The 2025 Atlanta Braves season has already been filled with strange twists, but this one might take the cake. The team just released minor league pitcher Jacob Gomez after the 23-year-old was arrested for shoplifting sports trading cards at a Walmart.
Yes, you read that right — a professional baseball career derailed over $60 worth of NFL cards stuffed into a pocket.
According to WSB-TV, Gomez was caught on surveillance on August 28 slipping the cards into his shorts. Store security flagged the incident, and police confirmed the theft. Within three days, the Braves cut ties with the young reliever.
It’s a shocking turn for a player who, on the field, was showing real promise. Gomez was far from a top prospect as an undrafted signee out of Old Dominion in 2024, but his numbers told a different story.
In his debut season, he threw 13.2 innings at Low-A Augusta, allowing just one run. This year, he posted a strong 2.82 ERA across 51 innings split between Augusta and High-A Rome. For a left-handed reliever in today’s game, that kind of production usually keeps you in the system.
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The Braves clearly decided the risk wasn’t worth the reward. With no pedigree, no draft investment, and now a misdemeanor charge on his record, Gomez’s baseball future looks bleak.
The release underscores just how fragile a professional career can be, especially in the minors. One mistake — especially one this baffling — can undo years of work. And while there’s always a chance another organization takes a flier on a southpaw with solid early results, Gomez may have thrown his best shot at the majors away for something that wouldn’t even cover a dinner bill.
Braves fans are shaking their heads at yet another strange situation. In a season full of strange developments, this one might just top them all. Atlanta just lost a 23-year-old lefty with a sub-3.00 ERA over $60 in trading cards.
