The 35-year-old infielder played 10 seasons in the big leagues -- the first nine of those with the Guardians and then one final season with the Cubs during the truncated 2020 season. Kipnis slashed .260/.333/.416 over 4,984 plate appearances in his career, blasting 126 home runs and stealing 136 bases along the way. Best of luck to Kipnis in the next chapter of his life.

Kipnis signed a minor-league deal with the Braves last spring and wound up spending the entire 2021 campaign at Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .290/.390/.518 with 36 runs scored, 10 home runs, 32 RBI and one stolen base across 228 plate appearances in 59 games. The 34-year-old veteran infielder will likely be forced to settle for another minor-league deal this offseason if he wants to compete for a big-league roster spot next spring.

Kipnis was released over the weekend so the Braves didn't have to pay him a $100,000 retention bonus, but he's now back in the organization and will report to their alternate training site. He's fine to have as depth, but the Braves could be in trouble if he has to play too much.

Kipnis was edged out by Ehire Adrianza and Pablo Sandoval for the final spots on the Braves' Opening Day roster as a reserve infielder. The 33-year-old veteran second baseman, who hit .240/.296/.400 across 11 games this spring, should be able to find another opportunity, but could end up having to open the 2021 campaign waiting for an opportunity at the Triple-A level.