The Atlanta Braves have front-loaded their 2025-2026 offseason by re-signing Raisel Iglesias and Ha-Seong Kim, as well as adding All-Star reliever Robert Suarez before Christmas. Although the Braves might still make a move for starting pitching, the rest of their moves from here on out are likely to be filling in depth.

Although the prospect of adding a role player to a one-year or minor league deal won’t be exciting in December or January, the Braves have made several under-the-radar deals in years past that ended up paying dividends in the regular season and playoffs.

Here are five players who played big roles for the team, despite not being a high-profile deal at the time of their signing.

5 lowkey Braves signings that turned out to play big roles since 2021Pablo Sandoval – 2021

Pablo Sandoval had made a cameo for the 2020 Braves, signing with the club at the very end of the season and then making four pinch-hit appearances in the playoffs, he had become a free agent at the end of the season.

Sandoval re-signed on a minor league deal for the 2021 season and made the club out of spring training. He provided the first runs of the season, and would later have several more clutch homers in the early half of 2021.

While his performance would decline down the stretch, the Braves were able to move him for outfielder Eddie Rosario at the trade deadline, who became a postseason hero for the eventual World Series champions.

Ehire Adrianza – 2021

Sandoval wasn’t the only non-roster invitee to make the 2021 Opening Day roster. Ehire Adrianza joined the Braves before spring training on a minor league deal as well, and made the Opening Day roster.

Adrianza was a very useful utility player for Atlanta, appearing in 109 games for the championship team, slashing .247/.327/.401 (92 wRC+) while playing six positions for the club. His biggest moment with Atlanta came in Game 6 of the NLCS, where he pinch-hit for Ian Anderson in the fourth inning, hitting a two-out double to extend the inning that led to Eddie Rosario’s three-run homer.

Adrianza would return to the Braves via trade in 2022 and as a free agent in 2023.

Jackson Stephens – 2022

When Jackson Stephens signed a minor league deal with the Braves in 2022, he hadn’t appeared in a major league game in over three years. While Stephens didn’t make the team out of spring training, he quickly joined the club in mid-April.

Stephens became the go-to innings-eater out of the pen and performed admirably. He pitched in 39 games, making a spot start, and covered 53.2 innings with a 3.69 ERA. In his lone playoff appearance, he covered two innings and allowed no runs.

Kevin Pillar – 2023

Kevin Pillar was a 10-year MLB veteran when he signed a minor league deal with the Braves in 2023. He was coming off his first season since 2014 where he spent the majority of the season in the big leagues, but he managed to hit well enough to make the MLB team out of spring training.

As a part-time outfielder, Pillar slashed .228/.248/.416 (76 OPS+), but did provide above-average defense in the outfield and had several clutch home runs during the regular season.

Grant Holmes – 2023

Grant Holmes originally joined the Braves in 2022, but became a free agent during the 2023-2024 offseason. He rejoined the Braves on a minor league deal, and spent the first half of the season in Gwinnett as a starter.

The Braves called him up for his MLB debut in June, and he’d spend the season between the rotation and the bullpen. He made 26 appearances, starting seven of those games, and had a 3.56 ERA in 68.1 innings.

Holmes played a huge role in getting the Braves to the playoffs, as he took the mound in game 162 on zero days rest filling in for an injured Chris Sale at the last minute, and still managed to pitch four shutout innings, striking out seven and allowing just two baserunners. The Braves won, which clinched their spot in the 2024 playoffs.