Atlanta Braves fan favorite, Charlie Culberson, was recently designated for assignment on the same day his Father was expected to throw out the first pitch on Father's Day. That didn't sit well with some fans due to the timing of the move. However, with Sean Murphy going down with his hamstring issue at the time, the move made sense so the team could have room to bring up Chadwick Tromp.
After the DFA process ran its course, Charlie wasn't claimed off of waivers by another team. So, on Sunday, Atlanta outrighted the infielder to Triple-A Gwinnett but instead of accepting the assignment, Culberson decided to elect for free agency.
The Braves outrighted Charlie Culberson to Triple-A Gwinnett. He elected free agency instead.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) June 25, 2023
Charlie played 24 games for Gwinnett before being called up to Atlanta when Ehrie Adrianza was placed on the 60-day IL. Unfortunately for Culberson, he would not appear in a single game for the Braves over his 27 days with the big league club.
Culberson is a career .247 hitter with 30 home runs and 145 RBI in 585 games played with five teams. He was previously with the Braves from 2018 to 2020 and provided some exciting and memorable moments. However, there was no reason to expect him to be a big part of this Braves team in 2023 unless there was an injury to a major part of the team on the infield.
Some fans won't be fans of this move due to their affection for Charlie Culberson. He's a great guy and I cherish a lot of those memories as well. Who could forget his throw from the outfield to nab Jorge Alfaro at home plate in 2019? Or when he threw a 94 mph fastball in relief against the Rockies in 2018? Or always seeming to hit the ball in big situations to earn the nickname Charlie Clutch?
Those are all great memories and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors in baseball! However, it was just not meant to be for him this time around in a Braves uniform.