ATLANTA – A moped driver has died in a crash overnight in northeast Atlanta.

Police say the crash happened just before midnight on Tuesday on North Highland Avenue near Adair Avenue.

According to investigators, the man was driving erratically when a car struck him near the intersection.

The driver of the car stayed at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, officers tell FOX 5.

Police have not released the moped driver’s identity and are working to contact his next of kin.

Officials have not said whether any charges will be filed in connection with the deadly crash.

The Atlanta Braves were dealt a spot of bad news on Tuesday when Max Fried inked an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees. That’s one of those deals that is destined to age poorly, so this isn’t necessarily a period of mourning. After eight seasons of Fried in Atlanta, however, it’ll be a bit strange to watch him in pinstripes.

His departure — overpaid or not — does leave a hole in the Braves rotation. Pitching depth has been an ongoing issue for Brian Snitker’s group. Spencer Strider is expected back next season, but he’s still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Chris Sale is coming off his first healthy campaign in ages, which feels ominous when looking ahead to 2025. Reynaldo Lopez, historically, has not been a picture of durability either.

Atlanta has already lost Fried. Charlie Morton’s future hangs in the balance. The rotation will look vastly different next season. There are potential in-house replacements, such as AJ Smith-Shawver or Bryce Elder, but Braves fans would prefer a more ambitious replacement plan. Alex Anthopoulos has a fairly unambiguous mandate to deliver a winner and the Braves are desperate to wash out the bad taste of last season.

Here is what the Braves’ healthy 2025 rotation would look like in a perfect world.

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There is lingering uncertainty about when exactly Strider will return and how much rust will stick, but he began last season as the National League Cy Young favorite for a reason. Still 26 years old, Strider should have plenty left in the tank. It’d be shocking if Strider wasn’t performing at something approximately his usual level by the end of the 2025 campaign.

Sale, meanwhile, is the reigning National League Cy Young winner. That speaks for itself. He arrived in Atlanta and immediately revolutionized his approach, finding new life as one of the game’s most dominant aces. Sale was hurt in the playoffs, and it’s fair to wonder how durable the 35-year-old is moving forward, but his peak can still rival anybody in MLB.

Lopez made the leap from reliever to a starting gig in 2024 and found a gear we didn’t know was possible. He made 26 appearances (25 starts), posting a nutty 1.99 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. It’s only reasonable to expect some regression, but Lopez proved his mettle rather convincingly. The numbers don’t lie. Nor does the All-Star bid.

That brings us to Sasaki, who is probably the most sought-after free agent left on the board. Since he doesn’t have the requisite professional experience, Sasaki will sign as an international prospect this winter, capping his annual salary around $7 million. That puts the Braves on the same financial playing field as everybody else.

There has been speculation that Sasaki might prefer the West Coast, but Atlanta’s player development pipeline is rock solid and there are few deeper, more well-established contenders in the sport. The Braves are a perfect landing spot on paper, and Alex Anthopoulos should really focus his offseason time and resources on impressing Sasaki. The 23-year-old has immediate ace potential and would give Atlanta a genuine building block for the future.

Rounding out the rotation is Schwellenbach, who finished his rookie campaign with a 3.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across 21 starts. The Braves finally struck gold on one of their young pitchers; Schwellenbach is just 24 and he already looks the part of a postseason weapon, so the Braves should continue to prop him up.

The Atlanta Braves are almost definitely going to be saying some tough goodbyes this winter.

Following a 2024 season that was derailed by injuries to star players, the Braves are looking to reload their roster without breaking the bank. Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider, and Austin Riley should all be back, which means Atlanta can hypothetically afford to let others walk.

Lost in the injury shuffle somewhat was reliable left-handed reliever A.J. Minter, who underwent hip surgery in September. The eight-year veteran has spent his entire career with the Braves so far, contributing some crucial innings to Atlanta’ 2021 World Series run.

Now, Minter is a free agent, and despite all the fond memories he and the Braves share, it doesn’t seem as though a reunion is anything close to a guarantee.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicted that Minter would sign with the New York Yankees, who are known for getting the most out of their relief pitching talent, on a two-year, $16 million contract.

“With a 3.28 ERA and 10.9 K/9 in 384 career appearances, Minter has been a reliable lefty bullpen option throughout an eight-year career spent entirely in Atlanta,” Reuter said.

“The 31-year-old missed the final month and a half of the 2024 season after undergoing hip surgery, but he is expected to be ready for Opening Day. He would give the Yankees a much-needed southpaw with high-leverage experience.”

Minter has been fantastic in the postseason, which might be when the Braves would miss him the most. He has a 2.88 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 25 career postseason innings, punching out 36 of the 102 playoff hitters he has faced.

The Yankees simply may have more urgency to make any and all free-agent signings than the Braves do at this point, after losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets. That could mean Minter is donning pinstripes instead of navy and red by Opening Day.

More MLB: Braves predicted to land $45 million World Series hero to replace Max Fried