The Texas Rangers released one of baseball’s longest-tenured pitchers and he’s already found a new home in a familiar place.
The Texas Rangers didn’t see 41-year-old reliever Jesse Chavez fitting into their plans for this season, so they released him earlier this week.
However, it only took Chavez a few days to secure a new opportunity, one he knows well.
According to The Athletic (subscription required), Chavez signed a minor-league contract with the Atlanta Braves, a team he has been with five times before. MLB.com also reported that Chavez is being considered for a spot on the opening-day roster.
It’s either that the Braves have strong confidence in Chavez or they overlooked his spring training performance with the Rangers.
Chavez posted a 0-1 record with a 9.45 ERA in seven spring training games with Texas, giving up 10 hits and seven earned runs over 6.2 innings. He struck out six and walked four. The Rangers informed him on Friday that he wouldn’t make the opening-day roster.
Chavez has stated that this will be his final Major League season, during which he will turn 42. His career actually began in the Rangers’ system, as they drafted him in the 42nd round of the 2002 MLB Draft from Riverside City College in California.
Since making his MLB debut with Pittsburgh in 2008, Chavez has built a reputation as a reliable, durable reliever. His career is one of the most traveled in baseball history, making him the most-traded player of all time with 13 different trades. He won a World Series with Atlanta in 2021. Despite his lengthy career, he also has a 21-year-old daughter.
Chavez enjoyed his most consistent success with the Braves, having pitched in three separate stints over four seasons. In five total years with Atlanta, he posted a 12-9 record with a 3.09 ERA in 186 appearances, including six starts. He struck out 268 batters and walked 68 in 221 innings.
Heading into this season, Chavez holds a 51-65 career record with a 4.24 ERA and nine saves over 1,134 innings. Of his 653 career games, 85 were starts, and he finished 180 games. He also has 1,036 strikeouts and 358 walks.
