The Florida Gators will continue to have MLB representation in the southeast. The Atlanta Braves announced Tuesday morning that they had signed left-hander Danny Young to a one-year split contract. The 31-year-old reliever pitched parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Atlanta. He spent the last two with the Mets. 

Originally from Boynton Beach, Young pitched for the Gators for three seasons from 2013 to 2015. He had some solid company who went on to become a Major League talent. Some of his teammates include Pete Alonso, Harrison Bader and A.J. Puk. Another one of his teammates, Dane Dunning, pitched for the Braves for part of last season. 

Knowing that there is a healthy Gators fan base up in Atlanta, there will be some fans excited to see the connection. At the very least, it wi’ll be a throwback name for them. 

During his three seasons at Florida, he pitched to a 2.91 ERA and held hitters to a .284 average across 67 appearances. He was a spot starter during his first two seasons, but was essentially a reliever only in his final year. During his final season, he got to pitch in the College World Series, tossing two scoreless outings. 

The Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the eighth round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He got to spend some more time in Florida during his time in the Minor Leagues. He pitched for the Dunedin Blue Jays during the 2017 season. He did not see action in the Majors with the Blue Jays.

Young also got to wear orange and blue again while in the Major Leagues. He had been with the Mets, reunited with some of his former Gators, for the past two seasons. 

His upcoming stint with the Braves will be his second. He originally spent parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with them. He only had nine appearances, but for what it is worth, he only allowed an earned run in 11 innings pitched. 

In two seasons with the Mets, he compiled a 4.50 ERA. For those wondering, a split contract is designed to ensure that pay is determined based on how much time they spend in the majors. Young will receive a different salary than in the majors if he is in the minors. Any major league pay is prorated to the number of days he’s on the active roster, based on a 187-day season. 

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