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Poll: What Should The Braves Do With Ozzie Albies?

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It’s been a tough season all around in Atlanta. The club has lost four of its top five starters (Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Schwellenbach, and AJ Smith-Shawver) to the injured list so far, with Spencer Strider having spent time on the shelf earlier in the year as well. The offense has produced well below expectations despite brilliant performances from Ronald Acuna Jr. and the club’s catching tandem, as well as the ever-steady production of Matt Olson at first base. The bullpen, typically anchored by Raisel Iglesias, has looked uncharacteristically shaky. For all the things that have gone wrong this year, perhaps none have been as frustrating for the club as the struggles of Ozzie Albies.

Albies, 28, is a three-time All-Star who entered the 2025 season with a career 108 wRC+ and more than 20 career WAR according to both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference. He has not looked at all like himself this season. Across 90 games and 383 plate appearances, he’s slashed just .223/.292/.315 (72 wRC+). His expected numbers (.291 xwOBA) are stronger than his actual production (.274 wOBA), but both figures are well below par this season. That’s come in spite of a strikeout rate (15.4%) that’s lower than his career norms and a walk rate (8.1%) that’s actually the highest of his career.

With his plate discipline numbers looking better than ever, the culprit behind Albies’ lack of productivity is clear: power. The infielder has just six home runs this year and 19 extra-base hits total. His .092 ISO (slugging minus average) is the seventh-lowest figure in baseball and trails even contact-oriented bats like Nico Hoerner and Bryson Stott. It’s not impossible to be a productive bat with that level of power; Hoerner has a 104 wRC+ with an ISO just two points higher than Albies, while J.P. Crawford has an identical ISO and a wRC+ of 128. It’s a profile that requires even better plate discipline numbers than Albies has, however. Crawford’s production is boosted by an excellent 13.3% walk rate, while Hoerner strikes out at a microscopic 6.7% clip.

Aside from that, both hitters also carry BABIPs over .300. Albies sits at just .251 this season. That’s very low and should be expected to come up at least a little bit, but the switch-hitter has a BABIP of just .289 for his career and has posted a figure over .300 in a full season just once before, in the 2019 season. Rather than better fortune on batted balls, Albies’ previous production came by way of 25-to-30 homer thump when healthy. Unfortunately, that power has disappeared. Albies hit just 10 homers in 99 games last year, and that might’ve looked like an anomaly at the time, but this year’s lack of pop now makes it look like the start of a new normal.

If Albies can’t turn things around soon, how should the Braves approach their second baseman? He’s proven capable of being a star when at his best, so the idea of trading him at such a low point in his value would be difficult to swallow. Declining his $7MM club option for 2026 seems like it should be off the table entirely, particularly given the $4MM buyout that effectively makes it a $3MM decision.

At the same time, Atlanta has just three more seasons of team control over Acuna, and 2026 will be Sale’s final year before he reaches free agency unless he agrees to another extension. The Braves have been clear that they don’t plan to sell much this summer, if they do at all. But the offseason will see players like Iglesias and Marcell Ozuna depart for free agency, necessitating a reconstruction of the roster anyway. Could seeing about an upgrade at second base be a sensible part of that offseason retool?

With so many of Atlanta’s most important pieces nearing the open market in the next few years, it can be argued that the Braves would be better served trying to find more certain production at the keystone by targeting a player like Gleyber Torres in free agency. The flip side of that, of course, is that Albies’ contract is exceptionally cost-effective. Torres’ $15MM salary with the Tigers this year is already more than double Albies’ salary for next season if his option is picked up, and Torres appears ticketed for a much bigger payday in his return to free agency this winter. Rolling the dice on Albies could be easier to stomach if other pieces of the Braves’ current core like Michael Harris II and Jurickson Profar can put up big numbers in the second half and assuage concerns over another season where the team is mired in an offensive malaise.

