JC Boscan will be playing his 16th professional season in 2012, and it will be his 14th with the Atlanta Braves, as the team re-signed him to a Minor League contract. The Braves originally signed Boscan as a 16 year old in 1996 and he stayed in the organization until leaving to play in the Milwaukee organization in 2006 and the Red organization in 2007. Since 2008 he's been back with the Braves and he made his Major League debut in the final game of 2010. He was 3-9 in the Majors in 2011, spending most of the year with AAA Gwinnett, his 9th season in AAA, hitting just .182 with a .457 OPS in 218 plate appearances. Boscan will turn 32 in December.
The team has also signed infielders Ian Gac and Josh Wilson, outfielders Luis Durango and Brahiam Maldonado, and pitcher Dusty Hughes to Minor League deals. Josh Wilson saw time with both the Brewers and Diamondbacks this season, combining to hit .224 with a .611 OPS in 92 Major League plate appearances. Between 2005 and 2011, the 30 year old has appeared in 356 Major League games, playing for the Brewers, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Nationals, Rays, Padres, and Mariners, hitting .227 with a .597 OPS in 1012 plate appearances. He is primarily a shortstop, though he has seen time at second base and third base, with a handful of games at first base and left field, and he's even pitched in 3 Major League games. First baseman Ian Gac was named the 2011 Carolina League MVP, hitting .279 with a .893 OPS, 31 doubles, 33 homers, and 96 RBI in 587 plate appearances while playing for the Winston-Salem Dash, a White Sox affiliate. The 25 year old was originally a 26th round selection by the Texas Rangers, and signed with the White Sox prior to the 2010 season. He has yet to play above High A.
Luis Durango was 1-6 for the Astros in 2011, and before that he had hit .305 with a .674 OPS in 67 plate appearances in 2009 and 2010 with the Padres. The 25 year old center fielder hit .273 with a .660 OPS and 18 stolen bases in 180 plate appearances with AAA Oklahoma City this season. Left fielder Brahiam Maldonado spent all of 2011 with the AA Binghamton Mets, hitting .222 with a .737 OPS, 16 doubles, 28 homers, and 74 RBI in 530 plate appearances. The 26 year old Puerto Rican was originally a 10th round selection by the Mets in the 2004 draft.
Lefty Dusty Hughes made 15 appearances for the Twins in 2011, posting a 9.95 ERA and a 2.13 WHIP in 12.2 innings. He made his Major League debut with the Royals in 2009, then spent all of 2010 in Kansas City's bullpen, posting a 3.83 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in 56.1 innings over 57 games. The 29 year old was originally drafted by the Royals in the 11th round in 2003.