Michael Reed did enough in the high minors this season for the Braves to decide the 25-year-old outfielder was worth at least giving a look in the big leagues before losing him to midseason free agency.
Reed had his contract purchased from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday and joined the Braves for their series opener at Yankee Stadium. He had an opt-out clause in his minor league contract that allowed him to become a free agent if he wasn’t added to the major league team by July 1.
“So we picked it up and brought him in here right now, and we’ll just see where it goes,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s doing really well, having a really good year in Gwinnett, and we didn’t want to lose him. We’ll see. We’ll go from here and see what happens.”
The Braves made a series of moves Monday, also optioning right-hander Matt Wisler to Gwinnett, placing veteran reliever Peter Moylan on the 10-day DL for a forearm strain and recalling right-handed reliever Evan Phillips from Gwinnett for the second time in just over a week.
Reed, after starting the season at Double-A Mississippi, was promoted to Triple-A at the end of May and hit .369 with eight doubles, five home runs and a 1.072 OPS in 30 games at Gwinnett including 17 games in center field.
His major league experience was limited to 15 games including eight starts during September call-ups with the Brewers in 2015 and 2016, going 6-for-28 with a double, two walks and 10 strikeouts in those limited chances. The Braves open a series against the Brewers Thursday, but the timing of that was coincidental – his call-up was driven by the July 1 opt-out date in his contract.
Reed was a former fifth-round draft pick (2011) and solid prospect for the Brewers before their outfield picture became crowded with plenty of others who were younger and/or healthier. He was slowed by a variety of injuries for several years in the minor leagues, including ankle and back injuries last season that ended his season in July, and he signed with the Braves as a minor-league free agent in November.
“Persevering through hard times last year really taught me a lot,” Reed said. “I had a tough year last year. Got injured early, some things happened. It really brought me back to where I started, where my love for the game was. I kind of reestablished that and really went about this year in a different mindset. I think that really helped me to ultimately enjoy the game more….
“I hurt my back. It was hard to get through that, but like I said it really reestablished my love for the game. I had a lot of time to think and I took this past offseason and just worked my butt off. It’s paying off.”
