In true Alex Anthopoulos tradition, the Braves announced Wednesday that reliever Pierce Johnson had signed a two-year agreement with a club option for 2026. Johnson will receive $7 million guaranteed for 2024 and 2025, as well as a $7 million club option for 2026 with a $250,000 buyout. In total, Johnson is guaranteed $14.25 million over the course of the contract.
Despite the fact that Johnson was slated to become a free agency this offseason, the deal is officially classified as an extension rather than a free agent signing. However, free agency does not legally begin until 5 days after the World Series, which is still roughly 2 weeks away, making the Braves’ ability to make this trade even more astounding. Johnson could have negotiated a contract with all 30 teams once free agency began, ensuring he received the highest contract available to him. The fact that he gave up that opportunity and signed now demonstrates how much he enjoyed his time in Atlanta and how eager he was to return.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72549986/usa_today_21105756.0.jpg)
The Braves’ reason for this transaction is simple. Johnson quickly established himself as one of Atlanta’s finest relievers after being acquired from Colorado in the middle of the season. Johnson appeared in 24 games for the Braves, recording a 0.76 ERA and a 2.83 FIP in that time. With the Braves, he struck out 12.17 batters per nine innings while only walking 1.14, and that, combined with a 56% ground-ball rate, made him one of the finest relievers in baseball in the second half of 2023. And $7 million per year for that caliber of reliever, along with a relatively short contract, is enough value from the team’s perspective to make this an easy decision for the front office.
The Braves’ reason for this transaction is simple. Johnson quickly established himself as one of Atlanta’s finest relievers after being acquired from Colorado in the middle of the season. Johnson appeared in 24 games for the Braves, recording a 0.76 ERA and a 2.83 FIP in that time. With the Braves, he struck out 12.17 batters per nine innings while only walking 1.14, and that, combined with a 56% ground-ball rate, made him one of the finest relievers in baseball in the second half of 2023. And $7 million per year for that caliber of reliever, along with a relatively short contract, is enough value from the team’s perspective to make this an easy decision for the front office.
Brad Hand has a mutual option that will very definitely be denied, and AJ Minter, Nick Anderson, Michael Tonkin, and Ben Heller are all eligible for arbitration.
When you combine that with Dylan Lee’s shoulder injury uncertainty, you can see there’s a lot of work to be done this offseason.
Minter is very certainly going to have his contract tendered, if not extended, but he’ll be back next year in any case. After a good debut season with Atlanta, I believe Nick Anderson will be offered a contract as well. With Iglesias and now Johnson, you have a solid four-man lineup to work with for the rest of the season.
I expect the Braves to be aggressive in attempting to sign Jimenez to a contract similar to the one they recently awarded Johnson. However, Jimenez, like Johnson, is coming off a solid season, earning a 3.04 ERA and a 3.59 FIP over 56 innings pitched in his one season with the Braves. The advantage Jimenez has over Johnson is that he will be 29 years old next year, whereas Johnson will be 33. Other teams are more likely to offer Jimenez a lengthier contract, making it more difficult for the Braves to re-sign him. Still, I believe they’ll make a run at him until they’re priced out.
With Yates and McHugh, I believe both will see their options expire and hit the free agency market, though Yates’ case is more intriguing than McHugh’s. Yates’ option for 2024 is for $5.75M with a $1.25M buyout, thus you may argue that it’s worth taking up because declining it saves you $4.5M. What can you realistically hope to obtain for $4.5 million that is better than Yates? Yates doesn’t kill you as a low-leverage alternative, and the price point is difficult to beat. Still, Yates was vexingly inconsistent last season, particularly with his command, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they moved on totally.
If the Braves need to enter the free agency bullpen market, there are a number of intriguing names to consider. Josh Hader, Reynaldo Lopez, Jordan Hicks, Keynan Middleton, and David Robertson are all available, and the list will grow even longer when club and player options are selected across the league. Signing free agency relievers is one of the riskier moves a front office can make since they represent the most variable unit in baseball. However, a strong bullpen is critical in today’s game, especially as we approach October, so the risk is warranted.
With so many prospective partnerships, the list of trade names is significantly longer and nearly difficult to compile. Nobody saw the Braves trading for Joe Jimenez or signing Nick Anderson last offseason, and both ended up playing big roles at points. Similar surprising names, I’m sure, will be pursued this offseason as the Braves look to fill out the rest of their bullpen. And there are still people like Tonkin and Heller who can be signed to contracts and kept around for depth, which is always in short supply.
Bullpen construction is an art form that has become an annual exercise in today’s game, with clubs often turning over the majority of their pen year after year. The Braves have been no exception, and this offseason will be no exception as they strive to rebuild a World Series-caliber relief core. Johnson’s re-signing was a good first step. There will be additional steps.
Leave a Reply