The curious case of Jesse Chavez continues in Atlanta. The veteran announced on Instagram that he is returning to the Braves, and the Athletic’s David O’Brien reported that it is a minor league deal for the 39-year-old. The journeyman reliever is set to earn $1.2 million in guaranteed money if he makes the Braves roster, according to reports from Jon Heyman.
This will be his fifth stint with the Braves, the first being all the way back in the 2010 season. Returning during the 2021 season, Chavez was crucial coming out of the bullpen en route to a World Series championship. Following the Fall Classic, the Braves decided to let Chavez walk in free agency, and he ended up signing a deal with the Cubs. However, Chicago quickly traded him back to the Braves in exchange for Sean Newcomb. After spending several weeks with Atlanta, Chavez was once again traded, this time to the Angels in exchange for Raisel Iglesias. But his 2022 journey wasn’t finished. Following some abysmal outings for Los Angeles, he was released and then returned to the Braves via waiver claims.
Overall, the 2022 campaign was solid for the veteran, who posted a 3.76 ERA, 25.3% strikeout rate, and 6.8% walk rate over 69.1 innings. However, if you look at his splits, it’s wild how much better he did when wearing a tomahawk across his chest.
Cubs: 5.2 innings, 6.35 ERA, 5.42 FIP
Braves: 38.1 innings, 2.11 ERA, 2.55 FIP; (2nd stint) 14.2 innings, 4.30 ERA, 3.79 FIP
Angels: 10.2 innings, 7.59 ERA, 4.81 FIP
Somehow, Chavez turns into Mariano Rivera when in a Braves uniform, so it makes sense for Alex Anthopoulos to bring him back on a risk-free, team-friendly deal, similar to the Nick Anderson deal.
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