Braves decline options on 2 standout relievers, creating payroll flexibility

ATLANTA -- Bringing Ozzie Albies and Chris Sale back for at least one more season was expected. Bidding adieu to a pair of projected key relievers wasn’t.

The Braves exercised Sale’s $18 million club option and Albies’ $7 million option before Thursday’s deadline. But they unexpectedly declined both Pierce Johnson’s $7 million option and Tyler Kinley’s $5.5 million option. Both veteran relievers are now free agents.

As for the $12.5 million pared from Atlanta’s projected payroll, it will be interesting to see how this influences the Braves’ roster reconstruction. This shouldn’t be viewed as a sign the team will cut its payroll. Instead, it appears to be an attempt to better allocate roster costs.

Braves chairman Terry McGuirk said during an earnings call on Wednesday that he’d like the team to have a top-five payroll in 2026. Atlanta ranked eighth among 30 MLB teams this year with a $214 million payroll, the club’s lowest figure since '22.

The Braves' competitive balance tax payroll (which accounts only for the average annual value of a contract) sits at $152.5 million. This figure could go up by $10 million to $20 million once the team decides what to do with its arbitration-eligible players. But there would still be a wide gap between the CBT payroll and the first CBT threshold of $244 million for the 2026 season.

There’s also a chance the Braves will exceed that first threshold. They did so in both 2023 and '24. Because they didn’t this past year, they would face just a 20% tax on any dollar spent above $244 million.

How much the Braves are willing to spend will be realized over the next few months. But they have some glaring needs, the primary one being shortstop. Ha-Seong Kim declined his $16 million player option on Monday and became arguably the best free agent option for a team seeking a shortstop. Bo Bichette will be more highly coveted, but his defensive limitations create reason to doubt his longevity as a shortstop.

Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has said addressing the rotation is a “front burner” need. There might also be a desire to get a versatile outfielder whose presence would allow the designated hitter position to be filled by a variety of players.

As for the bullpen, there was always some thought the Braves would add at least one reliever this offseason. Now, there’s a need to ensure new manager Walt Weiss has plenty of high-leverage options.

The Braves lost a pair in Johnson and Kinley.

Johnson, 34, posted a 3.05 ERA over 65 appearances this past season. Before allowing four runs in one inning during a Sept. 26 appearance against the Pirates, he had posted a 1.56 ERA over a 38-appearance stretch going back to June 13.

Still, the Kinley decision might have been even more surprising. Though the Braves looked like obvious sellers before the July 31 Trade Deadline, they acquired the 34-year-old Kinley from the Rockies. It seemed like a great decision when he posted a 0.72 ERA (and a 2.74 FIP) over 24 appearances with Atlanta.

The Braves' top current relievers are Joe Jiménez and left-handers Aaron Bummer and Dylan Lee, who is among their arbitration-eligible players. Bummer’s $9 million salary ($6.5 million toward the CBT payroll) looms large after the decision to decline both Johnson and Kinley.

With these decisions, the Braves could choose to prioritize addressing their rotation and lineup needs ahead of the bullpen. But it wouldn’t be surprising if Raisel Iglesias -- now a free agent -- ends up being an early focus. The veteran closer struggled to a 5.91 ERA through May, then posted a 1.25 ERA over his last 45 appearances.

Not trading Iglesias at the Trade Deadline could help the Braves as they compete with other teams on the free agent market.

Albies' $7 million option was considered a no-brainer to many because it included a $4 million buyout. But he at least created some debate when he constructed a .606 OPS before the All-Star break. The veteran second baseman had a .769 OPS over the 62 second-half games he played before breaking his left hamate bone on Sept. 22.