HIT OR MISS: Grading Atlanta Braves Top 2024 Free Agent Signings

With the 2024 season behind us, it's time to check which Atlanta Braves signings were a hit and which were a miss.

Some of the Atlanta Braves free agent signings were stellar in 2024 while others can't say the same. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The 2024 Atlanta Braves season can be defined by rolling the dice. They took some risks in the effort to make the playoffs. Some were ingenious. Others didn’t work as well. 

With the season in the review mirror, we can look back at each signing and give them full evaluations. 

Any player signed as a free agent over the offseason ahead of the 2024 season or during the season qualifies for this list. Players who played for the Braves in 2023 and re-signed with the club will not count for this list. Sorry, Jesse Chavez and Eddie Rosario.  

Each player will be graded as a hit or a miss depending on the success of the signing.  

Reynaldo Lopez

This signing made Alex Anthopoulos look as brilliant as ever. The 30-year-old righty finished with a 1.99 ERA in 26 appearances (25 starts) and 148 strikeouts in 135 2/3 innings. If it wasn’t for an injury battled later in the year, he might have cost his own teammate the Triple Crown by winning the ERA title.

He very much has his place secured in the rotation for 2025.

Grade: Hit 

Whit Merrifield

In theory, this signing should be a miss by the stats. Merrifield batted .248 with a .684 OPS and a 93 OPS+. It’s not great, but in the context of the season, he did pretty well. 

He came in and filled in in the absence of Ozzie Albies while even battling his own injuries. The power in his bat was nonexistent and advanced stats punished him for that. But he provided a solid contact hitter to the lineup. 

Grade: Hit

Gio Urshela

In a previous hit-or-miss story, I rated Gio Urshela a miss. Man, he made me eat my words. Urshela came in after Austin Riley went down with a wrist injury that took him out for the remainder of the season. 

He batted .265 with a .711 OPS with four home runs and 15 RBIs. It was a solid performance, but the finish to the season was unreal. In his final 12 games of the season, Urshela batted .348 with a .992 OPS, three home runs and eight RBIs. 

Will he be back next season? Probably not. But he made the most of his time in Atlanta.

Grade: Hit 

Adam Duvall

Oh, man. The return of Adam Duvall should have worked so much better on paper. He had a solid 2023 season with the Boston Red Sox and has been solid with the Braves previously. It was the worst-case scenario for Duvall. 

He batted .182 with a .569 OPS across 104 games. It got so bad he only played in six games in September. He was left off the playoff roster too. 

This is the end of his time in Atlanta. The memories of the World Series were fun, but it’s time to move on. 

Grade: Miss

Ramon Laureano 

Laureano proved to be the best mid-season signing of the bunch. In 67 games, he batted .296 with a .832 OPS, 10 home runs and 29 RBIs. Across 162 games, that’s a pace for 24 home runs and 70 RBIs. 

When the team was desperate for consistency, Laureano delivered. The best part is the Braves have another year of control over him. He’s not eligible for MLB free agency until 2026 - he was signed to a minor league deal and had his contract purchased. 

He’ll be contributing again next season, and that should be welcomed. 

Grade: Hit