How do MLBTR readers think Atlanta’s front office should approach the situation they’ve found themselves in with Albies? Should they stick with him going forward due to his potential upside and cheap salary, or should they see what they can get on the trade market in hopes of replacing him with a steadier option? Have your say in the poll below:

Braves Select Jesse Chavez

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The Braves announced this morning that they’ve selected right-hander Jesse Chavez to the big league roster. Left-hander Dylan Dodd was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Chavez on the big league roster, while Spencer Schwellenbach was transferred to the 60-day injured list to create 40-man roster spot for Chavez.

Chavez, 41, has made two appearances for the Braves already this year that saw him surrender two runs in three innings of work. He’s been something of an up-and-down depth arm for Atlanta this year, signing minor league deals with the Braves and getting called up to the roster for a day or two before being designated for assignment, electing free agency, and re-signing with Atlanta on a fresh minor league deal. It seems to be a situation both sides are comfortable with, and it’s fairly easy to see why. Chavez has spent more time with the Braves than any other organization in his 18-year MLB career, and he’s had great success with a 3.13 ERA in 224 1/3 innings of work during his time in Atlanta.

Now in his early forties, it’s hard to imagine Chavez being quite as dominant as he was for Atlanta earlier in his mid-thirties. With that being said, he’s remained excellent at Triple-A this year with a 2.05 ERA in 30 2/3 innings of work. It’s certainly possible he still has something left in the tank and can be successful in the majors. With that being said, it could be difficult for Chavez to hold onto a roster spot over the longer term given how dominant the few optionable relievers like Dylan Lee and Daysbel Hernandez have been this season.

Making room for Chavez on the active roster is Dodd, who made his big league debut as a starter back in 2023. He struggled mightily in that role across seven starts, but has reconfigured himself into a reliever this season to solid results. In the majors, Dodd sports a 3.75 ERA across 12 innings of work with a 20% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 4.4%. His work at Triple-A has been less impressive, as he’s pitched to a 5.40 ERA in 19 appearances at the level, but if Dodd can maintain even league average production his ability to pitch multiple innings and status as a lefty pitcher should make him a very useful depth arm for the Atlanta bullpen going forward.

As for Schwellenbach, the news of his placement on the 60-day injured list is hardly a surprise. The right-hander was shelved with an elbow fracture this past week. Now that he’s been transferred, Schwellenbach is officially ineligible to return until August 31, though that’s very unlikely to be a meaningful obstacle given that even the most optimistic expectations have him returning at some point in September. The righty has been a phenomenal asset for the Braves since he was promoted to the majors last year, with a 3.23 ERA and 3.25 FIP in 38 career starts.

Braves Release Alex Verdugo

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TODAY: The Braves released Verdugo after he cleared waivers, the Athletic’s David O’Brien writes.

JULY 2: The Braves have designated outfielder Alex Verdugo for assignment, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Verdugo’s spot on the roster will go to fellow outfielder Jurickson Profar, who will be reinstated from the restricted list after serving an 80-game PED ban.

Verdugo, 29, signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract with Atlanta late in the offseason. He first filled a reserve role behind Jarred Kelenic but wound up thrust into a more prominent role when Kelenic’s prolonged struggles to hit big league pitching saw him optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Verdugo raced out to a hot start with the Braves, hitting .322/.385/.441 in his first 65 plate appearances, but his production has cratered since that time. Dating back to May 6, Verdugo has registered an anemic .203/.257/.225 batting line (37 wRC+) in 148 turns at the plate.

This year’s run with the Braves largely mirrors Verdugo’s 2024 with the Yankees. His early hot streak in New York lasted longer than his hot streak in Atlanta, but his struggles as a Yankee were also more protracted. Verdugo has now tallied 834 plate appearances across the past two seasons and generated a dismal .234/.292/.339 batting line. That’s a far cry from his 2019-23 form, when he batted .283/.338/.432 and served as a solid regular in the outfield corners for the Dodgers and Red Sox.

