The Braves have been hit harder by injuries than any other team in baseball, with Austin Riley and A.J. Minter on the injured list recently.
While Riley may return for a postseason run, the latter was officially shut down for the rest of the season a few weeks earlier, the Braves revealed.
It’s a tragic end to another impressive season for Minter, who finished with a 2.62 ERA and one save in 39 bullpen appearances. What makes it especially heartbreaking is the veteran’s impending free agency.
A.J. Minter has had a successful career, despite being demoted to Triple-A Gwinnett at one point.
Since his debut in 2017, the Braves southpaw has become Atlanta’s most reliable reliever, with a 3.28 ERA and 36 saves in 384 games.
Since 2020, he’s improved even more, with a 2.85 ERA and 1.086 WHIP. Needless to say, his free market would have been thriving. His postseason achievement increases his value to prospective clubs. Minter has made 20 playoff appearances with Atlanta, posting a 2.88 ERA and 13 strikeouts per nine innings.
That kind of swing-and-miss talent would be highly sought after on the open market, but the hip surgery puts his free agency on hold, which could be a blessing in disguise for the Braves.
Atlanta’s summer focus will be on the rotation, with the remainder devoted to enhancing the margins of the lineup and bullpen with so many returning players. Alex Anthopoulos has hefty contracts for Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, and Joe Jimenez, so it’s unclear what type of contract the Braves would be ready to provide A.J. Minter, if any at all, even before the hip surgery.
The reason it could be a blessing in disguise is that Minter may be prepared to accept a one-year contract to return to Atlanta and reestablish his free agent worth. He’s still young enough, at 31, to put together a strong 2025 season and cash in on a hefty multi-year contract the following year.
He even hinted at returning to Atlanta shortly after it was announced that he would be out for the rest of the season. That would not have been an option if he had finished the year healthy and approached free agency after another strong season. It is unfortunate that this is the case, yet there could be a silver lining.
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