Breaking News: 5 Atlanta Braves players won’t be back next season

The Atlanta Braves are set to lose several fan-favorite players before the 2025 season. Since winning their first World Series title in over two decades in 2021, the Braves have struggled in the MLB Postseason. After back-to-back NLDS losses to the Phillies, this year they were knocked out in the NL Wild Card by the San Diego Padres.

Atlanta’s offense struggled in both games, leading to an early exit from the playoffs. Now, as they look to regroup and push for another World Series run, they’ll be doing so without these five players, who have played their final games for the team due to various factors.

5. IF Whit Merrifield’s time with the Braves will ultimately be brief

 

 

Injuries were a sad recurring theme for the 2024 Braves, leaving their position players and pitching staff severely weakened. So, prior to the trade deadline, one of Alex Anthopoulos’ brilliant moves was to bring in experienced utilityman Whit Merrifield to fill in for Ozzie Albies and, eventually, around the rest of the infield to attempt to keep the postseason momentum.

Atlanta obviously made the playoffs regardless, and Merrifield played a significant role in that. Over 42 games, the veteran slashed.248/.348/336, serving as a solid band-aid for this snake-bitten roster.

However, Anthopoulos and the Braves’ aim this offseason is that they will not face similar situations next season. While they may prepare with more overall depth, they will eventually search for younger, more promising, and possibly better choices than Merrifield in the 2025 season.

4. OF Adam Duvall may have worn out his welcome in Atlanta

 

 

Adam Duvall returned to the Braves just before the 2024 season after spending 2023 with the Red Sox, as it appeared manager Brian Snitker planned to platoon left fielders based on matchups with offseason acquisition Jarred Kelenic. However, Duvall’s return didn’t go as hoped.

After hitting 28 home runs with 81 RBIs in 141 games for Atlanta during 2021 and 2022, Duvall struggled mightily in 2024. In 104 games and 330 plate appearances, he posted career-worst numbers, slashing .182/.245/.323 with just 11 home runs and 99 strikeouts. It was difficult to watch, and it’s hard not to think that, at 35, Duvall’s career might be nearing its end.

At the very least, this marks the end of Duvall’s time with the Braves. Though his return seemed like a good idea at first, the results didn’t pan out, and Atlanta can’t afford to rely on him as they focus on building a World Series-caliber team.

3. SP Charlie Morton will call it a career after the 2024 season

 

 

Before the 2024 season began, it felt like this would be veteran Charlie Morton’s final year. “Uncle Chuck” has been a reliable force for the Braves since joining the team in 2021, and even at 40 years old, he continued to deliver the consistent performance fans have come to expect, much like in his rookie year with Atlanta.

Morton made 30 starts for the fourth consecutive season, posting a solid 4.19 ERA and 1.325 WHIP. For a veteran slotted as a back-of-the-rotation innings-eater, he provided exactly what the Braves needed.

While there’s some uncertainty around the team’s 2025 rotation, and Morton might be considered if he wanted to return, all signs point to this being his final season. It’s likely we’ve seen the last of Uncle Chuck in a Braves uniform.

2. RP Jesse Chavez will walk away a fan favorite

 

 

Calling Jesse Chavez an “unlikely MLB journeyman” almost understates his unique career. At 41, Chavez played for nine different teams after being drafted by the Rangers in the 42nd round back in 2002—a long shot to make it in itself. Remarkably, 2024 marked the third year of his third separate stint with the Braves, highlighting his career’s unusual trajectory.

Despite his age, Chavez still performed well this season. While not as dominant as during his impressive 2023 campaign, he posted a 3.13 ERA and 1.247 WHIP in 46 bullpen appearances.

Like Charlie Morton, it was widely expected that 2024 would be Chavez’s final season, and he was even more upfront about his plans to retire. With the season now over, it’s safe to assume we’ve seen the last of Chavez with the Braves—or any other team.

1. SP Max Fried will take the payday with someone other than the Braves

 

 

As beloved as Morton, Chavez, and even Duvall have been in Atlanta, the hardest loss for Braves fans will likely be star left-hander Max Fried, who is unlikely to return for the 2025 season.

Fried becomes a free agent after 2024, and for over a year, it’s been clear that the Braves needed to sign him to an extension before his final year under team control if they wanted to keep him. That deal never materialized, and the widespread belief is that another team will swoop in to sign him away from Atlanta.

Some Braves fans might not be too disappointed, though. Fried’s underwhelming performance in a must-win Game 2 against the Padres in this year’s playoffs continues a pattern of postseason struggles, leading some to feel he’s not worth a massive contract if he can’t deliver in October.

However, outside of those playoff shortcomings, Fried has been a legitimate ace. Losing him will be a major challenge for general manager Alex Anthopoulos, but one the Braves must face, as Fried is almost certainly moving on to the next chapter of his career.