9 potential Atlanta Braves reunions to look for in 2024
As we look forward to 2024, there are nine former Braves on the free agent market who can fill needs on the team.
Who doesn't love a good reunion? As the Braves shift their focus to building their roster for a deep postseason run in 2024, there are former Atlanta Braves hitting the free agent market who could be fits for the team.
From former stars of the team to clutch postseason heroes, here are nine we think can get the Braves over the playoff hump and lead them back into the World Series.
5 Hitters who could return to Atlanta
1. Joc Pederson
Joc Pederson had a legendary half-season for the Braves, mostly because of his vibes. Since leaving the Braves and signing with the Giants, the Pearl Man has a 129 OPS+ across 255 games, hitting 38 bombs, and was even an All-Star in 2022.
Pederson was less productive this past season, but was still an above-average hitter, hitting 11% better than league average with a .235/.348/.416
If the Braves choose not to bring back Eddie Rosario, Pederson could be a cheaper replacement for the LF platoon.
2. Jason Heyward
Another option for the left side of the LF platoon could be former Brave top prospect, Jason Heyward.
Last year I suggested bringing signing Heyward on a minor league contract after he was released by the Cubs, but ultimately the OF signed with the Dodgers and had best hitting season across a full season since he was with the Cardinals.
Heyward is still elite defensively, so his bat and glove could be an upgrade over the current situation.
3. Jorge Soler
If the Braves don't want to platoon the LF spot, the 2021 World Series MVP might be perfect to fill it as a full-time starter.
Soler currently has a $13 million player option he will almost certainly decline. This option was initially $9 million, but he hit every escalator to increase it by $4 million.
Breakdown of Jorge Soler’s three-year, $36 million deal with the Miami Marlins, per source:
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) March 19, 2022
2022: $12M
2023: $15M
2024: $9M
Soler can earn an additional $4M in 2024 salary with the following escalators in 2023:
$500K for 350 and 400 PA; $1M for 450, 500 and 550 PA.
The righty slugger made his first All-Star team this season and hit 36 homers with a 128 OPS+. Soler could add significant pop to an already powerful team.
However, his contract will almost certainly be higher than the three-year, $36 million contract he signed after the 2021 season, and might be out of the Braves price range.
4. Robbie Grossman
Another platoon option for the LF spot, Robbie Grossman has been in a platoon role for the Texas Rangers this year, although he's somehow found more PAs against righties than lefties.
On the whole, Grossman was exactly league-average as a hitter in 2023 but was much stronger against left-handed pitching, slashing 309/.416/.536 (.953 OPS) in 137 PAs.
Grossman would be a good fit for the Braves regardless if they stick with Rosario or find a different left-handed bat like Heyward.
5. Adam Duvall
This signing would make Blooper very happy.
Adam Duvall has had a weird career with the Braves. Before 2022, he hadn't played with the Braves before July, despite playing games for the Braves in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
While the Braves primarily used Duvall in a platoon role during most of his tenure, the Red Sox were using him as a full-time starter.
The slugging OF had his most productive season of his career, hitting 21 homers and having a 119 OPS+ in just 92 games. He missed three months with a broken wrist.
Duvall did take a step back defensively, going from 5 OAA in just 709.1 innings in 2022 to -4 OAA in 692.1 innings in 2023. However, the 35-year-old was still a positive defender at the corners, and the Braves would no longer need him in CF like they did in 2021 and part of 2022.
4 Pitchers who could reunite with the Braves
1. Julio Teheran
Teheran was the third-to-last continuous Brave to have played a home game at Turner Field prior to his departure after the 2019 season. During his nine seasons with the Braves, he made six consecutive Opening Day starts.
Since his departure, he's established himself as a journeyman, pitching for the Angels, the Tigers (for one game), three independent teams, the Padres organization, and finally the Brewers.
The overall results since leaving the Braves haven't been pretty (5.92 ERA in 108 innings), but he did make improvements with the Brewers this season, pitching in 14 games (11 starts) and producing a 4.40 ERA.
Teheran would not be making another Opening Day start, but he could provide veteran depth in a rotation that could be thinning.
2. Will Smith
Will Smith (the pitcher, not this one, or this one) is currently continuing on his quest for his third consecutive World Series ring (I'm dead serious), but he's someone the Braves should already be looking at.
One of the Braves flaws in this year's playoffs was the lack of left-handed bullpen arms. Aside from A.J. Minter, who is one of the team's high-leverage relievers, the only other lefty Brian Snitker could opt for is Brad Hand.
Smith's 4.40 ERA probably isn't appealing to Braves fans, but he did have a FIP that was an entire run lower at 3.36.
The 2021 World Series Champion could add depth to a bullpen that desparately needs another lefty and would likely come on the cheaper side. This year, Smith only made $1.5 million from Texas this seson.
3. Alex Wood
It's been nine years since the Braves traded Alex Wood to the Dodgers in one of the dumbest trades in franchise history and it may be time to get him back now after his prime has already passed.
Wood is now a fairly mediocre pitcher, but he is left-handed and has worked out of both the bullpen and the rotation in recent years.
Wood could provide the Braves with length out of the pen or give the Braves a back-of-the-rotation veteran arm out of the roation, instead of relying on Jared Shuster or Dylan Dodd.
Unlike Smith, it's hard to tell if Wood would come on the cheaper end. The 32-year-old made $12 million with the Giants this season.
4. Shelby Miller
After a phenomenal 2015, the Braves flipped Shelby Miller to the Diamondbacks in one of the most lopsided trades in the 21st century, where he immediately turned into a pumpkin.
From 2016 until 2022, Miller put up a 7.02 ERA across 202.2 innings for five different franchises. Each team looked to recapture Miller's magical 2015 All-Star season, where he put up a 3.02 ERA in 205.1 innings.
It's surprising the righty got as many chances as he did, but this might be the year he finally got back to being a productive pitcher. With the Dodgers, the former Brave had a 1.71 ERA in 42 innings. There was a big gap between his ERA and FIP (which was 3.68), but this was still well above the league average reliever FIP of 4.21.
With the Braves losing Joe Jimenez to free agency, Miller could fill a middle relief role for the Braves in 2024.