Even Verdugo’s once-excellent defensive grades have deteriorated in recent years. Defensive Runs Saved still gave him a slightly positive mark (+1) in 426 innings this season, but that’s nowhere near his 2019-24 levels, when he garnered a gaudy +31 mark in 6150 innings. Statcast’s Outs Above Average pegged Verdugo as a scratch defender in 2024 but has him at minus-5 in 2025. Verdugo’s sprint speed used to rank well above average but is now in the 21st percentile of big leaguers, which has obviously cut into his range in left field.

The Braves can trade or place Verdugo on outright waivers at any point in the next five days, although given his guaranteed salary and lack of production, the likeliest outcome will be a release. If and when he clears release waivers, any other club could sign Verdugo and owe him only the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the major league roster. That sum would be subtracted from what Atlanta owes him, but the Braves will remain on the hook for the vast majority of his 2025 salary.

Padres Seeking Upgrades At Catcher

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The Padres are hoping to upgrade their offensive production behind the plate as the July 31 trade deadline approaches, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes. It’ll likely be a thin market for available catchers, which complicates their search.

San Diego has leaned exclusively on Elias Diaz and Martin Maldonado behind the plate this year and received virtually no production on the offensive side of things. That veteran duo has combined for a feeble .205/.268/.328 batting line in 296 plate appearances. The resulting 70 wRC+, which indicates they’ve been 30% worse than average at the plate, ranks 27th in the majors.

Unfortunately for the Friars, few of the clear sellers around the game have catching help for sale. The White Sox (Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero), Marlins (Agustin Ramirez) and Rockies (Hunter Goodman) all have young catchers enjoying good seasons — and all are controllable at least five years beyond the current campaign. Pittsburgh’s Joey Bart makes some sense on paper, but he hasn’t been able to replicate last year’s breakout. The A’s would make another good speculative fit, but Rosenthal reports that they have no intention of trading Shea Langeliers. He adds that even even with Drake Baldwin ascending in Atlanta, a Sean Murphy trade over the next four weeks isn’t likely.

There are some bubble teams who could eventually have catching depth to spare, but it’s not yet clear whether any of those teams will sell. The Reds only control Tyler Stephenson through the 2026 campaign, and fellow catcher Jose Trevino’s recent three-year extension (plus a club option) gives them a bit more stability long-term. Similarly, the Twins and Rangers only have Ryan Jeffers and Jonah Heim under club control through 2026, although the latter is having a particularly down season at the plate. If the Orioles wind up selling, old friend Gary Sanchez would be a logical trade chip, as an impending free agent whose bat is heating up in recent weeks.

On top of the likely lack of supply, the Padres will presumably have financial limitations. San Diego was known to be low on spending power late in the offseason, hence the creative structure of Nick Pivetta’s four-year deal and the bargain-bin additions at catcher (Diaz, Maldonado), in left field (Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Gavin Sheets) and for the pitching staff (Kyle Hart). The Padres are well into luxury tax territory — an estimated $263MM worth of obligations, per RosterResource, puts them in the second tier of penalty — so any additions would come with an additional 30% tax on top of their remaining annual salary.

The Padres also have needs in the outfield corners — neither Joe nor Heyward is still with the club — and could use some additional rotation help with Michael King on the shelf and Yu Darvish yet to make his season debut. Juggling all those needs, with potentially limited financial flexibility and a farm system that has been thinned by years of aggressive win-now trades, could prove a tall order.

The fact that San Diego is both reported to covet catching help and using Diaz and Maldonado exclusively also speaks to the manner in which former top prospect Luis Campusano has fallen out of favor in the organization. The 26-year-old is hitting .315/.432/.613 in 224 Triple-A plate appearances but hasn’t gotten much of a look in the majors this year. He’s struggled on both sides of the ball in the past, hitting .241/.295/.374 in 589 major league plate appearances while posting sub-par defensive grades. Campusano feels like a change-of-scenery candidate who could be on the move between now and the end of the month.

Kevin Pillar Announces Retirement

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Kevin Pillar is hanging up his Superman cape. On an appearance on Foul Territory, he announced that he is retiring from playing. He was with the Rangers earlier this year but was released about a month ago.

