The Atlanta Braves have reached a minor-league agreement with 27-year-old utility player Tyler Freeman and extended him a non-roster invitation to spring training.
MLB.com’s Thomas Harding first reported the deal on social media. Harding wrote that Freeman “had back surgery in October but says he ‘feels great’ and could be ready for game action by the end of March.”
Freeman underwent the procedure after dealing with lumbar pain that landed him on the injured list during the 2026 season with the Colorado Rockies. He is expected to be available for game action by late March if his recovery stays on track.
In 79 games with the Rockies this past season, Freeman posted a .247 batting average, a .317 on-base percentage and a .314 slugging percentage. He hit three home runs and drove in 23 runs while recording a minus-2.0 bWAR.
Across 395 major-league games in five seasons, Freeman has a .658 OPS with 16 home runs and 107 RBIs. His career mark stands at minus-3.0 bWAR.
Freeman has appeared at first base, second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots in the big leagues. This year he primarily handled right field, center field and second base for Colorado.
The Cleveland Guardians selected Freeman in Competitive Balance Round B of the 2017 draft, taking him 71st overall out of Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
He made his major-league debut with Cleveland in 2022 and appeared in 24 games that year. Freeman played in 64 games in 2023 and a career-high 118 games in 2024.
The Guardians traded Freeman to the Rockies in March 2025 in exchange for outfielder Nolan Jones. He logged 110 games with Colorado in 2025 before his 79 appearances in 2026.
Freeman still has one minor-league option remaining, which gives the Braves flexibility to keep him in the minors if he does not earn a big-league roster spot next season.
He has accumulated more than four years of major-league service time. If he reaches the Atlanta roster at any point in 2027, the Braves could retain him through arbitration for at least two additional seasons.
The signing adds another versatile depth option as Atlanta looks to address shortstop and the bench. Jim Jarvis currently projects as the nominal shortstop, while other reserves include players such as Brett Wisely, Vidal Bruján and Brewer Hicklen.
Freeman’s contact skills remain a strength, as he has struck out in roughly 13 percent of his plate appearances over his career. His recent defensive range and power production have been more limited.
The Braves are expected to continue adding pieces this offseason, particularly at shortstop, while using Freeman as low-cost depth with spring-training upside.
