March 22: The Braves announced that they’ve released Freeman.

March 21: The Braves have outrighted left-hander Sam Freeman, per a club announcement. He has been assigned to Triple-A but will have the right instead to elect free agency.

Now 31, Freeman joined the Atlanta organization as a minor-league free agent in advance of the 2017 season. He ended up turning in a worthwhile campaign and being tendered a contract for the campaign that followed.

Freeman’s follow-up effort left some questions. He finished the 2018 season with 50 1/3 innings of 4.29 ERA ball, with 10.4 K/9 against 5.7 BB/9. Freeman allowed only three home runs on the year and maintained a healthy 52.1% groundball rate. He was as usual more effective against opposite-handed hitters.

The Braves ultimately decided to tender Freeman a contract once again, settling with him at $1.375MM. But it seems the team has decided to go in another direction at this point, preferring to drop the southpaw while it is only obligated to him for 45 days of salary.