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Here are all the Braves players who will be free agents after the 2024 season

Posted on by angelo
Here are all the Braves players who will be free agents after the 2024 season

The Atlanta Braves have been very fortunate to not have to replace a large portion of their team every offseason. However, this offseason the Braves have a daunting task ahead of them as they have a good number of players reaching free agency.

Most of the free agents are position players, which shouldn’t be surprising considering how many players Atlanta has had to shuffle due to injuries in 2024. However, a few pitchers listed will leave some pretty sizable holes on the roster .

Let’s take a look at all the free agents Atlanta will need to consider this offseason.

The Braves have a plethora of players reaching free agency status after the end of the 2024 season

Max Frit

One of the Braves’ biggest free agents is left-handed ace Max Fried. Fried has been a staple in Atlanta’s rotation for years and it’s strange to imagine him coming out of it. Unfortunately, that could be the case in 2025. The Braves were unable to extend with Fried this season and there is reason to believe he may not return.

Fans would be happy to see him return, but the cost of keeping him in Atlanta might be too high. Max will be 31 next season, so he will likely be looking for a five- or six-year deal. He could also command an AAV of around $30 million per season, as the cost of quality starting pitching has skyrocketed in recent years.

Charlie Morton

It’s been an up and down season for 40-year-old veteran Charlie Morton. He will be 41 before next season. Morton has not announced that he will retire once the season is over, but many believe this is his final season. He has been inconsistent for the Braves in 2024, but has provided the team with quality innings for the most part.

Morton has a 4.08 ERA in 29 games and 161 innings. He has 63 walks and 164 outs. His curveball is still one of the best in baseball and his presence in the clubhouse is invaluable. If he were to call it quits after this season, it would end an incredible 15-year journey for one of the best human beings in baseball.

AJ Minter

It’s strange to think that AJ Minter has reached free agency. He has been an integral part of the Braves’ bullpen since 2017 and helped the “Night Shift” lead the team to a World Series title in 2021. There have been ups and downs for Minter over the years. years, but his career ERA of 3.28 with 123 walks and 422 strikeouts is impressive.

It would be an easy element to add back into the mix and it fits this clubhouse. He suffered from hip problems this year and was shut down in May to rest. He returned to the bullpen in July and still didn’t look good. AJ was unable to finish the season as he finished 2024 early with a hip injury that required surgery in August. His ERA this season was 2.62 with 11 walks and 35 strikeouts. So there are injury issues to consider before signing him, but there is a good chance he will return in 2025.

Jesse Chavez

Jesse Chavez is in a similar situation to Charlie Morton as he is 40 years old and still pitching pretty well. However, unlike Morton, Jesse announced that he will likely retire from baseball at the end of 2024. It has been a long journey for Chavez as he has played with every team imaginable.

There’s just something about Atlanta for Jesse. Every time he puts on that Braves uniform, he transforms into one of the best relievers in Major League Baseball. It’s going to be hard not to see him in this uniform next season.

Adam Duval

It hasn’t always been fun watching Duvall play with the Braves, as he struggled during his stints in Atlanta. However, he’s a good guy and provided many exciting moments for fans to remember. 2024 isn’t one of those times fans will remember, as it’s been tough for Duvall with his .182 batting average.

It would be a good option for Atlanta to consider signing Jarred Kelenic again next season. The only problem is that there is another option available that could work more in the Braves’ favor. But it’s easy to say that Atlanta could consider bringing Adam back at any time if necessary.

Ramon Laureano

Atlanta has been fortunate to receive incredible production from Ramón Laureano this season. He started the year with the Guardians but was designated for assignment on May 20 after a poor start. The Braves signed him to the minor leagues after losing Ronald Acuña Jr. to his season-ending knee injury. He played extremely well for the Gwinnett Stripers, hitting .362 in 14 games. He had 21 hits, including three home runs and 12 RBIs.

This impressed Atlanta enough to call him up on June 15 and he performed quite well with a .257 average in his first 11 games. However, he landed on the 10-day IL with an oblique injury after his 11th game. He returned on July 21 and was one of Atlanta’s top offensive producers. Since returning from the IL, Laureano has hit .311 with eight doubles, eight home runs and 23 RBIs. There are plenty of reasons to bring him back next season to man the outfield.

Technically, Laureano should be a free agent next season, but there is conflicting information online. Spotrac says he will be a free agent next season, but Baseball Reference says he is arbitration eligible and a free agent in 2026. Either way, the Braves will want to bring him back.

Whit Merrifield

Similar to Laureano, Whit Merrifield was added mid-season by the Braves due to injury. Once Ozzie Albies went down with a wrist injury, Atlanta had to figure things out and ultimately, Merrifield was the answer. He played excellent defense for the team and decent offensive production.

Once he was brought in after being released by the Phillies, he improved his offense with the Braves. Merrifield has a .248 average over 41 games with 34 hits, including five doubles, one home run and four RBIs. His on-base percentage was excellent at .348, including 20 walks. Whit won’t have a spot in the starting lineup barring injury next season, but he could be a valuable piece on the Braves bench.

Gio Urshela

Urshela being on this list is weird because fans could never have expected Austin Riley to miss significant time in 2024. However, he did and Gio’s firing with the Tigers wouldn’t have could have arrived at a better time. He provided the Braves with an incredible defensive third baseman who has struggled offensively the past two seasons.

However, he came to Atlanta and figured some things out. The good thing about Urshela is he puts the ball in play. He doesn’t strike out much and puts the ball in play but his OBP isn’t great so that’s a drawback. Since joining the Braves, he has a .270 average with 31 hits, nine doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs. I don’t see him returning to Atlanta because he won’t have a place to play with Riley returning.

John Brebbia

John Brebbia joined the Braves after a difficult season with the White Sox. He had a 6.29 ERA in 54 games with Chicago before being released in late August. Atlanta added him to the roster and he only appeared in five games with a 2.70 ERA (two walks and nine strikeouts).

Brebbia’s stats are nothing special, but he has a good chase and strikeout percentage. That’s the only positive about having him on the team, but his remaining stats are average. It doesn’t look like the Braves would bring him back next season.

These are all the free agents after this season that the Braves will have to consider. Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta front office always do a good job of addressing needs during the offseason. However, it will be one of the most difficult trials they have ever experienced.

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