'So since the rebuild, I've done a post like this around this time of year, since the Braves roster has been a sliding door of players. This year, the roster seems a bit more stable, but there were still plenty of departures that we forgot about 10 months ago. So, without further adieu...
#1: Erick "How The Hell Am I Still In The Majors After Choking on a Chicken Bone" Aybarf-- If he had signed with almost any other organization in the majors, Erick Aybar would not be a major leaguer. However, he lucked out and signed with the Padres. He has been awful (.2 rWAR) but has a 0.00 ERA after 1.1 INN in two games... so... fun? (His FIP sucks FWIW).
#2a: Any one know who this is? It isn't Dansby. He has been with three organizations since leaving the ATL, and one organization twice. He managed a -0.4 rWAR in 10 games this year with the Giants before returning to the Rangers organization, where he is currently playing for the Round Rock Express. Did you guess Drew Stubbs? Then you would be lying-- but yes, Drew Stubbs played for Atlanta.
2b: Despite a disappointing season, Dansby has still shown a lot of promise and is still with Atlanta.
4: I honestly don't even remember Reid Brignac playing for the Braves, he somehow appeared in 13 games, where he managed to accumulate a -0.1 rWAR. He is currently with the Houston Astros organization, where he has a 90 wRC+-- not great.
5: Hugs is amazing, that is all.
7: Gordon Beckham kinda sucks. He resigned with San Fran after his few games in 2016 with the club, but was released after he was informed he wouldn't make the team. He has since been with Seattle's organization, where he has posted a measly 85 wRC+ with the AAA team.
8: Jace The Disgrace Who Sometimes Manages to Get on Base has bounced back and forth between the big club and AAA, and as of this moment he is still with the club.
11: Hopefully this one is here to stay. We love you Ender.
13: Adonis is technically still with the team, although no one seems to be missing him since he went down in June with a thumb injury, as evidenced by DOB's tweet
">August 18, 2017No, and no one has seemed concerned when I've asked. Still rehabbing. https://t.co/LBRXKHRXrn
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC)No, and no one has seemed concerned when I've asked. Still rehabbing. https://t.co/LBRXKHRXrn
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) August 18, 2025
14: Daniel Castro was released by the Braves in the off-season and caught on with Colorado, where he has spent all season with their AAA club. He actually has hit well there, with a wRC+ of 98. He may get a shot with Colorado in September, he may not-- I don't know the state of their roster outside of what we just saw this past week.
15: AJ Pierzynski retired-- the question of when is debatable, but he is indeed out of the clubhouse and in the booth with Fox Sports.
17: Traded to Seattle for Luiz Gohara and Thomas Burrows, and having a storied 77 minutes with the M's before being traded for Drew Smyly, Mallex Smith has played well on the season, but has significantly cooled at the plate in the past two months, hitting only .244/.288/.327 in the month of August. He's been worth 1.4 rWAR, but fWAR doesn't really agree with that, as only has a 0.7 fWAR.
18: Jeff Francoeur also retired, and supposedly signed with Fox Sports South, where he had a three game stint as a broadcaster and hasn't been seen or heard since.
19: After having a really weird season at the plate with the Braves (where he managed a 131 wRC+ while he only managed a .255 OBP in 47 PAs and 46 ABs-- yes he walked just once) Brandon Snyder has played all season with the Nationals AAA team, where he has cemented his status as a AAAA player, with his 124 wRC+.
20a: Bud Norris is a weird pitcher, who alternates between amazing and horrible without a middle ground. Awful, then amazing with Atlanta, was traded to the Dodgers where he was both awful and injured. He signed a minor league contract with the lesser LA team, where he was amazing as a closer, and then became awful, and then was removed as the closer. On the season he has a 0.0 rWAR. Strange guy, but what do you expect from a guy named Bud?
20b: Anthony Recker was with Atlanta and Gwinnett most of the season, but then was traded with Jaime Garcia to Minnesota. So, yeah...
22: Neck... Hopefully, despite you being a good person....you know... you can just not be on the roster next season... please?
23: Chase D'Arnaud started the season with Atlanta, but then was inexplicably DFA'd before Bonerface, was claimed by Boston, spent twenty days and had an amazing 2.000 OPS (in 1 AB), DFA'd again, claimed by San Diego, sucked (even by Padres standards, this is a team employing Aybarf after all) , and was DFA'd again. He is settled for now though, as he is still in the Padres organization.
24: Kelly Johnson was unfortunately not traded by the Braves to the Mets again (bummer), and is still an active player, though he didn't sign anywhere after the season and is currently a free agent.
25: Masterfully framing pitches and running a high BABIP, Tyler Flowers is still an Atlanta Brave, and will hopefully still be a Brave when I do this writeup next season.
26: Folty is also still a Brave, and has had a rollercoaster season... Next!
27: GIDP King Kemp is still doing Kemp things with ATL.
