Culberson back with Braves on Minors deal

December 16th, 2019

ATLANTA -- When the Braves non-tendered Charlie Culberson on Dec. 2, they gave him the freedom to explore a Major League deal and assured him he had the option to return to the organization on a Minor League deal.

Early Friday night, the Braves announced Culberson will, indeed, return with a Minor League deal and an invitation to Spring Training. The veteran utility man will earn a $1 million salary if placed on Atlanta's Major League roster. Had he been tendered a contract last week, he would have likely made between $1.8 million and $2 million via arbitration.

Along with saving money, the Braves created an opening on their 40-man roster, which currently has 38 spots filled. They will attempt to fill one of those spots with a power hitter, and may require more vacancies to fill the bench.

Culberson, an Atlanta-area native, fielded a few Major League offers, none of which were significantly strong enough to forgo the chance to continue playing for his hometown team.

Culberson will come to Spring Training hoping to fill one of the five bench spots on Atlanta's active roster, which will expand to 26 players for Opening Day. The Braves are hoping to re-sign Adeiny Hechavarria or another capable backup shortstop.

Even with the potential returns of Hechavarria and Matt Joyce, there could be a spot for Culberson, who can play each of the infield and outfield spots.

Culberson joined the Braves before the 2018 season and quickly became a fan favorite. He hit 12 homers (including two walk-offs) and produced a .792 OPS while logging 322 plate appearances during his first season with Atlanta.

But after replacing the injured Dansby Swanson as Atlanta's starting shortstop for the 2018 National League Division Series, Culberson saw his playing time diminish significantly. The 30-year-old veteran produced a .731 OPS and tallied five homers while drawing 144 plate appearances in 2019.

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Supervising Club Reporter Mark Bowman has covered the Braves for MLB.com since 2001.