Braves: 3 relievers to sign after losing Mark Melancon to Padres

1. Jeremy Jeffress

Jeffress is a bit of a wild card for a few reasons. First, his declining velocity and spin rate is a cause for concern for most teams, though his stats last season for the Cubs suggest otherwise. Not to mention, Jeffress is far from the only pitcher to deal with such matters in a 60-game campaign. The fact he was able to overcome it, and still pitch to a 1.54 ERA and eight saves, speaks volumes to his ability as his best.

While with the Rangers, Jeffress was also arrested for DWI in an embarrassing incident. Nonetheless, the MLB is a league of second chances, and Jeffress has for the most part made the best of his, which is why he’ll likely make over $5 million per season this offseason even at this advanced rate in free agency.

Jeffress has closing experience, and was an All-Star as recently at 2018. Given his revival of sorts with the Cubs last year, the Braves should pull the trigger if they can afford him.