Former Braves 1B Signs with Sub-.500 AL Club 1 Week After Being Released

This forgotten Atlanta first basemen didn't stay unemployed for long.
 Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker (43) in the dugout against the New York Mets in the fifth inning at Truist Park.
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker (43) in the dugout against the New York Mets in the fifth inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves' 2025 campaign is essentially finished as manager Brian Snitker's club sits 19 games below .500 as of Thursday afternoon. Fantasizing about a Cinderella-like run that culminates in an unlikely playoff appearance would be foolish at this stage of the campaign, which is why plenty of Braves fans have found other ways to stay occupied until Game No. 162 is played.

Keeping tabs on former Braves is one activity that Atlanta fans are using to pass the time. It's always fun to check in on a familiar face, especially one who just landed a new contract after being released from his old team last week.

Former Braves 1B Cavan Biggio Signs Minor-League Deal with Angels

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Angels announced that they've signed 30-year-old first baseman Cavan Biggio to a minor-league contract. The son of Hall-of-Fame father Craig, Biggio will report to Triple-A Salt Lake a week after he was released by the Kansas City Royals following his being designated for assignment.

The Angels are the fifth MLB franchise that Biggio has joined since he was a fifth-round pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016. The versatile utility man spent parts of the 2024 season with the Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants before being traded to the Braves for cash in the first week of September.

If any Atlanta fans forgot about Biggio's stint with the club, that's because he only suited up for four big-league games, tallying only one hit with two strikeouts in five at-bats. He also tallied one hit in five ABs in his lone appearance with Triple-A Gwinnett, which wasn't enough to convince the Braves' front office to re-sign him, leading to his Royals tenure.

In 37 games (69 ABs) with Kansas City this season, Biggio slashed an underwhelming .174/.296/.246 with one home run, four RBIs, and a 25.3% strikeout rate. Having said that, the Houston, TX native did bat .285 with four HRs, 23 RBIs, and a .839 OPS in 41 outings (151 ABs) with Triple-A Omaha.

If Biggio can pick up from where he left off in the minors, it might not be long before the ex-Brave plays himself from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. Sub-.500 teams tend to give MLB opportunities to minor leaguers when rosters expand in September, and the Angels could be open to giving Biggio a big-league 'prove yourself' stint if he starts off hot with the Bees.

As great as it'd be to see him replicate his father's success, that just isn't in the cards for Biggio. The Braves quickly realized that nearly a year ago, and time will tell if the Angels come to a similar realization just as fast.

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