Chipper Jones explains why he took hometown discount with Braves

In a day where every MLB free agent tries to squeeze every drop out of their contract, it’s refreshing to hear Chipper Jones explain why he took a hometown discount to stay with the Braves.

“Well, I was lucky that I never got to a Spring Training of a free agent year that I wasn’t extended. I’m a firm believer that the grass is not always greener on the other side. I feel like whoever leaves the Braves clubhouse for free agency is not coming back. Once you’re courted by all the pretty girls in free agency, meaning big market teams, and guys realize how much more money they can make in big market teams, the Braves cannot compete,” Jones said on Foul Territory.

“I did not want to even have that temptation. I had Bobby Cox, I had John Schuerholz. I had a great roster throughout my whole career. I knew we were going to be competitive. I would have done anything, especially take a little less money to ensure my future and be competitive here in Atlanta,” Jones continued.

The Braves aren’t ever going to compete with the Dodgers, Mets, or Yankees from a dollars and cents perspective. They’re far from the Rays, Athletics or Marlins when it comes to payroll, though.

Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson, and Max Fried were key cogs in Atlanta’s World Series run, and in three of the last four offseasons since that magical run, they have left in free agency.

Freeman’s situation was much different than Swanson’s and Fried’s. The latter two were never coming back to Atlanta. The Cubs and Yankees may not have overpaid by their standards, but they certainly did from the Braves’ point of view. Of course, Freeman’s free agency wasn’t dictated by a ridiculously high offer from a competing club.

Chipper Jones even told Freddie Freeman what was going to happen in free agency, and it went as poorly as anyone could’ve predicted. The Braves came out with Matt Olson, who is hardly a consolation prize, but if both sides could do that 2021-22 offseason over, I imagine it’d go much differently.

In the days of superteams and billion-dollar contracts, it’s refreshing to hear a Hall of Famer talk about how he valued his environment more than money.

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Photographer: David Griffin/Icon Sportswire