Pillar, now 36, was able to engineer an incredible zero-to-hero career. The Blue Jays drafted him in the 32nd round of the 2011 draft. But despite that humble beginning, he would not only make it to the big leagues but he would stick around for more than a decade.

His best asset was his defense, as he quickly earned a reputation for making highlight-reel catches, often diving horizontally in a way that earned him his Superman nickname. He got some limited big league time in 2013 and 2014 before fully cementing himself as a big leaguer in 2015.

That year, he got into 159 games for the Jays, producing a batting line of .278/.314/.399. His 94 wRC+ indicated he was 6% below league average at the plate, but that was more than adequate to pair with his other attributes. He stole 25 bases and received strong grades for his glovework, leading FanGraphs to credit him with 3.7 wins above replacement. That played a big role in getting the Jays to the postseason for the first time since 1993. Though the club was eventually felled by the Royals in the ALCS, the Jays got José Bautista’s legendary bat flip game along the way.

That would ultimately prove to be an apex for Pillar. He never again stole more than 15 bases nor topped a 90 wRC+ in a full season. But he still proved to be a useful player in generally the same shape, with his speed and defense making up for some subpar offense. From 2016 to 2018, he got into 442 games for the Jays, slashing .258/.296/.401 for an 86 wRC+ and producing 4.5 fWAR.

By the time the 2019 season had rolled around, Pillar was 30 years old and the Jays were rebuilding. Early that year, he was flipped to the Giants, which started the journeyman period of his career. Over the next few years, he would bounce to the Red Sox, Rockies, Mets, Dodgers, Braves, White Sox, Angels and Rangers. Though he had moved into his 30s, his performance was roughly the same as before, though with his glovework naturally slipping a bit. Over those 2019-25 seasons, he played 544 games and hit .246/.284/.415 for an 85 wRC+ and produced 2.4 fWAR.

Most recently, he had a stint with the Rangers but hit just .209/.209/.256 in 20 games before getting designated for assignment and released. He had flirted with retirement before but now seems to have decided that it’s time to hang up the spikes.

Any 32nd-round pick making it to the big leagues is exceedingly rare. In fact, the draft was shortened to 20 rounds a few years ago, so it likely won’t happen again. Pillar not only made it, but he got into 1,234 games over 13 seasons. He racked up 1,053 hits, including 114 home runs. He was credited with 10.8 WAR from FanGraphs and 16.1 from Baseball Reference. He earned about $25MM in his career, according to Baseball Reference. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Pillar on an impressive career and wish him the best with whatever comes next.

Braves Place Spencer Schwellenbach On IL With Elbow Fracture

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The Braves announced today that right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right elbow fracture. Left-hander Austin Cox has been recalled to take his roster spot. The club also reinstated righty Daysbel Hernández from the IL and optioned right-hander Kevin Herget. They also officially announced that outfielder Jurickson Profar has been reinstated from the restricted list with outfielder Alex Verdugo designated for assignment, a swap that was previously reported.

Mark Bowman of MLB.com relays that Schwellenbach felt sore after his last game against the Phillies and a small fracture was discovered. He’ll be shut down for four weeks and could be back with the big league club in September.

It’s obviously bad news all around. For Schwellenbach personally, he was on the way to having an excellent first full season in the big leagues. He debuted with 21 starts last year and posted a 3.35 earned run average in 123 2/3 innings. That secured him a rotation spot for 2025 and he has been even better this year, with a 3.09 ERA in 17 starts. Put together, he has a 3.23 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate, 4.4% walk rate and 44.1% ground ball rate in 234 1/3 innings.

All that is now on pause, as he’ll be on the shelf for a while. The four-week shutdown period will take him into August. If he’s healthy at that point, he could ramp back up and make a few more starts in September, though a setback could prevent him from returning again this year.

For the team, it’s yet another kick when they’re already down. Atlanta has struggled to get into a good groove this year and has produced disappointing results so far. They have a record of 38-46, which puts them seven games back of a playoff spot and with six teams to leapfrog. That’s partially due to underperformance from some guys on the roster but they also lost Profar to a PED suspension and have seen their rotation get weakened by injuries.

