Complete list of Braves upcoming free agents and predictions

A complete list of every Atlanta Braves free agent and where they will sign.

The Atlanta Braves entered the year heavily favored to be a serious threat to defend their World Series title from last season. Instead, this year’s squad will be added to the list of all-time great Braves teams that fell short in the postseason.

Somehow, the club now finds themselves at home, watching the division-rival Phillies — the very same Phillies that knocked the Braves out of the playoffs with a 3-1 performance in the NLCS — take on the Houston Astros as massive underdogs in the World Series.

It should’ve been the Braves, right? I wouldn’t call you crazy if you said so. Now, the Braves need to turn their attention toward the looming free agency of some significant names that the club needs to be aggressive in trying to bring back.

Braves free agents: INF/OF Ehire Adrianza

2022 stats:

• 37 G
• 0 HR
• 7 RBI
• 8 R
• .175 AVG
• 39 OPS+
• -0.4 bWAR

After coming up as a light-hitting middle infield prospect with the Giants that wasn’t expected to do much at the big league level, Ehire Adrianza is wrapping up what is his10th full season in the majors.

The 33 year old has added first base and the outfield corners to his defensive repertoire which teams are always looking to add. Unfortunately, his bat was awful this season and he can’t offer much more than his glove.

Prediction: Cincinnati Reds (minor league deal)

Braves free agents: RHP Jesse Chavez

2022 stats:

• 60 G
• 69.1 IP
• 3.76 ERA
• 3.39 FIP
• 74 SO
• 20 BB

39-year-old Jesse Chavez is essentially the right-handed relief version of Rich Hill in that he seems to be ageless. Chavez is coming off of his 15th season in the big leagues and it was one of his most productive yet.

The veteran presence that Chavez brings, mixed with the fact that he is still very much a reliable relief option on the mound, should lead to many teams throwing their names into the conversation come free agency.

Prediction: Baltimore Orioles

Braves free agents: OF Adam Duvall

2022 stats:

• 86 G
• 12 HR
• 36 RBI
• 39 R
• .213 AVG
• 87 OPS+
• -0.1 bWAR

Coming off of one of his worst seasons yet, Adam Duvall’s five-year tenure in Atlanta is likely finally coming to a close. The mixture of injuries and poor performances is never a good one, and it is likely going to be the reason that the Braves look elsewhere for a power-hitting outfielder.

Duvall still has thump in his bat, as evidenced by his NL-leading 113 RBI in 2021, but durability has been a question mark for him over the course of his career, as he has played in over 100 games just five times in nine years (once in the last four).

Prediction: Seattle Mariners

Braves free agents: OF Robbie Grossman

2022 stats:

• 129 G, 7 HR
• 45 RBI
• 40 R
• .209 AVG
• 80 OPS+
• 0.3 bWAR

To Robbie Grossman’s credit, he began to perform at a higher standard with the Braves than he did with the Tigers before he was shipped from Detroit to Atlanta at the trade deadline.

Grossman, 33, is a switch-hitting outfielder that has some pop in his bat and draws plenty of walks when he’s on his A-game, so he should not have any issues finding a home once he makes the trip to free agency.

Prediction: Cleveland Guardians

Braves free agents: RHP Luke Jackson

2022 stats:

• Did not play (injured)

While the 2022 season was lost to injury for the right-handed Luke Jackson, he is coming off of a strong five-year run with Atlanta, functioning as an oft-used option for the Braves who can even see some time at closer here and there.

In 2021, Jackson made 71 appearances of 1.98 ERA-ball, allowing just six home runs in 63+ innings. The Braves should keep him around to see if the post-surgery version of Jackson is the same as the 2021 form.

Prediction: Re-signs with Atlanta Braves (minor league deal with MLB option)

Braves free agents: RHP Kenley Jansen

2022 stats:

• 65 G
• 41 SV
• 64.0 IP
• 3.38 ERA
• 3.21 FIP
• 85 SO
• 22 BB

Braves fans found themselves wanting Kenley Jansen gone at multiple times this season (Example 1 and example 2) but at the end of the day, the 35-year-old pitcher showed that he still has it, putting up a league-leading 41 saves.

Sure, the inconsistency was there from a closer who hasn’t experienced a whole lot of it over the course of his now-13-year career, but his 12.2 SO/9 is the second-best rate he’s had since 2017 and the Braves could do a whole lot worse than a pitcher with a 121 ERA+ when all is said and done.

With the Braves coming out and saying that there’s interest on their end in a potential reunion, there’s no reason to believe it doesn’t happen.

Prediction: Re-signs with Atlanta Braves

Braves free agents: RHP Darren O’Day

2022 stats:

• 28 G
• 21.2 IP
• 4.15 ERA
• 4.04 FIP
• 26 SO
• 10 BB

40-year-old Darren O’Day finished the 2022 campaign with his worst statistical season since his debut back in 2008, but it was still a decent year for the 15-year veteran, who finished with a 99 ERA+, just one point below what is labeled “average”.

The sidearmer still is striking out batters at a high rate and induces groundballs seemingly every time the club he’s pitching for could use one. Despite the fact that he is aging and coming off of a so-so season, there will still be plenty of suitors for him, even if it’s a minor-league contract.

Prediction: Texas Rangers (minor league deal)

Braves free agents: RHP Jake Odorizzi

2022 stats:

• 22 GS
• 106.1 IP
• 4.40 ERA
• 4.28 FIP
• 86 SO
• 35 BB

Splitting his time between the Astros and Braves in 2022, Jake Odorizzi continued his run of seasons in which he isn’t terrible but he also hasn’t looked particularly good.

Thanks to a solid 12-start run with Houston to begin the season, Odorizzi’s stat line looked sharp around the trade deadline but he struggled in ten starts with the Braves, posting a 5.24 ERA and a 78 ERA+ with the first National League club he has ever been on.

Don’t let the numbers fool you into believing that he won’t find suitors, because that is far from the case. There will be a number of starting pitching-hungry teams lining up for his services come free agency.

Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals

Braves free agents: SS Dansby Swanson

2022 stats:

• 162 G
• 25 HR
• 96 RBI
• 99 R
• .277 AVG
• 115 OPS+
• 5.7 bWAR

28-year-old Dansby Swanson is coming off of what is undoubtedly his best season as a major leaguer. Not only did he put up just under 6 WAR (per Baseball-Reference) but he also made his first All-Star Game and is even one of the finalists for a Gold Glove Award at shortstop.

There are few players in this year’s free agent pool that did more to boost their stock than Swanson did. After six straight seasons of mediocrity in the big leagues, he had more than enough people beginning to wonder if he just isn’t the real deal.

Coming off of a season in which he not only played all 162 games, but set career highs in runs, hits, RBI, stolen bases and OPS+, there will be far fewer people brave enough to doubt him, and he will be paid handsomely for the hard work he has put in to improve his craft.

Prediction: Chicago Cubs