpen this offseason.

The biggest reason for this is because there are currently zero lefty relievers on their 40-man roster. And given how important it is to have guys who can get baseball's best left-handed hitters (especially those on the Los Angeles Dodgers) out late in games, this is surely something that the Yankees are prioritizing at this point.

New York isn't alone in seeking southpaws. And the New York Post's Jon Heyman broke news on January 20 that the Atlanta Braves signed a former Yankees hurler.

"Chasen Shreve to Braves. Minors deal. $1.3M if in Majors. Spring invite," Heyman wrote on X.

Chasen Shreve to Braves. Minors deal. $1.3M if in Majors. Spring invite.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 20, 2025

Shreve was a reliable reliever for the Yankees from 2015-2018. In 180 appearances for New York in his career, the 34-year-old posted a 14-6 record with a 3.92 ERA, 201 strikeouts, and 2 saves.

He was ultimately traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for Luke Voit and future cash considerations on July 29, 2018. However, the Yankees signed Shreve to a minor league contract on August 27, 2022, and again on June 24, 2024, although he never made it back to the Yankees' big league team in either tenure.

Shreve has bounced around on several MLB teams since the Yankees traded him to the Cardinals. Among these are the Mets, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Detroit Tigers, the Colorado Rockies, and the Cincinnati Reds.

It will be interesting to see whether Shreve can work his way back to the bigs with the Braves, and whether he can turn into a valuable asset for a team that recently lost former southpaw reliever AJ Minter to the Mets.