The first domino to fall was Reynaldo López, as he made just one start before requiring arthroscopic shoulder surgery. He’s been on the IL since then and still isn’t near a return. About a month ago, AJ Smith-Shawver required Tommy John surgery, putting him out of commission until well into next year. A couple of weeks back, Chris Sale suffered a rib cage fracture. His timeline is unclear but he has been transferred to the 60-day IL, meaning he can’t return until mid-August at the earliest. Now Schwellenbach is the latest blow.

Prior to the Sale injury, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos tried to strike an optimistic tone and said the club would not be selling, though he did leave the door open a crack by saying they could reevaluate late in July. That reevaluation seems more likely with today’s news. The club still needs to climb in the standings to give the club justification to buy, but that will be hard to do with no López, Sale, Smith-Shawver or Schwellenbach.

For now, the club will proceed with a rotation consisting of Spencer Strider, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder and Didier Fuentes. To take Schwellenbach’s spot, they could recall someone like Hurston Waldrep, Nathan Wiles or Davis Daniel. Non-roster guys like José Suarez, Ian Anderson and Zach Thompson are all on the minor league injured list.

Going forward, the club presumably has less confidence in its ability to contend with the recent injuries to Sale and Schwellenbach, so the prospect of doing some deadline selling with an eye towards returning to contention in 2026 has surely increased. The deadline is on July 31st this year, so there are still about four weeks to see some more results roll in and have conversations with other clubs.

Photos courtesy of Brett Davis and Orlando Ramirez, Imagn Images

Pirates Trade Hunter Stratton To Braves

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The Braves acquired right-handed reliever Hunter Stratton from the Pirates in exchange for minor league outfielder Titus Dumitru and cash, the teams announced Tuesday. Pittsburgh had designated Stratton for assignment last week. Atlanta transferred Chris Sale to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man roster spot for Stratton, who has been optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Stratton, 28, has an unsightly 23.63 earned run average in the majors this year. However, that has come in a tiny sample of 2 2/3 innings. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he had a combined 3.26 ERA in 49 2/3 innings. His 21% strikeout rate and 41% ground ball rate were both around average while his 4.9% walk rate was quite strong.

Though his major league ERA is through the roof this year, his minor league work has largely been in line with his pre-2025 results. In 24 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, he has a 3.65 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate, 7.9% walk rate and 50% ground ball rate. He still has a full slate of options, though is burning through the first of those here in 2025.

For a pitcher with solid results and roster flexibility, it was a bit surprising that the Pirates gave up on him. But unsurprisingly, there has been enough interest that Atlanta has forfeited a prospect in order to skip the waiver line and add some bullpen depth.

Dumitru, 22, was selected by Atlanta in the 16th-round of last year’s draft. He played at the Single-A level last year and has been at High-A this year. Put together, he has played in 91 professional games with a .227/.314/.324 line and 97 wRC+.

Sale was placed on the 15-day IL a little over a week ago due to a rib cage fracture. The club didn’t provide many details about his expected absence at that time, but it seemed fair to expect he wouldn’t be back anytime soon. Today’s transfer confirms that the club doesn’t expect him back until mid-August at the earliest.

For now, Atlanta is operating with a rotation consisting of Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder and Didier Fuentes. Adding to that group would be a priority for the club if they plan on being deadline buyers. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos is hoping to bolster the club rather than subtract from it but they are currently in a tough spot, 7.5 games back of a playoff spot. They have some time to climb but doing so without Sale, Reynaldo López and AJ Smith-Shawver will be a challenge. On the other hand, if they hang in there, it’s possible Sale and López could be back later in the year.

Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images

MLBTR Podcast: The Braves Say They Won’t Sell, Jeimer Candelario DFA’d, And Injured D-Backs

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Matthew Boyd has already surpassed his highest innings total since 2019. How far do the Cubs push him over the remainder of the season? (32:05)
  • The Padres and Royals have pitching they could trade but should they? (38:20)
  • The Reds don’t have long-term answers at first base, third base, left field, right field or designated hitter. Is there a path to bring in players from outside the organization? (45:40)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Robert Edwards, Imagn Images

Whit Merrifield Announces Retirement

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Longtime infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield has announced his retirement, via his agency at Warner Sports Management.

“Hey guys,” Merrifield says, “You all should know that I decided a while back to retire. When it came down to it, it was an easy decision. Many factors played a role in my decision, but the main one was a 6 pound 6 ounce gift from God my wife and I were blessed with in March of 2024. I was never talented enough to just show up and play. Baseball required my full focus and energy for me to compete at the level I wanted to, and I realize I can no longer give that effort. At this point in life, I’d much rather chase around a toddler than chase sliders.” He goes on to thank the various clubs he played for and their fans while acknowledging those who believed in him along the way.

As Merrifield alluded to in his statement, he had a reputation for being a scrappy grinder, as opposed to the most naturally gifted athlete. But he nonetheless was able to carve out an impressive career in the big leagues as a late bloomer.

A ninth-round pick of the Royals in 2010, Merrifield was never really on the radars of prospect evaluators as a minor leaguer. Regardless, he climbed the ladder, impressing the Royals in various ways. He could bounce all over the diamond on defense. Offensively, he didn’t have a ton of power or draw many walks, but he didn’t strike out much and could steal plenty of bases once he got on.

He got called up to the majors in May of 2016 at the age of 27, significantly older than when most players make their debuts. At the time, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweeted that many people within the organization viewed Merrifield as the ideal guy to have the final spot on the roster. In other words, a utility guy.

His usage in that 2016 season reflected that. He was optioned to the minors and recalled a few times, eventually getting into 81 big league games and taking 332 plate appearances. He only hit two home runs and didn’t walk much but produced a .283/.323/.392 batting line and 91 wRC+. He stole eight bases and played the three non-shortstop infield positions as well as the outfield corners.

In 2017, he showed he was capable of being more than just a utility guy. He broke out at the plate that year by hitting 19 home runs, helping him produce a .288/.324/.460 line and 105 wRC+. He also swiped 34 bags and effectively took over as the club’s everyday second baseman, while still occasionally moving to other spots.

He had arguably the best season of his career in 2018. His home run total dropped to 12 but his walk rate almost doubled compared to the year prior, jumping from 4.6% to 8.6%. A .352 batting average on balls in play also helped him out, leading to a .304/.367/.438 line and 119 wRC+, with another 45 stolen bases to boot. FanGraphs credited him with 5.0 wins above replacement that year, the best tally of his career.

Going into 2019, the Royals and Merrifield agreed to an extension. The deal guaranteed him $16.25MM over four years with a club option for a fifth year. That total looks fairly modest to compared to some more recent deals but it was a product of his late-bloomer status. Since he didn’t debut until his age-27 season, he wasn’t going to qualify for arbitration until after he turned 30 and wasn’t slated for free agency until after his age-33 season. That deal may have sacrificed a bit of future upside but it allowed him to guarantee himself some life-changing money ahead of schedule.

His performance held pretty steady for the next couple of years. Over 2019 and the shortened 2020 season, he slashed .297/.342/.456 for a 109 wRC+ while stealing another 32 bases, while the emergence of Nicky Lopez bumped him to spending more time in the outfield and less at second base. He was selected to the All-Star team for the first time in that 2019 campaign, the first of three honors he would eventually earn.

His offense dipped a bit in 2021, as his .277/.317/.395 line translated to an 89 wRC+, though he still stole 40 bases. Going into 2022, it felt like maybe the end of his time as a Royal was drawing close. It was the final guaranteed year of that extension. He was also going into his age-33 season. The Royals were rebuilding during this whole era and had rebuffed plenty of trade calls, but given his age and contract status, the window appeared to be closing.

