After eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves, left-hander A.J. Minter will become an unrestricted free agent. At 31 years old, this will be his first free agency in his professional career. He was originally drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2012 in the 38th round out of Brook Hill High School. Minter elected to go to college instead and sign with Texas A&M. In 2015, Minter declared once again for the MLB draft and was selected in the second round (75th overall) by the Atlanta Braves.
Braves Veteran Relief Pitcher Will Be an Interesting Free Agent
Minter made his MLB debut on August 23, 2017, against the Seattle Mariners, pitching one inning with two strikeouts. In Minter’s eight seasons in Atlanta, he posted a 24-29 record, pitching to an ERA of 3.28 in 348.2 innings pitched. Of course, you can’t forget the great run of the Atlanta bullpen in 2021. Leading Atlanta to their first World Series win since the 1995 season. Minter pitched 12 innings in the 2021 postseason, allowing only four runs (three of those runs came in Game 5 of the World Series) while also allowing only two walks. The Braves eventually beat the Houston Astros in six games, bringing Braves fans joy they hadn’t felt for 26 years.
Minter’s Arbitration Years
Minter and the Braves have agreed on contracts to avoid arbitration since 2021. Signing for $1.3 million going into the spring of 2021. Increasing salary has been vital in avoiding arbitration, going from $1.3 million to $6.2 million signed this past spring in 2024. There had been speculation that the Braves and Alex Anthopoulos would try to sign Minter to a long-term extension. As Anthopoulos has shown, he’s not afraid to sign bullpen arms. Going into the 2024 offseason, Anthopoulos extended Joe Jimenez and Pierce Johnson, which led to the speculation. Ultimately, a long-term deal couldn’t be reached, and the two agreed to a one-year, $6.2 million contract, which has now led to Minter being a free agent going into the offseason.
Changes In Minters Representation
Some turn of events occurred this past October when Minter decided to change agents. The Bledsoe Agency will now represent him. The agency he’s leaving (Excel Sports Management) might sound familiar to Braves fans. They represent former Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson and outfielder Jason Heyward and used to represent first baseman Freddie Freeman. Excel led Freeman’s free agent contract talks, which eventually led to his departure from the Braves and signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Freeman fired his agent after an emotional return to Atlanta in his first year with the Dodgers.
Regardless of how the negotiations went, it was believed that his agent at Excel did not keep Freeman properly in the loop. It’s been denied; however, Freeman was left unhappy with how his negotiations played out, to the point that he moved on. This leaves room for the belief that Minter could be looking for as smooth an experience as possible this offseason as he navigates his first trip to free agency. It did not go well for a former teammate, and that might have left an impression on him.
Minter’s Desire To Stay In Atlanta
Minter has not been shy about his openness to staying with the Braves. In an interview with Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in the spring of 2024, Minter was quoted as saying.
“I mean, obviously, who wouldn’t want to play in Atlanta? Atlanta, in my opinion, right now, is the best organization in baseball. Obviously, I would love to stay in Atlanta. Who wouldn’t? But yeah, that’s something that’s kind of out of my control at the moment. Obviously, you’ve got to come in here and treat it like it’s my last day. I’m going to come in here and do everything I can for this organization, pitch to the best of my ability, and go out there and try to win a World Series. I’m going to put it into the organization’s hands (in terms of) what they want to do. Just got to go out there and show them what I’m made of.”
It will be interesting to see what Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves front office decide to do with Minter. His veteran clubhouse presence in Atlanta should not be overlooked in decision-making. Additionally, Minter has been a reliable option out of the bullpen for Atlanta for the past eight seasons. Anthopoulos always looks to secure a strong bullpen every offseason, and Minter should be on that list heading this offseason.
Potential Suitor’s Outside Of Atlanta
Realistically, you could put all 30 MLB teams on the list of those needing bullpen depth. However, many teams are unwilling to spend the money that could come with Minter. Nevertheless, some teams will gladly sign someone like Minter to help establish a stronger bullpen.
The Boston Red Sox are a team that could have someone like Minter on their radar. Boston ranked 24th in bullpen ERA in 2024, and a stronger bullpen would really complement their starting rotation. Boston’s starting rotation finished seventh in ERA in 2024. So finishing games will be something that will be an offseason focus. This past season they also extended manager Alex Cora, which seemed to be the belief that Boston may be ready to actually start supplementing their roster.
Another potential landing spot could be a painful one for Braves fans. The New York Mets are another team in the market for building a stronger roster. With the Mets exceeding expectations this past season, not only making the playoffs but also making it all the way to the NLCS, owner Steve Cohen is not shy about opening his pocketbook for talent he believes will help the Mets win. One would be led to think that after making a deep playoff run in 2024, Cohen will be looking for more. If the Mets miss out on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, be on the lookout for the Mets to let David Stearns try to build a complete roster going into 2025.
Minters Free Agency
Nothing has been confirmed about what the Braves will offer Minter if any offer will be on the table. This makes Minter’s free agency an interesting one. All 30 teams would want a solid relief option in their bullpen, which will surely make Minter a hot name in free agency. However, there still hasn’t been much buzz circulating about other teams, as it’s believed that the Braves should be the front-runners for Minter.
Another thing that teams will consider for Minter this offseason is the injury to their hip this past season. Minter had to have season ending hip surgery in August. Minter tried avoiding surgery originally in May, with only having a cortisone shot and rest. After a rehab stint in June Minter did come back to the active roster. But ultimately, Minter could not get the use out of his leg while pitching and had to have season-ending surgery.
Main Photo Credits: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
