Last season is thought to be the finale of a 17 year career for the beloved Jesse Chavez. With the past few incredible seasons as a reliever, Chavez has worked himself into Atlanta Braves folklore. However, long before Chavez became a fan favorite in Atlanta the journeyman pitcher was acquired for another notable bullpen arm.
Beloved Jesse Chavez makes his Braves debut after trade with Rays
On December 10, 2009, the Braves acquired a then 26 year-old Jesse Chavez (for the first time) in exchange for Rafael Soriano. Although Soriano was dominant for the Braves in 2009, the club saw him as expendable after they signed another legendary closer just a week earlier.
The 2010 season would be Chavez's first stint in Atlanta, and a short-lived one at that. Chavez pitched in just 36.2 innings with a 5.89 ERA. Chavez was then dealt at the 2010 trade deadline in the deal that brought Rick Ankiel to Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Rafael Soriano had his lone All-Star season with the Rays leading the American League in saves (45), and shutting down offenses to the tune of a 1.73 ERA. The results certainly made it a pretty lopsided trade in favor of Tampa Bay.
Thankfully, Chavez would redeem himself with Braves fans once he finally came back to the organization over a decade later. When Chavez rejoined the Braves in 2021 he became a reliable long-man out of Atlanta's bullpen pitching to a 2.14 ERA and 2.01 FIP. Chavez was so impressive that he earned a spot on Atlanta's World Series roster that year.
Chavez's redemption didn't end there as he bounced around the league a few more times from 2022-2024, but he never pitched as well as he did in a Braves uniform. His 3.09 career ERA with Atlanta is the lowest amongst the five MLB franchises he threw at least 50 innings with. It also comes in over a full run lower than his 4.24 career ERA.
π,πππ career strikeouts for Jesse Chavezπ₯ pic.twitter.com/EUMOmg8fbc
β Braves On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSNBraves) June 9, 2024