The Atlanta Braves agreed to a minor league deal with infielder José Devers this week, per Aram Leighton of Just Baseball, giving him another shot at living up to his status as a former top prospect.
Does that name sound familiar? It should, as José is the cousin of Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers.
Devers (the younger, less good one) originally entered professional baseball as an international signing of the New York Yankees and was later traded to the Miami Marlins as part of the deal that sent Giancarlo Stanton to The Bronx. Devers was once viewed as a notable prospect — with Baseball America ranking him among the top prospects in Miami’s system from 2019 to 2022.
He never quite lived up to the hype, however.
Miami protected him from the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, but a significant shoulder issue detailed much of his next two seasons — as he played just 93 games between the majors in minors. The Marlins brought him back in after he cleared waivers in 2022, though he was stuck in Triple-A in 2023.
Devers flashed at the minor league level, striking out in just 14.8% of his plate appearances while slashing .276/.352/.421, but another injury in 2024 limited him to just 54 games for Triple-A Jacksonville.
The Braves have Ozzie Albies cemented at second base, but Orlando Arcia, Nick Allen, Luke Williams and Nacho Alvarez Jr. are less locked into roster spots — perhaps giving Devers a path back to the bigs.
