The Atlanta Braves will need to make a handful of tough decisions this winter, with some players heading toward free agency.
It was a tough year for the Braves that saw the club deal with a plethora of injuries. Atlanta fought through and still was able to earn a playoff spot. The Braves lost some important pieces and had to continuously add throughout the season to stay afloat.
One player the club brought in was former Cleveland Guardians, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Angels, and Detroit Tigers utility man Gio Urshela. He filled in at shortstop and third base and did a solid job for the Braves.
He will be a free agent this winter, though, and FanSided’s Eric Cole predicted that the partnership between Urshela and the Braves won’t continue into the 2025 season and beyond.
“Gio Urshela,” Cole said. “Add Urshela to the list of unlikely 2024 Braves, as Atlanta signed him following the loss of Austin Riley. It was fortunate that he had been released by the Tigers when he was, as Urshela performed well in the field during his short time with the Braves and gave them a .711 OPS in 136 plate appearances along the way.
“Unfortunately, Riley’s return next season is going to take away the opportunity for playing time, and Urshela is likely to look for a more fruitful opportunity (both in terms of dollars and playing time) in free agency this offseason.”
Urshela never was going to be a long-term solution for the Braves, but the club certainly made the right decision to bring him in when they did.
Atlanta won 89 games, finished second in the NL East and secured the second Wild Card. However, they ultimately were swept out of the playoffs.
With their season over, the Braves may ultimately be saying goodbye to a few players. Cody Williams of FanSided made a list of players that may be on their way out following their playoff ouster.
Right-hander Jesse Chavez was on the list.
“While he wasn’t quite as dominant as he was in his remarkable 2023 campaign, Chavez still finished the season with a 3.13 ERA and 1.247 WHIP over 46 appearances for the club out of the bullpen this season,” Williams wrote. “Much like [Charlie] Morton though, we knew coming into the 2024 campaign that Chavez was likely calling it a career after it was over, though he was even more forthright with that information.”
Chavez has had a strong career and has been one of the most reliable relief pitchers in all of Major League Baseball for several years.
The 41-year-old has bounced around during his career. He has had three separate stints with the Braves while also spending time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs.
If this is the end for Chavez, he certainly has had a remarkable career. Over 653 career appearances, Chavez owns a 4.24 ERA and has won 51 total games.
We’ll see what the future holds for the veteran right-hander.
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