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The Atlanta Braves have signed free agent first baseman Jesus Aguilar to a minor league contract, according to the team's transaction log on MLB.com. The 33-year-old player was let go by the Oakland A's earlier this month, leading to his availability on the market.
Aguilar's performance with the Athletics this season has been lackluster, as he posted a batting average of just .221 along with an on-base percentage of .281 and a slugging percentage of .385. He managed to hit five home runs but struggled to find consistency at the plate during his 115 plate appearances.
The Oakland A's had high hopes for Aguilar when they signed him to a one-year, $3 million deal in the offseason, expecting him to replicate his impressive form from 2017 to 2021. During that period, Aguilar showcased his skills by recording a batting line of .262/.338/.476 and hitting 93 home runs in 1,972 plate appearances.
The A's had even hoped that he would emerge as a viable trade candidate during the summer. However, Aguilar failed to live up to expectations in the first two months of the season, resulting in the team handing over first base duties to Rule 5 selection Ryan Noda on a full-time basis.
Aguilar's peak years saw him achieve All-Star status in 2017 and establish himself as a consistent power hitter.
In 2018, he reached his career-high of 35 home runs. At his best, Aguilar displayed good plate discipline, walking in approximately 10-11% of his plate appearances while keeping his strikeout rate around the league average. Unfortunately, in 2023, his walk rate dropped to a sub-par 7% while his strikeout rate rose to 27.5% of plate appearances. Additionally, his average exit velocity of 86.7 mph and hard-hit rate of 29.3% were the lowest of his career.
The Braves hope Jesus Aguilar can make a comeback, starting with the minor leagues.
