The Atlanta Braves have done their best to sign free agents who help the team succeed. However, there have been some signings that left a lot to be desired. Although there are exceptions that performed well, but their time was so short that fans have probably forgotten about them.
Let's take a look at five free agent signings during the Alex Anthopoulos era that fans may have forgotten about.
Here are some free agent signings under Alex Anthopoulos who have been (almost) forgotten by history
Aníbal Sánchez
Sánchez was signed by the Braves for the 2018 season, and ended up being excellent in the rotation. He finished the season with a 2.83 ERA over 136.2 innings (24 starts), including 42 walks and 135 strikeouts. However, this was his only season in Atlanta. Sánchez signed with the Nationals in 2019 and never found the same success again. He retired after the 2022 season.
Peter Bourjos
Bourjos also spent just one season with the Braves in 2018. He only appeared in 36 games with a .205/.239/.364 slash line, with one homer, four RBI, and a 60 wRC+. The infielder was designated for assignment twice that season. His first DFA came in April, when Ronald Acuña Jr. was called up to make his MLB debut. Bourjos' final DFA occurred at the end of June for Max Fried to make a spot start.
Dallas Keuchel
Keuchel was waiting for a deal most of the 2019 season. Once the draft compensation tag fell off, the former Cy Young Award winner found a lot of interest in June. Ultimately, the Braves paid Keuchel $13 million for the rest of the season, and he pitched pretty decently. He tossed 112.2 innings with a 3.75 ERA, 39 walks, and 91 strikeouts.
It ultimately proved to be a forgettable tenure with the Braves especially given how that particular season ended. Keuchel ended up signing with the White Sox in 2020 and had a great year, with a 1.99 ERA. However, he was awful after that season and has bounced around to a few different teams since.
Jason Kipnis
Kipnis signed a minor league contract with the Braves ahead of the 2021 season. He was invited to spring training to battle for a backup infielder spot. He was released by Atlanta in March, but was brought back and assigned to the minors. He never appeared in a major league game and spent the season with Triple-A Gwinnett. He put up a .290/.390/.518 slash line with 10 homers, 32 RBI, and a .908 OPS.
Cole Hamels
This is a contract that every Braves fan remembers being the biggest failure. Hamels signed a one-year, $18 million deal with Atlanta ahead of the 2020 season. He was hoping to return from a shoulder injury the prior season, and he eventually made his Braves debut at the end of September in 2020. He allowed three earned runs over 3.1 innings to the Orioles.
The gamble didn't pay off for Atlanta as this was Hamels' only start for the team. He landed on the injured list with shoulder issues after that start. It seemed like they paid $18 million for one start. However, due to the prorated salaries of the Covid-shortened season, he was paid around $6.7 million for that one start.