28: Let's forget this dude ever existed, okay?
30: Matt Tuiasosopo played three games with Atlanta last season. and has pretty meh with Gwinnett this season. I'm doubtful we'll see him again.
32a. The artist formerly known as Fausta Carmona, Roberto Hernandez has done nothing since his stint with the Braves.
32b: Rio Ruiz and his negative launch angle is still trying to prove himself after a poor showing with the big club earlier this season.
34: EOF was awful this year with ATL, but he gets full benefits from MLB now.
36a: Aaron Blair, like Rio, is still trying to prove himself in Gwinnett.
36b: The Other Jose Ramirez has been pretty good this year, but you already knew that.
37. Wis... Yeah, I don't know what he is, check back in next season.
38. Viz, still with us, still good.
39a. Dario Alvarez has been good in 16 innings with the Rangers, but I'd still rather have Demerritte, even with the struggles.
39b: Wikipedia tells me that Brandon Cunniff is with the Marlins organization baseball-reference tells me he's been mediocre in AAA.
39c: Jason Grilli, is, believe it or not, still playing. After pitching decently for the Blue Jays in 2016, he was quite awful this year-- he apparently allowed four homers in one inning-- and was DFA'd in June. He has since pitched with the Rangers, where he has been slightly less awful.
40: Alexi Ogando caught on with the KBO Hanhwa Eagles, where Baseball-Reference tells me he's a starter while namu.wiki has told me that someone has cared to edit his page after almost every start-- wow what a waste of time for that someone.
43: Jhoulys Chacin would be the best pitcher on the Braves right now, by rWAR or fWAR. Yeah, and he pitches for the Padres.
46: Ian Krol has somehow managed to stick around despite being terribab.
48: Former top prospect Ryan Weber had five really nice starts with Tacoma, which led him to getting called up with Seattle to start. Things went well for 3.1 innings, and then he got injured and has been out since May 13.
49: Julio Teheran...
50: Chaz Roe is now with the Durham Bulls.
51: Chris Withrow is supposedly with the Royals organization, though he hasn't pitched yet.
52: Vulcan Changeup Wizard and pitcher who gets yanked more than a puppy on a leash John Gant has spent all but one game with Memphis. He did allow 2 of Scooter Gennett's 4 homers in his one game with St. Louis this season. He's pitched decently in the minors.
53. Jimmy John is still here... for now. (I think I said the same thing last year).
54a: In SSS with the big club, Hunter Cervenka has been really bad with the Marlins (a FIP of 6.99 and and ERA of way worse in 5 games). His 6.17 FIP in AAA isn't much better.
54b. Some guy named Madison Younginer actually pitched with ATL last season and is actually Brandon Snyder's cousin. He is with the Dodgers AAA team, pitching like a AAA pitcher.
55a: Josh Collmenter, surprisingly, is still within the organization.
55b: Casey Kelly is currently with the Giants organization, though he pitched with the Iowa Cubs as well. He's been pretty meh this year.
56: Mark Mattsberry... No... Berry Mattsmark.... Matt Marksberry... Yeah, that's his name. After a health scare in the offseason and being released in March, he signed on two weeks ago with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League.
57: Williams Perez, does anyone care about him? Yes? Really? Who? He's with the Iowa Cubs and he sucks.
58: Daniel Winkler, poor guy, is working his way back with the Braves.
60: Joel De La Cruz is apparently still within the organization. I have followed the Braves closely this year (more so than the past three) and I was not aware of this.
61: The Former Minor League Pitcher of the Year in the Braves organization, Tyrell Jenkins was traded to the Rangers by the Braves, and was claimed off waivers twice, once by the Reds and once by the Padres. Tyrell couldn't catch on with the Padres in the Spring, and was awful in 16 starts with the AAA club. He was released last month.
62: My personal biggest disappointment of the season, Mauricio Cabrera was supposed to solidify the bullpen this year, but can't find the strike zone and is with Mississippi.
63a: the second part of a weird trade that somehow managed to land us a decent prospect, Lucas Harrell has spent most of the season with the Blue Jays AAA team, though he did have a four game stint with the big club in July where he was better off just not pitching.
63b. Rob Whalen has pitched twice with the Mariners this season-- he didn't pitch well-- and was pitching for Tacoma-- not well-- until the M's put him on the restricted list last month to deal with "personal issues".
64: Can we just forget this guy ever played? Thanks.
67: Jason Hursh has been up and down with the Braves all season.
68: Shae Simmons has sadly been injured most of the season. It looks like he's pitched 10 games this season.
72: Jed Bradley actually retired this season. He had an ERA of over 9 with the Orioles organization and had been optioned to AA before retiring in May.
74: Blake Lalli supposedly signed a minor league deal with the D-Backs in June after being released by the Braves in May, but he hasn't played anywhere yet.
And That is it. Hopefully the list is shorter next year, and certain players *cough Neck Markakis* will be elsewhere.
