The Braves bullpen has lost some critical pieces from the 2024 team. A.J. Minter — a stalwart in Atlanta for a half-decade — recently signed with the New York Mets, and Joe Jimenez will miss most of next season after undergoing offseason knee surgery. Beyond that, Luke Jackson will not be returning, and ole’ Jesse Chavez is also a free agent. However, he wants to pitch again in 2025, and the Braves just feel like the perfect fit.

“Veteran pitchers Rich Hill and Jesse Chavez are 45 and 41 years young, respectively, and both recently told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that they intend to pitch in 2025. Both hurlers appeared in the majors this past season, albeit quite briefly in Hill’s case,” Steve Adams writes for MLB Trade Rumors.

Jesse Chavez has pitched in each season for the Braves dating back to 2021, when he was a critical piece of the bullpen that won the World Series. However, he rarely starts the season in Atlanta. The Braves have traded him multiple times and picked him up off waivers a couple more. Typically, Chavez signs elsewhere, pitches miserably, and finds his way back to Atlanta, where he turns into prime Mariano Rivera.

Jesse Chavez experienced a slight bit of regression towards the norm after posting a minuscule 1.56 ERA in 2023. Over 63.1 innings, he recorded a more than respectable 3.16 ERA; however, a sharp decline in strikeout rate, as well as a number of other peripherals, are a lot more worrisome when projecting what he can provide in 2025.

Still, Chavez likely won’t require a major-league contract to sign. There’s absolutely no harm in bringing a familiar face back to compete for a spot in the bullpen. Something happens to him when he puts on that Braves jersey, and there’s certainly room for him to win a job.