5 Braves who definitely will not return if they are somehow able to keep Max Fried

It will take a hometown discount, a Hail Mary and a prayer for Max Fried to return to the Atlanta Braves and not go play for his actual hometown team of the Los Angeles Dodgers. This may be a tad hyperbolic, but I know what he will command in MLB free agency, and I also know what Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos is all about. He is never going to pay a 30-something a premium to stay.

Outside of his hometown Dodgers, I have heard rumblings about Fried going to play for a massive brand in the American League known as the Boston Red Sox. But why? Even though he has had his well-documented struggles in the postseason, Fried has only pitched for the Braves at the big-league level. He also was the starting pitcher and the pitcher of record in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series.

Although the Braves say they plan to be a big spender once again this offseason, I feel they are way more likely to allocate resources elsewhere than paying a strong, but inconsistent starting pitcher like Fried top-dollar. I would love to see him return and finish his MLB career in a Braves uniform, but I was born at night (around happy hour, actually) and not last night. I expect for him to leave in free agency.

But in the event that Fried somehow ends up re-upping with the Braves, these five guys are so gone.

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5. Atlanta Braves INF Whit Merrifield

For age reasons, as well as production down the stretch, I find it hard to believe that Whit Merrifield will be back with Atlanta next season. I nearly included third baseman Gio Urshela on this list, but he was a more vital player for the Braves down the stretch, especially once Ozzie Albies came back. Unless Merrifield wants to be Atlanta's starting shortstop, he may not have a role with the 2025 team.

To me, I am sure Atlanta would love to have him back as a middle infield platoon role player, but we know how Brian Snitker operates. He will start Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia, Albies and Matt Olson around the horn from third to first every day and twice on Sunday. Merrifield did prove to be a productive player for Atlanta after Philadelphia released him. He simply priced his way out of Atlanta.

The only way I see Merrifield coming back is if a trade in on the horizon to reshape the batting order...

4. Atlanta Braves RHP Jesse Chavez

He may claim to be ageless, but there is a reason why the Braves have tried to move on from Jesse Chavez on multiple occasions. Very rarely this past season did I see some of that long-inning relief magic he has built a career off of. Far too often, I saw one meatball after another be served up to the bleachers at 450 feet a pop. He may or may not retire, but he has very little left in the tank for MLB.

Atlanta may need to allocate resources to revamping the bullpen, one that could also lose Luke Jackson and A.J. Minter. I will touch on the former in a moment, but we have to remember that Minter has been the anchor for this bullpen for years, and he is working his way back from a scary lower-body injury. Chavez could be re-signed for cheap, but he was always going to be Atlanta's last option.

By moving on from Chavez, it could help a player with arbitration years on their side to make the jump.

3. Atlanta Braves RHP Luke Jackson

He might be young enough to have a few more years left in the big leagues, but that was not the Luke Jackson I grew to love as a pillar of the 2021 Night Shift bullpen. Along with Jesse Chavez, and increasingly Joe Jimenez, I had very little faith whenever Jackson toed the rubber for Atlanta in the second half after being traded over from the San Francisco Giants. He loved to serve up meatballs.

Jackson may be a good vibes curator in the locker room, but I felt towards the end of the season that he was taking up a roster spot. For my money, he should eventually into broadcasting like so many great, rotational Braves players have over the years. He does make Atlanta his home. All things equal, I think the Braves would rather pay a few more million to retain Fried than to keep paying Jackson.

While he may have one more good year left in the tank, I don't know if it is going to be with Atlanta...

2. Atlanta Braves OF Adam Duvall

Adam Duvall is by far and away the easiest name to cross off. He wasn't good at all this year for the Braves, and was relegated to the bench, if even that during the postseason run. You cannot have a guy who is injury-prone hitting well below The Mendoza Line who runs himself into outs on the base path taking up a roster spot on a contending team. Duvall may return one day, but don't count on it.

His greatest moment in a Braves uniform came in a World Series loss at home to Houston. That grand slam was great, but it didn't matter... Instead, I think moving on from Duvall would help free up more options for Anthopoulos to figure out how to assemble an outfield arrangement before Ronald Acuña Jr. makes his triumphant return to the starting lineup. There are solutions, but Duvall no longer is one.

Paying Fried close to what he is worth should be prioritized, but cutting dead weight is even more so.

1. Atlanta Braves RHP Charlie Morton

At this point, I don't even think these are mutually exclusive entities. Charlie Morton is done, or he thinks he needs to spend more time at home. Being away from his four young children at home clearly weighed on him last season. It undeniably effected his play. Morton had been able to pitch at a very high level into his late 30s and very early 40s. Now, he was more of a hinderance than a gamer.

Even if the ending has been a bit bumpy to say the least, Morton is a legend in Braves Country for literally pitching on a broken leg to help this team win a championship. Now may be the time to go be dad and enjoy retirement. For the type of money he would want to command to come back for one more year, it is not going to be worth it. I don't want to pay a 42-year-old $20 million for 5.00 ERA...

If the Braves are serious about retaining Fried, then they need to give him Morton's salary as well.