The Atlanta Braves decided to release utility man Jorge Mateo to some surprise.
Mateo was designated for assignment on August 3 and was officially released on August 9, to some surprise. Atlanta opted to keep the struggling Ha-Seong Kim over Mateo, and now the utility man is linked to a playoff-bound team in the AL.
MLB insider Francys Romero revealed that the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox are showing interest in Mateo.
“Jorge Mateo was granted his release by the Braves and is expected to sign soon, with several teams showing interest, including the White Sox and Rays, per sources,” Romero wrote on X.
After Romero’s report, Rays insider Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times confirmed the Rays have interest in signing Mateo after his release.
“Mateo could be a fit for Rays if they want a more experienced option than Carson Williams as a RH hitting INF who can play 2B vs. LHPs and fill in for Walls at SS. Mateo was released by the Braves,” Topkin wrote on X.
Although the MLB Trade Deadline has passed, if Mateo signs before August 31, which seems likely, he would be eligible for the playoffs.
The 31-year-old is in his seventh MLB season and was in his first with the Braves. Mateo appeared in 67 games with Atlanta, hitting .240 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs.
Mateo Had Early Success With Braves
With Kim injured to begin the year, Mateo got some runway and had plenty of success.
Back at the end of May, Braves manager Walt Weiss had plenty of praise for Mateo and how well he was playing.
“He’s a talented player, very tooled up,” Weiss said on May 30. “I’ve always liked him from afar, and he’s done a nice job for us. The thing I’m most impressed with is he’s kept himself ready mentally, and his attitude has been great, because there’ve been some dry spells for him where he hadn’t played. But he’s always staying ready mentally and physically. It pays off. He gets in the lineup and helps us win some games. So, I’ve tipped my cap to Georgie for the way he has stayed ready.”
Despite the hot start, Mateo ended up losing some playing time and ended up being released.
Atlanta Getting Hot for Stretch Run
The Braves struggled in the month of June and into July, but the team has started to turn it around.
Atlanta has started to play much better baseball, as its lead in the NL East has grown, which Weiss is happy about.
“I’m so proud of this group,” Weiss said. “We were a long ways away after June. We had really fallen back. But here we are, back where we were, when we were playing really well. This is a great response from our guys.”
Infielder Mauricio Dubon echoed Weiss’ comments.
“We’re not surprised,” Dubón said. “You’re gonna hit some bumps. That’s baseball. That’s why we play 162.”
The Braves are 71-48 and 7.5 games up on the Philadelphia Phillies.
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