Braves rumors: Charlie Culberson chooses free agency
The Braves did Charlie Culberson a bit dirty on Father's Day when they designated him for assignment just before his father was scheduled to throw out the first pitch. That's just a reminder that baseball is a business. Atlanta needed to make room after Sean Murphy went down injured and Culberson had to go in favor of Chadwick Tromp.
Unfortunately, the fan favorite infielder isn't just taking a trip to the minors. He's now a free agent.
After Culberson cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett, he elected gree agency instead, per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Culberson didn't appear for Atlanta in this latest stint with the team. He last played for the team in 2020, when he check in to nine games.
Braves fans are sure to bid a fond farewell to the 34-year-old. No one can blame him for seeking opportunities elsewhere in the league. We'll see if he can land a minor league contract with a team who has room to play him.
Braves rumors: Freddie Freeman milestones are all bittersweet
The thing about Freddie Freeman hitting milestones like 300 home runs or 2,000 hits, a mark he crossed on Sunday, is they're all bittersweet for Braves fans.
They haven't exactly been uncomplicated for Freeman either. His 300th homer and 2,000th hit both came in losses, prompting champagne toasts in the losing clubhouse.
That feels fitting from Atlanta's perspective. On the one hand, you have a team legend making his mark in the MLB record books. It's not hard to be happy for Freeman. It's also not hard to feel an undercurrent of sadness to it all.
In an alternate universe, the Braves could have given Freeman that champagne toast. The Braves faithful could have given Freeman that ovation. It would have meant more at Truist, there's no doubt about that.
Having said that, the performance of Matt Olson this season has pretty much solidified that the Braves made the right decision at first base. The what-could-have-beens with Freeman and his milestones will continue. They're a whole lot easier to stomach when his replacement leads the league in home runs.
Braves rumors: Could the Braves trade to bring back Adam Duvall?
The Braves have their eyes firmly set on contending for the World Series. So it's safe to say they'll be buyers at the MLB trade deadline. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are floundering at the bottom of the AL East. Selling seems like the obvious move.
Those two observations have led to speculation about bringing back a former Braves favorite who needs to get out of Boston if he wants to win anything this year: Adam Duvall.
Duvall was one of the players traded to Atlanta ahead of their 2021 World Series run. He recently shared memories of that run with FanSided's Robert Murray, prompting FanSided's Mark Powell to declare that having "Duvall bask in Braves colors is meant to be."
The fondness with which Duvall talks about the Braves clubhouse makes it very clear he'd thrive in a third stint with the team. But does Atlanta need to make that move?
Duvall is on an expiring contract so he's going to attract a lot of attention on the trade market, assuming the Red Sox make him available.
The Braves could certainly make a short-term depth-building move in the outfield with Duvall. Michael Harris is on a tear right now but he's dealt with injuries and inconsistency at times this season. Duvall could also push Eddie Rosario in left field.
Basically, Duvall would provide some real insurance in the outfield if Atlanta managed to add him.