Braves Outright Five Players
The Atlanta Braves have outrighted five players – outfielder Jarred kelenic, reliever Luis Díaz, pitcher Aaron Dunning, catcher Chadwick León, and utility player Ehire Adrianza – off their 40-man roster, as announced today. The moves clear space on the roster as the team prepares for the offseason.
Kelenic was acquired from the Seattle Mariners during the 2023-24 offseason, with the Braves absorbing meaningful salary. Though, he struggled in 2024, hitting .231/.286/.393 with a nearly 30% strikeout rate across 449 plate appearances. After Jurickson Profar (signed to replace Kelenic in left field) received a PED suspension and Ronald Acuña Jr. continued rehabbing from ACL surgery, Kelenic received another opportunity early in the season, batting .167 before being removed from the MLB roster by the third week of April. His only further MLB appearance was as a pinch runner on July 30. He continued to struggle in Triple-A with Gwinnett, hitting .213/.286/.309 with four home runs and a 27.6% strikeout rate.
Díaz was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers in early September. Despite a recent history as an All-Star closer with 28 saves for Cincinnati, he struggled considerably in 2 2/3 innings with the Braves, walking five batters and allowing five runs (four earned). Díaz had a difficult season,giving up 17 runs in 17 2/3 innings across three teams,and posting a 5.61 ERA in 25 2/3 Triple-A innings. He earned $4.5MM in his first year of arbitration.
Dunning was acquired from the Texas rangers in July as a salary dump, and allowed 12 earned runs in 10 innings as a reliever for Atlanta. León finished the season on the MLB roster after Sean Murphy underwent hip surgery, going 1-12 in five games. Williams appeared in 45 games as a late-game replacement and designated position player, hitting .129 and maintaining a career .212/.270/.280 slash line over 349 plate appearances.
