3 Braves players who don’t deserve to be on the 40-man roster
By Eric Cole
Jackson Stephens
This one is a bummer because Jackson Stephens was an unlikely success story for the Braves in 2022. Stephens' big league career was in jeopardy after he became a free agent from the Reds organization after the 2019 season. However, a successful stint playing in the Mexican League got him on the Braves' radar and he earned a minor league deal that he parlayed into a promotion to the majors in April 2022.
By in large, Stephens pitched very well for the Braves especially early on. Altogether, he posted a 3.69 ERA in 39 appearances in 2022, but he unfortunately got hit by a line drive during a game against the Cardinals and ended up on the injured list with a concussion. Since that point, he has struggled to break back through and earn a regular spot in the Braves' bullpen.
Stephens is another example of a guy that has already been cut from the Braves' 40-man before. They non-tendered him before the 2023 season, and then brought him back. He was removed from the 40-man AGAIN, sent to the minors, and then promoted late in the 2023 season for some added bullpen depth.
Weirdly, one of the nice things about Stephens is that the Braves can remove him from the 40-man roster. One consideration that goes into 40-man moves is whether or not a team can pass a guy through the waiver wire and get them back to the minor leagues without losing him. Stephens has made that journey multiple times now, so he would represent a relatively easy cut without too much risk of losing him unless he decided he has had enough and elected free agency.