Since 2017, one of the most steady presences to come out of the Atlanta Braves bullpen without question was AJ Minter. He could come in in high leverage situations, to get a tough lefty, or throw multiple innings in a pinch. Minter also repeated showed out in the postseason as well. He usually wasn't THE stopper for the Braves, but his value out of the bullpen was undeniable.
Unfortunately, Minter's final season before free agency did not go as planned. He was pitching well yet again with a 2.62 ERA in 39 appearances and most thought Atlanta would try and keep him around. However, a hip injury required season-ending surgery and all of a sudden, Minter's future with the Braves was anything but certain.
The good news is that Minter has yet to sign anywhere else this offseason after being one of the relievers that was getting the most attention at the Winter Meetings. The bad news is that he has remained a hot commodity and now the Red Sox are reportedly pursuing Minter in free agency.
AJ Minter, K'ing the Side. pic.twitter.com/9SFRa4JjUy
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 11, 2024
Red Sox interest in AJ Minter set to force Braves to make a decision
It is hard to blame Boston for their interest here as, when healthy, Minter is a really strong lefty relief option for any club. He misses bats, has encouraging metrics, and he has averaged a 3.28 ERA over the last eight seasons. The guy just knows how to get outs when his team needs it most. For a Red Sox squad losing Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen (both former Braves weirdly) to free agency, adding Minter would help fill a real need. Boston has also already traded for Garrett Crochet and signed Walker Buehler, so they clear are in the mood to buy this offseason.
Heading into the offseason, Minter and the Braves had some mutual interest in a reunion, although only Minter had been really public about it. If he is completely healthy, Atlanta trying to bring him back is a no-brainer unless his price tag has gotten higher than expected. However, hip surgeries can be extremely troubling and there is no guarantee whatsoever that the 31 year-old Minter will be able to bounce back to what he once was.
This is purely a dollars and years question. Even if Minter's health is questionable, Atlanta bringing him back on a reasonable one year deal with an option is still a worthy gamble. However, if Boston ends up offering him a multi-year guaranteed deal with him closing games priced into the deal, the Braves should wish him well and all the luck in the world.