Braves Add Another Infielder as Non-Roster Invitee

The Atlanta Braves follow up one of their biggest splashes with extra infielder depth. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Gabe Burns, the team has added Aaron Schunk as a non-roster invitee. He'll be at Spring Training on a minor league contract.

Each team has its whole roster of non-invitees every spring. Last year, the Braves had 16 non-roster players down in North Port, Fla. Some would ultimately make the active roster, such as Drake Baldwin. However, the odds remain out of Schunk's favor. Last year, the Braves had five non-roster infielders, and none of them saw time in the majors last season.

The Atlanta native and former Bulldog has played a total of 55 major league games, all with the team that drafted him in the second round, the Colorado Rockies. In 126 combined at-bats, he batted .222 with a .548 OPS, two home runs and seven RBIs. For what it's worth for him, he'll get a chance to play for his hometown team during Grapefruit League action.

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At the end of this most recent season, Schunk elected free agency after being outrighted (removed from the 40-man roster). He played in 16 games for them during the 2025 season, a year where it seemed like nobody was able to help improve the Rockies' fortunes.

What could standout as a possibility for his ceiling are his numbers in Triple-A. In 90 games last season with Albuquerque, he batted .291 with an .829 OPS, 10 home runs and 59 RBIs. He hasn't seen enough action where you can fully write him up as a Quad-A player yet. However, he still has a lot to prove.

When Nick Allen was brought in last season, there was a hope by the team that his bat in Triple-A would translate to the majors. While he looked better compared to previous season, it just didn't happen. Allen has now been traded to the Houston Astros.

Schunk likely has a solid of enough chance to stick around after Spring Training to be depth in the system. If someone has to miss time, he could then, maybe, see major league action.

Over the offseason, the Braves have looked at their share of players who have previously played for the Rockies. It's almost becoming a trend at this point. One of them, catcher Austin Nola, has already decided to retire and join the Seattle Mariners coaching staff.

The non-roster invitee list as a whole is still being sorted out. We should know the full list close to when Spring Training starts, likely late January.

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