Jason Foley, Detroit Tigers. (Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images)
The Braves could be without veteran reliever Jesse Chavez for a substantial time after a scary exit on June 14. Who could Atlanta trade for to replace him?
Jesse Chavez has been one of the most pleasant surprises for the Atlanta Braves this season. The 39-year-old reliever was signed to a minor-league deal this past offseason. He made the major-league roster, though, and emerged as arguably the most reliable presence out of the bullpen, posting a 1.55 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 30 appearances before Wednesday and looking like he was on track for his first All-Star Game appearance.
But in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Tigers, Chavez took a hard liner off of his shin and was forced to exit the game. In fact, he had to be carried off the field. Though the initial X-rays were negative for the veteran righty, the scene was quite worrisome and Chavez could still miss significant time.
With trade season heating up, if Jesse Chavez is out, the Braves need to add another bullpen arm to step in and fill that role as one of the top relievers on the roster. These three Braves trade targets as replacements would make a lot of sense if that does indeed wind up being the case.
Braves Rumors: 3 Jesse Chavez replacements to get in trades
3. Jason Foley, Detroit Tigers
Incidentally, the first potential Jesse Chavez replacement for the Braves plays for the team against which the Atlanta reliever was injured against, the Tigers.
Jason Foley might not be a household name, but that is largely a product of him coming out of the Detroit bullpen on a struggling team overall. As for his bonafides, though, the 27-year-old right-hander has proven he is a highly reliable presence in relief.
In 28 apperances with the Tigers this season, Foley has posted a 2.63 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, both of which are the best marks in his three MLB seasons to this point. Having said that, he’s been consistently good for Detroit in those three seasons, so this isn’t an outlier that the Braves would be banking on.
What’s more fascinating about Foley, but also could drive up the price in a potential trade, is that he’s still not even eligible for arbitration, which won’t happen until 2025. That means there are four years of club control left on his deal after this season, which could be enticing for Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves.
Not only has Foley proven that he could step into the role that Chavez would leave vacant should the veteran miss a substantial amount of time, but he could possibly also be a long-term replacement beyond this season given that Chavez is 39 years old and could be looking to hang it up sooner rather than later.
That’s a win-win for Atlanta in keeping them in a good spot for the 2023 season and for the future as well.