Atlanta Braves Jesse Chavez: the definition of journeyman reliever
The Atlanta Braves brought back an old friend to reinforce their bullpen and added yet another leg to his 15-year journey.
As Jake wrote yesterday, the Atlanta Braves brought veteran reliever Jesse Chavez back to Atlanta in a swap that sent Sean Newcomb to The Cubs.
Chavez adds more experience to a relief corps many already believed the best in the league, and fans will remember how valuable he was in last season’s World Series chase, but calling Jesse a veteran reliever understates his career.
A long and winding road indeed.
The long and winding road That leads to your door Will never disappear I’ve seen that road before It always leads me here (John Lennon / Paul McCartney)
If you look up “journeyman” in a baseball dictionary, you could well find a picture of Jesse Chavez. Selected by the Rangers in the 42nd round of the 2002 draft under the draft-and-follow rule and signed him on May 17, 2003.
He began his career as a starter and struck out a lot of batters; unfortunately, he also walked a lot of batters. The Rangers moved him to the bullpen, hoping to use him as a late-inning reliever, but never got the chance.
At the deadline in 2006, the Rangers traded Chavez to the Pirates for Kip Wells. Chavez finally made his Major League debut against the Cubs on August 27, 2008.
He went on to make 15 appearances for the Bucs, finishing the year with an ERA that looked a lot worse than how he actually pitched… that thanks to a 2 run stint during his 2nd-ever appearance, plus a 4-run outburst late in the year.
All-aboard for Tampa, Atlanta, KC, and . . .
He remained with the Pirates through 2009 before being traded to Tampa for Akinori Iwamura but stayed less than a month; then, his travels began in earnest.
The Atlanta Braves wanted to dump an unhappy Rafael Soriano and swapped their closer for Chavez straight up. He appeared in 28 games for the Braves before being traded to the Royals in the deadline deal for Rick Ankiel.
The Royals lost him on waivers to Toronto in October, and Oakland purchased his contract from Toronto the following August. The Athletics held onto him for just over three years before sending him back to Toronto for Liam Hendricks. The current Atlanta Braves GM was running the Blue Jays in 2016 when they traded Chavez to the Dodgers.
A map of the teams Jesse Chavez's played with in his Major League career. You gotta love the game to move around like that. #Braves pic.twitter.com/ACmaVRpTKp
— Chief_Fred (@FredEOwens) April 21, 2022
Chavez signs with . . .
Chavez signed a free-agent deal with the Angels in 2016 that lasted two seasons. He finally pitched for the team that drafted him after signing with the Rangers In February 2018. This trip to Texas lasted until July, when the club traded him to the Cubs.
Despite appearing in 32 games and pitching to a 1.15 ERA for the Cubs, they let Chavez walk after the 2018 season; he signed with the Rangers again, remaining with the club until October 2020.
Back to the Atlanta Braves via Anaheim
The Angels gave Chavez a minor league deal in February 2021 but cut him before the end of Spring Training. The Braves signed Chavez on April 17, and he became a key part of the Atlanta Braves bullpen for the remainder of the season.
The Braves didn’t offer him a contract before the lockout allowing the Cubs to pick Chavez up when it ended. This trip to Chicago didn’t go as well as his 2018 stay; he appeared in three games, threw five innings, and gave up four runs.
Please give me the ball.
Chavez isn’t the oldest Atlanta Braves reliever; that dubious honor falls to 39-1/2-year-old sidearmer Darren O’Day. Chavez doesn’t throw hard anymore, relying instead on locations and changing speed for success.
He’ll give up home runs if he’s wild over the plate, and he still walks too many people. His value lies in eating innings to save the bullpen and getting batters to hit the ball on the ground, something he didn’t do well for the Cubs. Hopefully, a return to Atlanta will help him regain his touch.
That’s a wrap
When fans see players on the field working as a team to play the game and hear about big contracts, it’s easy to forget the majority of players don’t get that monster deal.
Next. Fresh Fried Dodgers. dark
Players like Chavez have to love the game to put up with the uncertainties that accompany it. I’m glad he’s back and hope for another good season from the old man.