3 more Braves who won't be back after Jorge Soler trade: What's next for Atlanta?

The Atlanta Braves were one of the more disappointing teams across MLB in 2024. They failed to come close to contending for a division title or a World Series, eventually missing out on the postseason entirely on the season's final weekend. (Granted, that had a lot to do with injuries, but hey: That's part of the game.)

But Atlanta is wasting no time trying to wash the taste of this past season out of their mouth. Alex Anthopoulos got off to a fast start this winter, trading outfielder Jorge Soler to the Los Angeles Angels for pitcher Griffin Canning on the first official day of the offseason. Soler had long been rumored to be on the trade block as the Braves looked to free up payroll, while Canning adds back-end candidate with plenty of experience and some potentially untapped upside.

But that's not even close to the last move that the Braves will make this winter. There are a ton of players still on the roster, including upcoming free agents, that won't be back in 2025. The Braves could go through a drastic roster shakeup over the next few months.

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3. LHP Aaron Bummer

The next move that the Braves could make to clear up some money would be declining Bummer's team option, worth close to $10 million for 2025. There's also a world where the Braves could explore the idea of accepting the option just to trade Bummer directly after. He's a good pitcher, but he might not be worth the money that's attached to his deal. The Braves are tasked with finding big-name players to come in and make an impact, while also looking to re-sign Max Fried. They need all the money that they can get, and lefty relievers can be found for cheaper.

A sign and trade could make the most sense given this situation. Bummer posted a 3.58 ERA last season while looking almost unhittable at times. His low lefty arm slot makes his delivery quite difficult for left-handed hitters to pick up and barrel consistently. But the Braves need to be smart about their spending, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Bummer off the roster by the end of the offseason.

2. RHP Charlie Morton

The Braves struggled to fill out the back end of their rotation this year, especially after Spencer Strider went down with a torn UCL early on. Atlanta cycled through a ton of different options, but whether it be due to injuries or performance, the team struggled to find consistent production behind Chris Sale, Max Fried and Spencer Schwellenbach.

Fried is set to hit unrestricted free agency, and it's unclear whether Atlanta will be able to bring the lefty back. Doing so might mean saying goodbye to another long-time Brave: Charlie Morton, who pitched to the tune of a 4.19 ERA across 30 starts for Atlanta last season but is set to turn 41 in two weeks. As long as he doesn't retire, he'll have a place in the league on somebody's pitching staff. But the Braves have too much young talent in their farm system and too much money to spend in free agency to not find somebody better.

Atlanta will likely look to some of their top prospects (Hurston Waldrep, maybe?) or consider trying to add a top free-agent arm, as long as they can get Fried back. If they miss out on Fried, it's a lot more likely that the Braves consider re-signing Morton.

1. OF Adam Duvall

The most obvious player that won't be back in 2025 is the expiring outfielder, Adam Duvall. Atlanta was in desperate need for an outfielder all season long and Duvall was a huge reason as to why.

For the length of his career in Atlanta, he was a productive player, but this year he was anything but. After Ronald Acuña Jr. went down with a torn ACL, the Braves were left to rely on Duvall a lot more than they expected, and it was a disaster: On the year, Duvall would slash .182/.245/.323 and be worth -1.4 WAR. Duvall hit 11 home runs and 10 doubles on the year while rotating around the outfield as a platoon player. For the most part, he was a net negative and he's set to hit free agency this offseason.

The Braves won't be looking to re-sign Duvall this Winter. The most realistic scenario for the veteran outfielder is that he ends up signing a minor league deal for the league minimum with a team that's willing to give him a chance to return to form. After being a negative piece to the Braves, that minor league deal likely won't be with Atlanta.