Starter Max Fried Highlights Braves' List of Pending Free Agents

The Atlanta Braves have nine unrestricted free agents and four players with club options for the 2025 season.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The offseason has officially begun for the Atlanta Braves. Although the club has done a terrific job of signing their young, core players to long contract extensions recently, the Braves do face several key questions this offseason.

Without a doubt, the biggest is with left-handed starter Max Fried. He's been in the Braves organization for almost 10 years, but Fried is set to receive a big contract this offseason. The Athletic's David O'Brien reported the team might be hesitant to get into a bidding war.

But the Braves also face decisions with a couple other key players this offseason. Here's the list of the team's nine pending free agents.

The Braves also have four players with club options for the 2025 season.

Max Fried, Starting Pitcher

Rumblings that Fried will exit Atlanta this winter emerged as early as midseason when he made his second All-Star team. He missed some time after the Mid-Summer Classic, but only Chris Sale threw more innings for the Braves during 2024.

Fried finished what will likely be his final campaign in Atlanta with an 11-10 record. But he supported a 3.25 ERA, 166 strikeouts and 1.164 WHIP in 174.1 innings.

Fried isn't a strikeout per inning pitcher. That's not usually something the analytic community loves nowadays. But Spotrac still projected him to be worth $136.3 million on a six-year contract.

Charlie Morton, Starting Pitcher

The Braves had great starting pitching in 2024. So, they can overcome the loss of both Fried and Morton. But it's never ideal to lose one-third of a rotation at the same time.

That's the reality, though, because Morton may not be pitching for anybody in 2025.

"I'm soon-to-be 41-year-old husband and father of four," Morton told reporters after Wednesday's loss. "My wife's been raising our kids by herself ... our oldest is 11 years old.

"All these years that have gone by, we've been a baseball family, and I've been gone for a lot of it. That's where my head and heart is at."

Morton went 8-10 with a 4.19 ERA, 167 strikeouts and 1.325 WHIP in 165.1 innings this season. Although those aren't great numbers, he's still a reliable depth starter who would be very useful for one more season if the Braves lose Fried.

A.J. Minter, Relief Pitcher

Minter is the last of Atlanta's unrestricted free agents that could make a big splash in free agency. So, the Braves appear set to lose another key member of their 2021 championship.

The left-hander has been a dominant force out of the bullpen in Atlanta, posting a 3.28 ERA with 422 strikeouts in 348.2 innings over his eight-year career. He's also posted 36 saves.

In 2024, Minter went 5-4 with a 2.62 ERA and 1.019 WHIP in 39 appearances. He ended the season on the injured list.

Jesse Chavez, Relief Pitcher

Like Morton, Chavez is in his early fourties, so it's far from a guarantee that he returns for another season.

But if he wants to pitch, the Braves should welcome him back. Every baseball team needs a veteran relief pitcher who can throw multiple innings.

Chavez went 3-3 with a 3.13 ERA and 55 strikeouts this season. He threw 63.1 innings in 46 appearances.

Ramón Laureano, Outfielder

The Braves signed Laureano after the Cleveland Guardians designated him for assignment in late May. It turned out to be one of Atlanta's best moves during the 2024 season.

Laureano hit .296 with an .832 OPS, including 10 home runs, while playing terrific defense mostly in right field.

If everyone is healthy next season, Laureano won't have much of an opportunity to play. But if he's willing to return, he would be a tremendous right-handed bat and potential defensive outfield replacement off the bench for Atlanta.

Whit Merrifield, Utility Player

Merrifield was one of a few key veterans the Braves added midseason to help replace injured stars in the lineup. The 3-time All-Star was one of the bigger pickups, as he hit .248 with eight extra-base hits in 161 plate appearances.

The question for next season is whether the Braves value Merrifield enough to bring him back for a bench role. He will turn 36 in January.

Merrifield could have a lot of value in that role and isn't likely to be expensive. He can play a lot of different positions and provides speed on the bases.

Gio Urshela, Third Baseman

Urshela stepped in for an injured Austin Riley in August. He started most games at third base during the final six weeks of the season.

With Riley set to return at the beginning of 2025, though, the Braves may prefer to go with a younger infielder with more upside rather than bring back Urshela.

The 32-year-old went .265 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI in 136 at-bats over 36 games with the Braves this season.

Adam Duvall, Outfielder

Duvall appeared to play his way out of Atlanta this season. He had an opportunity to earn an everyday starting role with Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II missing significant time in the outfield.

But Duvall hit .182 with a .569 OPS. If he connected, he often recorded an extra-base hit, but he struck out in 99 of his 303 at-bats.

The Braves added outfielders Laureano and Jorge Soler to move Duvall back to the bench.

John Brebbia, Relief Pitcher

The Braves signed Brebbia for the final month of the season. He struggled with the Chicago White Sox during the first five months of 2024. But in Atlanta, he allowed just 2 earned runs in 6.2 innings.

It's a small sample, though, so it's hard to argue that Brebbia is a pitcher the Braves have to bring back this offseason.

The following four players will also be free agents if the Braves elect not to pick up their 2025 option.

Marcell Ozuna, Designated Hitter

Picking up Ozuna's club option for 2025 should be a no-brainer. His $16 million salary is quite affordable in today's baseball market.

Ozuna was also Atlanta's best hitter. He hit .304 with a .925 OPS, 39 home runs and 104 RBI. Ozuna led the team in all four categories.

Over the past two seasons, Ozuna has slashed .289/.364/.552 with 79 home runs and 204 RBI.

Travis d'Arnaud, Catcher

The decision the Braves face with d'Arnaud is a little more challenging. He will turn 36 next year, and Sean Murphy is supposed to be Atlanta's top backstop.

But Murphy suffered an injury in the opening series of the season and was far from his 2023 All-Star form. So, d'Arnaud played a lot and again showcased his value.

His club option is $8 million.

He hit .238 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI in 99 games during 2024.

Luke Jackson, Relief Pitcher

The Braves reacquired Jackson in a deal that included Soler at the MLB trade deadline. Jackson was far from the pitcher he was for Atlanta during the 2021 World Series run.

In 16 appearances, Jackson posted a 4.50 ERA with a 1.556 WHIP in 18 innings. He struck out 26 batters but also had 11 walks.

It seems unlikely that the Braves would pick up his $7 million club option.

Aaron Bummer, Relief Pitcher

In his first season with the Braves, Bummer returned to his 2022 form. He posted a 3.58 ERA with a 1.428 WHIP in 55.1 innings. He was one of the more reliable middle relievers in Atlanta's bullpen.

But with the Braves expected to return a lot of their bullpen arms, it will be interesting to see if they prioritize Bummer.

He has a $7.3 million club option.