Relief pitcher Ben Heller Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Braves lose reliever to free agency

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated 11/3/23

The Braves announced a couple of roster moves earlier this week. The most notable being Sam Hilliard, who was claimed by the Baltimore Orioles. They also outrighted Ben Heller and Andrew Velazquez to Gwinnett.

The #Braves today outrighted RHP Ben Heller and INF Andrew Velazquez to Triple-A Gwinnett. Additionally, OF Sam Hilliard was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) November 1, 2023

I was happy that the Braves were able to hang onto Ben Heller, who has some good stuff and could be a potential MLB reliever for years to come. Unfortunately, he elected free agency rather than sticking with the organization.

Heller elected free agency rather than take the assignment to Triple A. https://t.co/lTl7pU9uAr

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) November 2, 2023

I don’t blame Heller for wanting to take the offseason and evaluate his options. He’s certainly a candidate to end up on a major league roster, and with the recent re-signings of Pierce Johnson and Joe Jimenez, that was only going to be more difficult for him in Atlanta.

However, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he winds up back with the Braves one way or another. There’s familiarity there, and as we saw this season, you can never have enough pitching.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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