REPORT: Braves Sign Former Cleveland Guardians Pitcher

Former Cleveland Guardians pitcher Connor Gillispie signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves.

Jun 27, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view a Cleveland Guardians hat and glove on the dugout railing before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images / Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

It's always interesting to see where former players who were once a part of the Cleveland Guardians organization end up following their time with the team.

That could be said for the big-named players and the ones who only made a small impact.

One player moving on to a new organization is right-handed relief pitcher Connor Gillispie, who signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves (per Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports).

Connor Gillispie pitched last year in the Cleveland organization https://t.co/raQ1A5BVhb

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 30, 2024

Gillispie pitched in three games for the Guardians during the 2024 season. In that extremely small sample size, he looked pretty solid.

The right-hander had a 2.25 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP over 8.0 innings pitched. What really stands out in Gillispie's stats is that he struck out eight of the batters he faced and threw 60 percent of his pitches for strikes.

Gillispie was one of the handful of players designated for assignment by the Guardians on November 19 to make room for several prospects on the 40-man roster. Once he cleared waivers, the 27-year-old elected free agency.

This isn't the first time the Braves have brought a former Guardians reliever into their organization. Atlanta signed Reynaldo Lopez last offseason, only to turn him into one of the better-starting pitchers in the league.

This comparison doesn't mean Gillispie will be in the Braves rotation in 2025, but it shows the organization's history of developing and maximizing the performance of its big-league pitching.

Atlanta's front office clearly sees something in Gillispie, and now they have the opportunity to turn him into a weapon out of their bullpen.