Atlanta returns fan favorite position player on minor league deal...as a reliever

Veteran Charlie Culberson, nicknamed Charlie Clutch, is reinventing himself as a reliever and rejoins the organization on a minor league deal

The Atlanta Braves, perhaps more than any other organization in Major League Baseball, value clubhouse chemistry and fit. They won't bring in a talented player if he doesn't fit the team's culture, and they'll go out of their way to find ways to fit someone in if he's a good "glue guy" in the clubhouse. 

And sometimes, those guys will go out of their way to find an opportunity to add value to the organization. 

As first reported by Jon Heyman of the NY Post/MLB Network, the Braves have signed former infielder turned reliever Charlie Culberson to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. 

Culberson, 34, is originally from Rome, GA and has spent multiple stints with the organization, most notably when he played in 221 games across the 2018 & 2019 seasons, batting .267 and spending time at an astounding seven different defensive positions. 

He pitched a few times during that time span, as well, covering three innings with four hits and one run allowed. And he apparently enjoyed his time on the mound, because that's what he's doing full-time now. 

The Braves lost, but Charlie Culberson lowered his career ERA by getting out of a bases-loaded jam 👀 pic.twitter.com/TYPzCJuzPV

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) September 5, 2020

We heard whispers that Culberson was attempting to re-invent himself as a reliever last season in AAA Gwinnett, and he got 3.2 innings on the mound last season with five strikeouts and only two earned runs, albeit on eight hits and two walks. 

Diving into the Statcast data, Culberson flashed a legitimate reliever's mix of a four-seam fastball at 92.1 mph and a slider, coming in at 82mph with a more-than-adequate 41.2% CSW (Called Strikes plus Whiffs). It's only an 89-pitch sample, but it was enough for Atlanta to feel comfortable giving him a minor-league deal to keep him in the organization. 

And if nothing else, we've seen that he's got a cannon. 

Zero outs.

Bases loaded.

One-run game.

WATCH THIS THROW FROM CHARLIE CULBERSON. pic.twitter.com/hZDMBWPccx

— Bally Sports South (@BallySportsSO) July 7, 2019

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