Braves legend Jesse Chavez announces retirement

Braves fan favorite and the official face of MLB journeymen, Jesse Chavez, announced his retirement on Foul Territory today.

“I don’t think we’re gonna keep going,” Chavez said. “I think this is it, time to turn the page, focus on the next chapter in life and go help all the young kids, all the stuff that I did so they don’t have to take two steps backwards and take those three steps forward.”

Right before his 42nd birthday, the legend retires. He was on the Braves roster but was designated for assignment about a week ago when the club acquired Dane Dunning. Chavez eventually elected free agency after clearing waivers but clearly didn’t like the prospective offers, if he had any.

To call his career unique would be an understatement. Nobody has been traded more than Jesse Chavez in the history of the league, literally. Matt Monagan of MLB.com wrote about it.

Chavez’s first stint with Atlanta came in 2010 when he pitched to the tune of a 5.89 ERA across 36.2 innings. More than a decade later, he returned to the Braves.

In 2021, Chavez was nails, boasting a 2.14 ERA across 33.2 innings en route to a World Series ring, tossing 6.1 scoreless innings in the postseason. He began the 2022 campaign on a minor league deal with the Cubs before rejoining the Braves in a deal for Sean Newcomb, but it was short-lived.

Chavez and Tucker Davidson were flipped to the Angels for Raisel Iglesias. In the latter years of his career, it seemed that he was a human boomerang, constantly winding up back in Atlanta. Even after being traded in 2022, Chavez returned to the Braves that same season. He was then a legitimate All-Star candidate in 2023, boasting a 1.56 ERA, and he compiled a 3.13 ERA over 63.1 innings last year.

This season hasn’t been as kind to Jesse Chavez, but he’ll always be a legend in Braves Country.