3 Atlanta Braves Who Won't Be Back in 2025

There's only so much a team can do when hit with the kind of devastating injuries the Atlanta Braves were in 2024. Losing Cy Young contender Spencer Strider and MVP candidate Ronald Acuna Jr. for practically the entire season wound up being just too much to bear for the Braves, who bowed out in the Wild Card series to the San Diego Padres.

Now it's time for the Braves to figure out how to re-tool for 2025.

And it's time for us to consider 3 players who definitely won't be back next season:

Charlie Morton

Yes, we start with the ageless (or should we now say 'ageing') starter who, at the age of 40, didn't quite have the season he or the Braves were hoping for. His 8-10 record was his first losing season in 10 years, and his 4.19 ERA bumped his career ERA over the 4.00 mark.

As Morton considers retirement to be with his young family, the Braves should be considering handing the $20 million they gave him this past season to pending free agent starter Max Fried, who'll they need to throw every resource behind to try to re-sign.

Adam Duvall

Third time was not a charm for Duvall in the ATL. After posting 41 homers in two half-seasons with the Braves his last time around these parts in 2021 & '22, he struggled mightily in 104 games this season after returning from the Boston Red Sox. Duvall slashed a woeful .182/.245/323 with only 11 home runs. Now at age 36, it seems that he will not be invited back for another run at it.

Whit Merrifield

Another aging veteran who'll be 36 next season, Merrifield's production took a big dive in 2024. Overall on the year, he batted just .222 with a .645 OPS, though he did post a .248 mark in his 42 games in Atlanta. Nevertheless, the Braves will undoubtedly look to a younger replacement to fill his role next season.