Buy or Sell: Braves Free Agents
Max Fried
No point in trying to hide the elephant in the room. Max Fried is one of the headliners of the entire free agent class, and every team that needs a starting pitcher will be ringing his agent’s phone. The Braves would love to have him back, but the writing has been on the wall for quite some time, and the emergence of Spencer Schwellenbach only increases the chances that Fried signs elsewhere in free agency.
Alex Anthopoulos is never antsy to get into a bidding war; those aren’t the kind of battles he has any interest in winning. On top of that, Max Fried has quickly become more of a luxury rather than a need, thanks to three developments this season. Chris Sale was able to stay healthy and will likely win the NL Cy Young award. The Reynaldo Lopez experiment couldn’t have gone better as he transitioned from a reliever to a starting pitcher again, and the aforementioned emergence of Spencer Schwellebach, who has the potential to be a frontline starter for a long time.
The only way I see Fried staying in Atlanta is if his market somehow turns out to be a lot dryer than most people anticipate. That’s highly unlikely, but not impossible, just look at what happened to Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery a year ago.
Buy or Sell: Sell
A.J. Minter
Minter’s 2024 campaign ended with him undergoing hip surgery, which is extremely unfortunate for him because he was likely in line for a rather lucrative multi-year contract in free agency. I’m not sure the Braves would have been very interested in a deal like that, but the situation is much different now. Minter might be forced to settle for a one-year deal to rebuild his value and re-enter the free agency pool next offseason. That’s right up Alex Anthopoulos’ alley, and Minter has made it very clear his heart lies in Atlanta. I think both sides work something out.
Buy or Sell: Buy
Gio Urshela
Urshela did a helluva job for the Braves down the stretch while filling in for the injured Austin Riley. Perhaps there’s a role for him on the bench next season, but more than likely, he’ll go to a rebuilding club that can offer him more playing time, where he can prove he’s still a worthy starting option in this league.
Buy or Sell: Sell
Jesse Chavez
The Ageless Wonder needs to be a movie made about the end of Jesse Chavez’s career with the Atlanta Braves. It’s one of the most underrated storylines year after year, and Chavez put together another great season in 2024, posting a 3.13 ERA over 63.1 innings after being dumped by the lowly White Sox in Spring Training. A lot of people expect Jesse Chavez to retire, but I don’t see it. He still has some gas left in the tank, and someone will give him another opportunity. I don’t expect it to be the Braves, at least to start, but we all know how that story goes. Chavez will somehow find his way back to Atlanta at some point next season.
Buy or Sell: Sell
Charlie Morton
Another 40+ year-old player mulling retirement, Charlie Morton posted a 4.19 ERA over 30 starts in 2024. It wasn’t his best work, but as he said at the end of the season, it’s not like he can’t perform at a high level anymore. That is what’s going to make his retirement decision this offseason very difficult. He clearly still feels like he can give more to the game, but he also despises the time away from his family. Ultimately, I believe Charlie Morton decides to play another season, and I do see the Braves being interested in bringing him back, perhaps even at a hometown discount.
Buy or Sell: Buy
—
Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.