The Atlanta Braves entered the MLB offseason with questions surrounding their relief pitching situation. Although the club has owned one of baseball's top bullpens in recent seasons, the unit's outlook was somewhat murky due to a combination of Joe Jimenez's knee injury (which could sideline him until July) and long-time reliever A.J. Minter joining the rival New York Mets.
Veteran relievers like Hector Neris and Craig Kimbrel have since been signed to help the bullpen, however, there's also room for improvement. Fortunately, to Braves fans' delight, the perfect reliever to further improve Atlanta's pitching outlook just became available.
Braves Must Sign RHP Jesse Chavez Following Rangers Release
On Friday, Braves insider Grant McAuley reported that the Texas Rangers have released right-handed reliever Jesse Chavez less than a week before Opening Day. The 41-year-old hurler has played with nine franchises throughout his 17-year career, which includes spending parts of five seasons in Atlanta.
The Texas Rangers have released veteran reliever Jesse Chavez.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) March 22, 2025
The Atlanta #Braves are now on the clock.
Chavez has had four stints with the Braves since making his MLB debut in 2008. The former 2002 42nd-rounder spent parts of the 2010 and 2021 seasons in Atlanta before returning twice in 2022, which is where he remained until departing for the Lone Star State this offseason.
While Chavez has been a solid arm throughout his career, the last two seasons are what secured him a special place in Braves fans' hearts. The San Gabriel, CA native made 82 appearances (1 start) with Atlanta since the start of 2023, going 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA while racking up 94 strikeouts and only 86 hits allowed across 98 innings.
Even though Chavez struggled toward the end of 2024, that didn't stop the Rangers from signing him to a minor-league contract in January. Unfortunately, he struggled to find success with his new team, pitching to a brutal 9.45 ERA in just 6 2/3 innings across seven relief outings.
Chavez's best days might be behind him, but that doesn't mean he can't rediscover his touch in Atlanta. The Braves aren't strangers to bringing back former relievers (See: Craig Kimbrel), and a reunion with the franchise he helped win the 2021 World Series might be what the aging reliever needs to turn things around.
With less than a week to go before Opening Day 2025, any potential interest the Braves may have in a Chavez reunion will likely be revealed in the coming days.