The Braves took two hits before they ever got to the roster move that lit up their fan base.
Atlanta dropped the first two games of its weekend set against the Yankees, falling 3-2 on Friday and 5-4 on Saturday before salvaging Sunday’s finale with a 2-1 win. The offense never really got going against New York’s starting pitching, and a few hours after that Sunday game ended, the club made another decision that caught plenty of attention: the Braves released 31-year-old infielder Jorge Mateo.
Sports Illustrated’s Harrison Smajovits reported the move, and the reaction under his X post was immediate and harsh.
“W. T. F.”
“Like why.”
“Should have been [Ha-Seong] Kim instead.”
That was the kind of response Atlanta drew after cutting Mateo, especially because the move came just days after he had been released on Aug. 3 following the trade deadline. Less than a week later, he was out of the organization entirely.
The frustration makes sense when you look at how the two infield options have performed. Mateo filled in at shortstop while Kim was on the injured list with a finger injury, and while he wasn’t exactly lighting up the league, he did provide more than Kim has in his brief Braves stint.
In 67 games this season, Mateo hit .240/.285/.380 with a .665 OPS, four home runs, 11 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts. He also gave Atlanta acceptable defense at a demanding position, which made him a usable piece.
Kim, meanwhile, signed a one-year, $20 million deal with the Braves this winter. The 30-year-old has been limited by injuries all season, appearing in only 29 games because of the finger issue. In 84 plate appearances, the results have been rough: a .067/.167/.067 line, a .234 OPS, no home runs and no extra-base hits.
That’s the backdrop for the fan backlash. Atlanta appears to be committed to getting the most out of its $20 million investment, and that means Kim has to turn things around fast.
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Jorge Mateos Next Step Could Say Plenty About The Braves
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For the Braves, Mateos market is a reminder of how much value there can be in players who can cover shortstop, second base and the outfield without much warning. The White Sox have already shown interest, and Tampa Bay is also among the teams said to be in the mix, which suggests his next stop may come down to which club sees the most immediate need for a versatile spare part as the season tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Rotation Suddenly Has A Good Problem Fans Did Not Expect
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There are still reasons for the Braves to keep monitoring the pitching depth chart, though. Reynaldo Lpez has begun inching forward after his time on the injured list, and AJ Smith-Shawver is back in the rehab mix at Triple-A Gwinnett, leaving Atlanta with more rotation options than it seemed likely to have not long ago. The larger question now is how soon those arms can be folded back into a staff that suddenly looks more crowded than compromised. [Read more 🡒]