He stuck with the Royals into the start of the 2022 season. He and the club agreed to a reworked contract, with the club preemptively triggering his 2023 club option and shifting some of the salary commitments to the ongoing 2022 campaign. The Royals were still mired in their rebuild and would eventually finish the year with a record of 65-97, so trade talk picked up that summer.

Merrifield was eventually dealt to the Blue Jays for minor leaguers Max Castillo and Samad Taylor. It was a bit of a surprising landing spot at the time. With travel restrictions still in place for the COVID-19 pandemic, ten Royals players were unable to cross the border to play in Toronto earlier that summer due to not being vaccinated. Merrifield was one of them, which led to the question of how he would be able to play for the Jays down the stretch, but he eventually agreed to receive the jab.

Though his production was a bit lackluster at the time of the trade, he caught fire down the stretch, hitting .281/.323/.446 for a 120 wRC+. He helped the Blue Jays earn a Wild Card spot, which allowed him to appear in the postseason for the first time in his career. However, the Jays were swept out of the Wild Card round, falling 2-0 to the Mariners. He stuck with the Jays in 2023, stealing another 23 bases with offense just a bit below league average. The Jays grabbed another Wild Card spot but were swept out again, this time by the Twins.

He finally reached free agency for the first time in his career, ahead of his age-35 season, and landed an $8MM guarantee from the Phillies on a one-year deal. That didn’t really pan out, as he hit .199/.277/.295 and was released in July. “Philly, I liked you way more than you liked me,” he said in his statement today. “Sorry I stunk for you.”

He then signed with Atlanta, which was a personal thrill for him. In his statement today, he described them as his “childhood team,” having grown up in the Carolinas. He had a solid .248/.348/.336 showing in 42 games for Atlanta and made the club’s Wild Card roster but didn’t appear in a game as the club was swept by the Padres.

Merrifield was a free agent this winter and didn’t appear in any rumors. In hindsight, it seems that was because he had no intention of playing this year. He hangs up his spikes having played in 1,147 games with 4,866 plate appearances. He knocked 1,249 hits, scored 632 runs, drove in 485 and stole 218 bases. FanGraphs credits him with 19.8 wins above replacement for his career, with Baseball Reference giving him 17.9. BR also pegs his career earnings justs over $35MM. And he managed to do all of that despite not making it to the majors until well after his 27th birthday.

We at MLB Trade Rumors salute Merrifield on a fine career and wish him the best in whatever comes next.

Photos courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Wendell Cruz and Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images

Braves Sign John Brebbia To Minor League Deal

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The Braves have signed right-hander John Brebbia to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He has been assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett and will give Atlanta some veteran non-roster depth.

Brebbia, 35, was just released by the Tigers last week. Detroit had signed him in the offseason to a one-year deal with a $2.75MM guarantee. Around an injured list stint for a triceps strain, he gave them 18 2/3 innings with a 7.71 earned run average. There was some bad luck in there, with his .339 batting average on balls in play and 56.6% strand rate both to the unfortunate side, but he also had a subpar 11.8% walk rate and middling 21.5% strikeout rate.

That performance prompted Detroit to move on but Atlanta has snatched him up, as they did almost a year ago. Brebbia was released by the White Sox in August of last year, after posting a 6.29 ERA for that club, and wound up on Atlanta’s roster for most of September. He had a solid enough 2.70 ERA, though in a small sample of 6 2/3 innings. He hit free agency after that and signed his aforementioned deal with the Tigers.

Though the past two seasons have been challenging, Brebbia has a lengthy track record of being an effective big league reliever. From 2017 to 2023, he logged 299 2/3 innings for the Cardinals and Giants with a 3.42 ERA, 25.5% strikeout rate and 7.2% walk rate. He earned two saves and 47 holds in that time. Even with his ERA spike last year, he still had strong strikeout and walk rates of 27.7% and 7.9%.

Atlanta’s bullpen has been middling this year. The relief corps as a whole has a 3.70 ERA, which puts them 14th in the majors. Joe Jiménez and Daysbel Hernández are each currently on the injured list. There’s no real risk on a minor league deal so signing Brebbia is a sensible addition.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images

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