Multiple former Braves released over the weekend, including a big piece of the Sean Murphy trade

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The Braves have said goodbye to a lot of players that fans expected great things out of, and guys have had mixed results after leaving. Some were moved as trade casualties, and some just never panned out in Atlanta. Three of those guys may be looking for new homes following this weekend:

Starting off with Manny Piña, the Braves are clearly happy with their return in the Sean Murphy trade, but the same can’t be said for the Athletics. Just about every player they got back from Atlanta has struggled, but Piña’s main issues are injury related; not performance related. The Braves picked up Piña during the 2021 offseason; he was one of the first signings of the year because the market for catchers was paper thin, and a lockout was looming.

Piña only played a few games for the Braves before hitting the injured list with wrist inflammation, and after experiencing some discomfort, an MRI revealed he would need surgery that ended his season. The Braves had a revolving door at catcher after this, experimenting with guys like Kevan Smith and Jeff Mathis after Travis d’Arnaud went down with an injury.

With the opportunity to acquire a real staple at catcher too good to pass up, the Braves sent Piña to the A’s. Oakland is now releasing him after the injury bug continued to bite; Piña playing just four games with the A’s after notching a total of five games with the Braves.

Jacob Webb‘s story is honestly just sad. Webb looked to be a real future impact bullpen piece for the Braves following the 2020 season. In 2019, Webb posted a 1.39 ERA over 32.1 innings and didn’t allow a single run over 10 innings in 2020. However, Webb struggled mightily in 2021, and he seemed to never regain his confidence after accidentally hitting current Brave Kevin Pillar in the face with a 94 MPH fastball in May, causing multiple fractures.

Webb was designated for assignment by the Braves in 2022, claimed by the Diamondbacks, and traded back to the Braves for cash a few months later. Webb elected free agency after the season and signed with the Angels. He wasn’t having a terrible season; putting up a 3.98 ERA for the Halos. Webb may clear waivers and stick with the Angels, but he might be searching for a new home in 2023 and beyond.

Finally, one of the more interesting cases, Matt Wisler. In the lean days of the rebuild, Wisler was once thought to be the future of this Braves staff. He was part of the trade that sent Craig Kimbrel and B.J. Upton to the Padres. However, Wisler wasn’t the main part of that deal. Included in the return was the 41st pick in the 2015 MLB Draft; which became franchise third baseman Austin Riley.

Still, after being pretty average with the Braves, Wisler was traded to the Reds for Adam Duvall. The Braves are clearly satisfied with their end of the deal, but that’s not where Wisler’s story ends. After bouncing around the league, Wisler landed with Minnesota in 2020 as a reliever. He posted a 1.07 ERA for the Twins and earned a contract with the Giants in 2021. Wisler was pretty bad with the Giants, and he was eventually traded to the Rays where he revived his career again. He was part of a combined no-hitter (that also featured current Brave Collin McHugh) and posted ERAs of 2.15 in 2021 and 2.25 in 2022.

Despite his numbers, Wisler was designated for assignment by the Rays and elected free agency late in the 2022 season. After signing with the Tigers, Wisler was pretty mediocre in 2023 with AAA Toledo. He never got a call to the majors and his season ended with a 4.40 ERA. I don’t think Wisler’s story is finished, but his time in Detroit likely is.

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Best of luck to all three of these former Braves, here’s to hoping they all find new teams for 2023 and beyond.

 

Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire

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