Once 5 p.m. rolls around on Monday, every unrestricted free agent hitting the market will have the freedom to sign with whoever they choose. The Atlanta Braves have 11 major league players who are set to hit the market.
Some, such as Martn Prez, Tyler Mahle and Mauricio Dubn, the team would like to have back next season. Others, such as Lane Thomas and Ha-Seong Kim, have more than likely played their last games with the team.
Dubn taking home a Gold Glove right before free agency went into full swing likely gave his stock that much more of a boost.
Others fall somewhere in the middle. Certain players aren't guys they may 100% want back, but if they can figure out the right deal, it would be good to still have them.
An example of that would likely be Joe Jimnez. He may not make an impact next season, but the Braves would be smart to keep him around under the right conditions, since they already invested a lot in his recovery.
The team could also be set to determine who their new closer is. Raisel Iglesias will be a free agent as well. The team would likely prefer to keep him if he's not retiring, but they have Robert Suarez as one of the best possible fallback options out there.
Brent Suter will likely have his, well, suiters, have a strong post-deadline run as a long reliever.
Dominic Smith, Rowdy Tellez and Kyle Farmer are depth options the Braves could likely take or leave. It would be understandable if they stuck around as depth, but they wouldn't be expected to make much of an impact, and other veteran bats who could come in on minor league contracts could fill similar roles and compete for spots in spring training.
Some other players could still be on the way out, but their fates have to be decided at a later date. These are players who have to tendered a contract. That deadline is set for Nov. 20.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Braves have six arbitration eligible players: Dylan Lee, Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, James Karinchak, Michael Grove and Luke Williams.
Should the Braves opt to tender them a contract, they then decide whether or not they'll avoid or go to arbitration. If they don't tender them contracts, they'll be free agents.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/braves/onsi as As Free Agent Deadline Looms, Here's Who Braves Could Be Set to Lose .
