.Unfortunately, the Atlanta Braves' 2024 season came to an end Wednesday night after their comeback in Game 2 of the Wild Card round fell short and they lost to the Padres 5-4. It was an anti-climactic end to a truly disappointing season for the Braves that saw injuries take such a toll that they just barely squeaked into the playoffs on the last day of the season. Whether fans like it or not, the offseason has officially arrived for Atlanta.
There will be plenty of time to do thorough post mortems on the Braves' season, but it is also important to understand that the Braves are going to be go under a lot of changes between this season and next. That will almost certainly include some new faces and as well as the departure of players that fans have grown very accustomed to seeing in a Braves uniform.
Here are the Braves players that won't be back for the 2025 season
Before the keyboard warriors go too crazy, there is no certainty here until guys do or do not sign on the dotted line. There is a very real chance that one or more of the players listed defy the odds and return to the Braves and it is a mortal lock that more than just these players will end up leaving for one reason or another. Being wrong and/or surprised by sports is a fact of life and we can accept that.
However, there are players that we can make educated guesses on. For example, the possibility exists that the Braves won't exercise Marcell Ozuna's $16 million option for 2025, but that would be extremely silly at this point and it has already been reported that Ozuna is coming back. AJ Minter is a tough one as he is a free agent, but he also just had hip surgery and it feels like signing back with the Braves on a cheapish one-year deal could make sense for both sides, so we'll avoid placing a bet there. This isn't about making a complete list of who COULD be gone, but trying to predict who will be within reason.
Anyways, enough caveats, here are the Braves players that (probably) won't be back next season.
Jesse Chavez
We'll start with a pretty straightforward, but sad one in King Jesse. Chavez put together an amazing first half for the Braves' bullpen, but fell off a lot after the All-Star break with a 5.73 ERA as the 41 year-old fatigued. Chavez already indicated that he would probably retire after the 2024 season and there has been no indication that anything has changed with his plans. If this is truly the end, we hope he enjoys retirement because Chavez deserves nothing but the best, but we also suspect that he has a secret cave at Truist Park and will be around either way.
Cavan Biggio
The Braves added Biggio very late in the season as a stopgap to cover for the potential loss of Whit Merrifield would had just broken his foot on a foul ball. Yes, the 2024 Braves were truly cursed. Biggio had already been let go (in one way or another) by the Blue Jays, Dodgers, and Giants this season before he arrived in Atlanta. Given that he doesn't really have a role with the Braves next season once they get healthy, expect the Braves to pass on keeping him unless he is willing to sign a minor league deal.
Gio Urshela
Add Urshela to the list of unlikely 2024 Braves as Atlanta signed him following the loss of Austin Riley. It was fortunate that he had been released by the Tigers when he was as Urshela performed well in the field during his short time with the Braves and gave them a .711 OPS in 136 plate appearances along the way. Unfortunately, Riley's return next season is going to take away the opportunity for playing time and Urshela is likely to look for a more fruitful opportunity (both in terms of dollars and playing time) in free agency this offseason.
Adam Duvall
There was a time where Duvall was a really exciting, if limited, outfield bat that Braves fans welcomed on the roster. When he is on, Duvall is a significant power threat who is capable of going on Ruthian-esque streaks of carrying an offense. Unfortunately, his 2024 season with the Braves (his third stint with the team) saw him slash .182/.245/.323 in 330 plate appearances. Atlanta simply has better outfield options available to them especially once Ronald Acuna Jr. gets healthy and this is likely the end of the road for Duvall and the Braves.
Charlie Morton
This one isn't completely certain, but it sure feels like it. Morton has been a stalwart member of the Braves' rotation since 2021 and it is honestly kind of hard to envision the Braves without him. However, his production dropped off considerably in 2024 as he posted a 4.19 ERA and his strikeout numbers declined. There have already been whispers that Morton will ultimately retire this offseason, but it is unlikely he would be back in Atlanta even if he decided to play especially if wants his usual rate of $20 million a season.
Huascar Ynoa
Ynoa was once one the Braves most promising young arms and he had a chance to be an integral part of Atlanta's rotation for years to come. However, injuries including Tommy John surgery that cost him the 2023 season and more elbow problems this season derailed those hopes. There is a chance he comes back as he will be relatively cheap in his second year of arbitration, but Ynoa does feel like a prime candidate for a non-tender or to get traded given his lengthy downtime.
Whit Merrifield
Sorry Braves fans, but the Merrifield era in Atlanta is likely to come to an end. Merrifield honestly exceeded expectations in his short time with the Braves and he gave them a boost when they needed it most. However, that was relatively short-lived as a broken foot late in the season proved to be a massive hurdle. Given Merrifield's age and expected production, the Braves can't really justify bringing him back for anything other than as a seldom-used bench piece and we suspect he is going to want to play more than that if he comes back next season at all.
Luke Jackson
Jackson's return to the Braves this season was a nice story as he was a much better reliever for Atlanta from 2017-2021 than he is given credit for. He moved on to the Giants last season after recovering from his own Tommy John surgery and pitched well in 2023. Unfortunately, 2024 was not nearly as kind to Jackson in San Francisco or Atlanta as he only managed a 5.09 ERA in 52 appearances this season. It wouldn't be crazy to see the Braves take a look at Jackson in spring training on a non-guaranteed deal, but anything more than that is a pretty big stretch at this point.
Max Fried
Finally, we come to the elephant in the room in Max Fried. Fried's potential last start with the Braves was extremely disappointing, but you will struggle to find a Braves fan that wouldn't love to have him back for 2025 and beyond. Unfortunately, Fried's recent health issues combined with what he is likely to command in free agency probably means that his time in Atlanta has come to an end. Expect the Braves to extend the qualifying offer to him (and for it to be rightly rejected) and then a bit of a chatter that the two sides are staying in touch, but for Fried to ultimately play elsewhere in 2025.