Three Atlanta Braves players the coach just named won’t be on the roster because of
The Atlanta Braves could hardly have asked for a worse nightmare in 2024. Their two top talents sustained a couple injuries that may have changed their careers. Ronald Acuña Jr. underwent surgery to repair his ruptured ACL. Spencer Strider need surgery to repair a torn UCL.
For the first time in a long time, their rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies, have won the NL East over the Braves thanks to one of their greatest seasons since the turn of the century. It’s clear that Atlanta will have a lot of work ahead of it this summer, but it will begin with three guys who, come playoff or not, will not be returning.
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3. Whit Merrifield UTL
Whit Merrifield signed with the Phillies at the start of the season, but as the team pursued a division victory and the postseason, they determined Merrifield’s services were no longer necessary. And who is to blame for them? The maintenance worker cut.199/.277/.295 in over 200 at-bats with 8 extra base hits while wearing a Phillies jersey.
He was quickly acquired by Atlanta to support their postseason run this year. Merrifield has improved his slash line to.243/.359/.342 thus far while in Atlanta. His deal includes a $8 million club option for the following season.
Even though the Braves have benefited from his services this season, he won’t be worth $8 million in 2019. In the free agency market, the Braves would probably select a larger and more well-known player to replace him. Nacho Alvarez Jr., an infielder, is anticipated to make a significant impact in the major leagues by 2025.
Again, nothing against Merrifield’s output after the Braves selected him. However, compared to Alvarez or the best free agents, he is an older veteran with a below-league-average OPS and a far lesser upside.
Merrifield is going to be let go unless he signs a minor-league contract because Atlanta won’t be able to win the pennant if they have a lot of players who bat below average.
2. R.H. Charlie Morton
The pitching staff of the Atlanta Braves is both incredibly talented and terribly shallow. After Spencer Strider returns, they will have approximately a dozen players vying for the five positions in the starting lineup. The frightening aspect about this is that around eight of these players are total unknowns.
These elite prospects include Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, and AJ Smith-Shawver. Although he has declined drastically this year, former All-Star Bryce Edler is still incredibly good. After the season, Max Fried will be the team’s first focus. Next season, returners like Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez are expected to be the first and second picks in the rotation.
Both Strider and Schwellenbach will return, no doubt. In the offseason, Atlanta may potentially try to add a pitcher as a free agent.
All of this suggests that when Charlie Morton’s contract expires at the end of this campaign, Atlanta probably won’t offer him another one. Morton is forty years old. The Braves need to be in the major leagues because there is simply too much youthful talent that will be important to the team in the future. Although Morton has performed admirably in Atlanta, his stay with the Braves is almost to an end.
1. Adam Duvall, OF
I personally believe that Adam Duvall will be the hardest guy on the Braves club to let go of among all of the players.
With the exception of the Cincinnati Reds, where he played 439 games over four seasons, Duvall has spent the most of his career with the Braves. During his time with the Braves, the outfielder was awarded a Gold Glove and a World Series ring. Over the past several seasons, he has been a crucial member of the Braves, playing a major role in the 2021 World Series. The coaching staff and teammates adore Duvall.
However, from a business perspective, Duvall may be the simplest player on the roster to let go of, with the front management trying to assemble the greatest squad possible.
Due to his contract ending, Duvall may decide not to come back right away. Apart from that, he is slicing an awful lot.in 100 games this season: 184/.244/.328. When he is in the lineup, the outfielder is really harming the Braves, and his value as a WAR is well into the negatives.
After all, baseball is a business, and the front office must act in the best interests of the company. The greatest thing for business this offseason will be to let Adam Duvall to enter free agency.
