The Atlanta Braves are one of the best teams in baseball this season and are looking to make a run to the World Series.
Having depth in case of injuries is very important to make a deep run, especially after the trade deadline. However, the Braves cut ties with some of their organizational depth by releasing Andrew McCutchen from his minor league deal on Tuesday.
The 39-year-old is no longer the player he once was, but is still trying to find a home in the big leagues this year. He started the year with the Texas Rangers, but was released after playing just 37 games. He signed a minor league deal with the Braves on July 2, and has been playing in the minor leagues ever since. He was hitting .333 with a .908 OPS in Triple-A for the Braves, but the team decided it was best to move on.
Releasing the former MVP could come back to bite the Braves if they see some of their outfielders go down wth injuries. Ronald Acuña Jr. has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, and having McCutchen could have been valuable. However, the Braves likely feel good about the depth they have in the outfield with Mauricio Dubón and now Lane Thomas.
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McCutchen is a five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger. He is likely in his last season as a big leaguer and could look to sign with a team that gives him a chance to win a ring. Most contenders are not going to need McCutchen at this point, but he could be a valuable bench bat.
If this is the end for McCutchen, he will finish his career having played in 2,299 big league games, which makes him the active leader in games played. He has 333 career home runs and a .819 OPS.