Following a plethora of additions to the bullpen, it felt like the Braves decided to move on from fan favorite Jesse Chavez. Today, that reality became official as he inked a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have a desperate need for quality pitching, providing Jesse Chavez with a fantastic opportunity to crack their Opening Day roster as he enters what he said would likely be his final season of an incredible 17-year MLB career.
The Jesse Chavez experience in Atlanta is almost unexplainable. The Braves inked him to a contract after the season started in 2021. A couple of months later, they called him up to the majors seemingly out of desperation after struggling with an inconsistent bullpen.
Little did we know just how valuable he would be to the team’s first World Series run since 1995. He would go on to appear in 30 games and record a 2.14 ERA during the regular season. In the playoffs, he was even better, appearing seven times without allowing a run. The Night Shift got a lot of credit that year, but Jesse Chavez was just as valuable as any Braves reliever in 2021.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for Alex Anthopoulos to re-sign him the following year. He inked a deal with the Cubs, where he struggled early in the year. Chicago wasn’t enjoying the return on their investment, so Anthopoulos jumped on the opportunity to bring him back.
Again, I don’t know what’s in the water in Atlanta, but Chavez enjoys it. He immediately began pitching like an elite reliever once he re-joined the Braves, only for Anthopoulos to move him at the trade deadline to the Angels for Raisel Iglesias.
At that point, one couldn’t help but feel for Chavez. All he ever did was shove in a Braves uniform, yet the club still viewed him as expendable. Of course, it’s not like Anthopoulos traded him for a bag of baseballs. Iglesias has been one of the best closers in baseball for quite some time.
Thankfully, Jesse Chavez apparently doesn’t hold grudges. Because after struggling with the Angels, they decided to waive him, and guess who was waiting to scoop him right back up — Alex Anthopoulos.
Jesse Chavez would continue his stellar pitching for the Braves in 2022 and was off to the best start of his career in 2023, but a line drive off the bat of Miguel Cabrera brought all of it to a screeching halt. He missed most of the rest of the season, an unfortunate ending to an incredible run with the Atlanta Braves.
For a player approaching 40, with stuff that wouldn’t impress a scout across the country, Chavez pitched like an elite reliever every time he toed the rubber with a tomahawk across his chest. I would say goodbye, but based on how this story has gone to this point, would anybody be surprised if Jesse Chavez is pitching meaningful innings for the Braves six months from now?
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