The Braves have one of the most talented teams in the MLB, but they still have players that are playing their way out of 2024 roster spots.
There aren't a lot of teams in recent history that have the talent that the 2023 Braves have. They are incredibly loaded from top to bottom. But even a team this talented has a few holes in their team. Atlanta has a couple players that have been playing themselves out of 2024 roster consideration.
Not every roster move is going to be made because of a player's bad performance. Different factors like contract and upcoming prospects could also result in a 2023 starter being moved off the roster in the offseason. But which players are the ones that are likely to be off the roster next year?
Braves rumors: Kevin Pillar will likely walk in free agency this offseason, and Atlanta won't mind
The Atlanta Braves play their starters as much as anybody in the entire league. This use of the starters, which has ended with great results, creates an almost useless bench. One of the pieces that has sat the Braves bench this year is Kevin Pillar, who's also on an expiring contract. Atlanta likely won't look to resign the veteran next year, especially after his poor performance this year.
On the season, Pillar has seen 134 at bats where he's put together a slash line of .227/.254/.422 and 13 extra base hits. His OPS+ of 76 ranks last on the Braves roster in terms of hitters with at least 100 at bats. His 34 to 5 strikeout to walk ratio is also one of the worst on the entire team.
MLB Pipeline predicts that Jesse Franklin, the Braves 22nd ranked prospect and their third-highest ranked outfielder, will be MLB ready next season. He would be the perfect replacement for Pillar, as long as Franklin is able to put together a good end of this year and a productive spring training. If Atlanta opts to not elevate a prospect, they have the cap flexibility to replace Pillar with a free agent that has a much higher ceiling than the veteran. Don't expect to see Pillar in a Braves uniform next year.
Braves rumors: Yonny Chirinos is effectively pitching himself off the roster
The Atlanta Braves starting pitching rotation has been horrendous as of late. They are currently sending out one of the coldest staffs in the entire MLB, headlined by Yonny Chirinos, who's struggled more than the rest of the rotation since his first start with Atlanta. Since being acquired by the Braves, Chirinos has been in the Atlanta rotation, and he's made 3 starts to this point.
The righty has surrendered 13 earned runs in 13.2 innings in the Braves rotation but hasn't been handed a loss because of the potent Atlanta offense. But if Chirinos puts together another start or two with this kind of production, he's bound to be moved from the rotation to the bullpen or optioned to Triple-A.
Atlanta has tons of options to replace him in the rotation, with a clear top-3 to do it. The first and most obvious would be Kyle Wright whenever he returns from the IL. AJ Smith-Shawver could replace him as well, as he remains the best prospect in the Atlanta system. The third would be Jared Shuster, who's already seen his fair share of MLB appearances. Shuster had a dominant appearance in Triple-A his last time out and he could ride that momentum in a promotion to the MLB again.
Braves rumors: There's a few reasons Collin McHugh won't be on the roster next season
The Braves bullpen has been rather good this season, with Collin McHugh being a decently big piece of that puzzle. But his spot on the roster isn't set in stone for next season and there's a few different reasons why.
First and foremost, McHugh is playing on a team option contract, where the Braves could opt out of paying him the $6 million option that he has. But why would Atlanta do that if McHugh has an ERA right around 3.75? Well, a bit of a deeper dive into his season would show that ERA isn't a good determining factor for a pitcher's success, especially a relief pitcher.
McHugh's FIP is a few ticks higher than his ERA, which shows a bit of luck and future regression to the mean. To go along with that, McHugh is getting hit around this season, allowing over a hit an inning on his way to a 1.50 WHIP. A dependable bullpen arm typically has a WHIP of 1.2 or below, with 1.2 being on the higher end. At 36 years old, the veteran will likely regress next season and Atlanta knows this. His roster spot is far from guaranteed, especially with Atlanta's top 7 prospects all being pitchers.