"Once upon a time, Jimenez was brought in to be relatively important. While Justyn-Henry Malloy's MLB career hasn't worked out to date, the Braves still traded him and all of his team control for one year of Jimenez. That first year for Jimenez ended up being kind of weird: he pitched okay, but the Braves didn't really use him as a higher-leverage option for various reasons."
"That all changed in 2024, though, as Jimenez ended up with the second-highest average leverage-when-entering-a-game in the bullpen, behind only Iglesias. He was also the team's best reliever by fWAR, with his 1.8 edging out Iglesias' 1.6. And then, the troubles began. Jimenez needed knee surgery after the 2024 season. His 2025 didn't get off the ground, as a second, "cleanup" knee surgery made it a fully lost year for the right-hander."
Joe Jimenez was acquired in exchange for Justyn-Henry Malloy and a year of team control. He pitched moderately in his first season but was underused in high-leverage spots. In 2024 he shifted into high-leverage usage, posting the bullpen's second-highest average leverage and leading relievers with a 1.8 fWAR. He then required knee surgery after the 2024 season and underwent a second "cleanup" knee operation that cost him all of 2025. The Braves added multiple right-handed relief arms this offseason, creating uncertainty about Jimenez's role and availability for 2026.
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