The Braves have released right-hander Buck Farmer, per the transaction log at MiLB.com. He’d been pitching on a minor league deal for Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett.
Farmer, 34, signed that minor league pact back in February. He’s spent the three prior seasons as a durable member of the Cincinnati bullpen, giving the Reds 193 innings of 3.68 ERA ball — primarily in low-leverage/middle relief spots.
Farmer has generally kept his run-prevention numbers at solid levels, but his fastball velocity and strikeout rate have been average over the past two seasons. His command, or lack thereof, has been an issue throughout the bulk of his big league career. Farmer walked 10.3% of his opponents during his time with the Reds, a near-identical match with his career 10.5% mark. He also plunked a career-high seven batters last year, which was nearly double the rate at which he’d hit batters in previous seasons.
Both spring training and the early portion of the season in Triple-A have been a struggle for the veteran Farmer. He appeared in five Grapefruit League contests with Atlanta and pitched 5 2/3 innings, but opponents tagged him for four runs on eight hits and four walks. He set down eight of his 30 opponents on strikes (26.7%), but he didn’t pitch his way into the team’s Opening Day plans. Atlanta’s bullpen has had plenty of issues this year, but Farmer came out of the gates in Gwinnett with five runs (four earned) on seven hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings (7.71 ERA).
Although the early stages of the 2025 season haven’t gone as hoped, Farmer has a lengthy big league track record and should latch on elsewhere. He’s collected nearly eight seasons of big league service since his 2014 debut, and since moving from a starting role to the bullpen in 2018, Farmer carries a 4.03 ERA in 386 2/3 MLB frames.