Fansided

3 former Braves who could come back this offseason

By Cody Williams

Mar 28, 2015; Dunedin, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) walks back to the dugout after he finished the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2015; Dunedin, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) walks back to the dugout after he finished the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Washington Nationals/Getty Images) /

The Atlanta Braves don’t have many holes to fill in free agency for 2023 but there are some former players who could return and help the roster. 

There are certainly some big-ticket items that the Atlanta Braves will be focused on in free agency ahead of the 2023 MLB season. Retaining Dansby Swanson or potentially replacing him with the likes of Trea Turner is likely the top order of business. Then this is also a team that could be in the market for Jacob deGrom or another top arm on the market.

But the secret to free agency success isn’t just landing the prize of the free agency class. Yes, that definitely helps. Beyond that, though, it’s about also making some smart moves that could help the team on the margins of the roster or to fill holes that aren’t necessarily major to give them a boost.

In the case of the Braves and the smart dealings of Alex Anthoupolous, that’s an area where the franchise has thrived. And heading into this free agency class, there are three former Braves who could potentially offer Atlanta exactly what they need.

3. Resurgent Craig Kimbrel would help the Braves bullpen

Particularly after he recaptured his elite form down the stretch, the talk has been that Atlanta is highly motivated to re-sign veteran reliever Kenley Jansen. As of now, my expectation would be that the former Dodger does indeed take up residency at Truist Park once again for the 2023 season and perhaps beyond.

Having said that, the bullpen is one of the areas that Atlanta needs to focus on this offseason. Yes, they re-signed Jesse Chavez to a minor league deal but are still set to lose Luke Jackson, veteran Darren O’Day (though he was largely a non-factor) and some others who made sporadic apperances.

That highlights an area where the Braves could be looking to upgrade and that brings Craig Kimbrel into play. The Kraken’s start was born in Atlanta where he began his major league career back in 2010 and he dominated for five seasons as he accrued a 1.43 ERA and 186 saves over that span.

Kimbrel has endured ups and downs since then but could very well be a nice veteran addition to the bullpen to eat innings ahead of Jansen and Raisiel Iglesias. That’s particularly true if he comes at the right price.

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