Fan favorite reliever is looking for one more big league chance before retiring
The fanbase of the Atlanta Braves have a way of making legends out of role players.
From Charlie Culberson and Evan Gattis to Kevin Pillar, there's always a player or two that fans just gravitate towards because of their personality, their play, and how much the clubhouse loves them.
One of those fan favorites, Jesse Chavez, is currently a free agent but is looking for one more ride in major league baseball.
Chavez, 40, went onto MLB Network Radio's "Loud Outs" to discuss his free agency and his future plans.
"We all talked about me going out the way I came in - being able to roll out of bed, pick up a baseball, and throw it," explained Chavez, detailing conversations he had with his family this offseason.
Chavez's was having a masterful 2023 season, with a 1.55 ERA in 31 games, before a comebacker off of the bat of Detroit Tigers legend Miguel Cabrera broke his shin and forced him from action for more than three months.
Making his return on September 20th, Chavez pitches in five games down the stretch for the Braves but it wasn't enough to make the postseason roster - he could only sit by and watch with the rest of us as Atlanta was eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in four games.
Explaining his future plans, Chavez continued: "Going into this year, [...] we'll give it all we have and (then) go into coaching the next season."
Chavez continued to explain how he's changed as a pitcher over the years, with his velocity fluctuating from mid-90s to almost 100 before settling in the high-80s to 90 mph as of now, and what he's learned from those changes:
"Don't do more with your body. As long as your mechanics can repeat and you can keep everything the same way and it doesn't look any different to the hitter [...] you're in the right spot."
"I feel like that (focusing in on mechanics) has helped me the most."
It's a tall task, pitching in Major League Baseball at 40 years-old. There have been only three pitchers to take the ball in the last three seasons at age 40 or older, all starters (per Baseball Reference's Stathead): Adam Wainwright, Justin Verlander, and Rich Hill.
Verlander's the only one of those three to have an ERA under 3.50, with a 3.22 last season with the New York Mets and Houston Astros.
But with pitchers and catchers not reporting for a few weeks, there's time for an organization to pick up Chavez on a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. And that's ultimately all he's looking for.
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