Atlanta Braves Sign Former Marlins Top Prospect José Devers to Minor League Deal

José Devers, who is cousins with Red Sox star Rafael Devers, was one of the key pieces the Yankees traded to the Marlins in exchange for Giancarlo Stanton.

Sep 1, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Miami Marlins second baseman Jose Devers (79) bats against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning at Oracle Park. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves have signed infielder José Devers to a minor league contract, Just Baseball's Aram Leighton reported Thursday.

Devers spent the previous seven seasons in the Miami Marlins' organization, but he was designated for assignment in September. While he was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers, Devers entered free agency at the end of the season.

The soon-to-be 25-year-old infielder is the younger cousin of Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers.

Infielder Jose Devers has agreed to a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves, sources tell @JustBB_Media.

The cousin of Rafael Devers, Jose spent the last six seasons in the Marlins organization, appearing in 24 MLB games where he posted a .611 OPS.

— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) November 28, 2024

José Devers was one of the three players the Marlins got back from the New York Yankees when they traded away superstar Giancarlo Stanton in December 2017. Starlin Castro and Jorge Guzmán made up the rest of the package, but neither of them have seen MLB action since 2021.

That isn't too far off from what Devers did Miami, considering the three big league appearances he logged in September were his first since 2021. Devers entered that season as a top 10 prospect in the Marlins' farm system, but he hit just .244 with a .621 OPS in 21 big league games and got sent back down soon after.

Devers missed a good chunk of the 2022 campaign with a shoulder injury, and he spent the entirety of 2023 in Double-A. He hit .244 with a .676 OPS across 54 Triple-A games in 2024.

In his minor league career, Devers is a .261 hitter with a .686 OPS, averaging just five home runs, 56 RBI and 19 stolen bases per 162 games. The second baseman, shortstop and third baseman has hit .244 with zero home runs, five RBI, a .611 OPS and a -0.2 WAR in 50 career major league plate appearances.

While Devers' deal with Atlanta will presumably carry an invitation to big league Spring Training camp, it remains to be seen if he will actually compete for an MLB roster spot. Otherwise, he is likely to just provide organizational depth for the Braves, who had problems in the infielder in 2024.

Injuries to second baseman Ozzie Albies and third baseman Austin Riley spurred Atlanta to acquire veterans Whit Merrifield, Gio Urshela and Zack Short at various points throughout the year, although none of them are under contract in 2025.

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