According to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Atlanta Braves are adding catcher Austin Nola to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Nola, the brother of longtime Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola, is a veteran who spent six seasons in the big league.
Austin Nola, who turns 36 next season, spent part of last season in the majors with the Colorado Rockies, appearing in 14 games. He debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 2019 and played in the major leagues in every subsequent season through 2024, with the majority of his appearance coming with the San Diego Padres.
Assuming the report of his signing by Atlanta is confirmed, he will provide depth for next season. With Drake Baldwin having an excellent rookie season and the team still employing fellow backstop Sean Murphy, the big league roster appears to be set. However, Murphy is recovering from season-ending surgery and is a plausible trade acquisition for Atlanta this offseason.
The team picked up catcher Chuckie Robinson as a new backup catching option at the end of the regular season. And while the Braves’ own transaction page shows the team has re-signed Sandy Leon, there is conflicting information on both cases.
For most of last season, the Braves organization had former big league catcher Jason Delay and James McCann in the minor leagues as depth players, although neither made it to the big leagues with Atlanta.
As for Nola, he could fill a role as a third catcher in 2026 and bring a bit of positional versatility, as he has appeared at multiple infield positions at the big league level, as well as a few games in the outfield. It should be noted that aside from one appearance at first base, 2022 is the last season in which he appeared at multiple defensive positions.
Offensively, Nola has put up solid production through 2022, but has struggled since then with limited big league opportunities. He hit well in Triple-A last season, but that happened in Albuquerque. In 2024, he wrestled with the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate in Omaha.
For his career, he has a .247/.323/.363 line with 24 home runs and a 93 wRC+.
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