Braves rumors will certainly focus on trades and bigger Free Agent signings this offseason, but in this article, we are going to explore what players the Braves could explore to sign that would cost less than $10 million or so.
This article will be full of players that could shore up the bench or the bullpen mostly, but a couple could play bigger roles on the 2019 team or in one instance, possibly even 2020 more so. Let’s take a look at 15 players the Atlanta Braves could sign without breaking the bank and that should appear in Braves rumors this offseason.
Robinson Chirinos
Already seeing Robinson Chirinos name linked in Braves rumors this offseason, this one should be no surprise. The surprise was seeing Texas decline his $4.5M 2019 option. Yes, his defensive numbers are dropping, but unlike Texas, Atlanta wouldn’t be asking him to be the full time catcher.
Chirinos value mostly comes from his offensive side, where in 2018 he hit for a low average of .222 but hit 18 Home runs in only 360 at bats. Also, Chirinos had a high walk rate at just under 11% and a OBP of .338.
Shawn Kelley
Shawn Kelley rebounded nicely after an absolutely abysmal 2017 season. Most remembered for his outburst in August and getting cut by the Nationals shortly after. He was picked up by Oakland in a deal and went on to pitch well.
Kelley had a ERA right below 3 last season and more impressively had a 4.5/1 K to walk rating and a WHIP of 0.90 which put him in the upper echelon of all pitchers last season. Besides, maybe Kelley would love to come back and stick it to his former team?