The Braves resigned Tyler Kinley yesterday to a slightly smaller deal with an option for 2027. Tyler was a bright spot for Atlanta last year, posting a 0.72/2.74/4.37 line over 25 innings. That works out to a 17 ERA-, 68 FIP-, and 106 xFIP-. He was very good during the last two months after being acquired from Colorado, and definitely slayed the HR/FB monster. It makes me curious if the Braves at bullpen now.
The mainstays will likely be Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee, Tyler Kinley, and Aaron Bummer. The no options crowd are Joel Payamps, Ian Hamilton, Jose Suarez, and George Soriano. Your optionable pitchers/riders of the Gwinnett Express are Dylan Dodd, Hayden Harris, Daysbel Hernandez, Hunter Stratton, Rolddy Muñoz, and Jhancarlos Lara. Swingmen Bryce Elder and Joey Wentz are hanging around as well.
So have the Braves finished improving the bullpen? They have five regulars, probably six with Payamps. Who will be the other two going forward right now? (I assume it’s an eight-man bullpen coming out of Spring Training, they could add a ninth. But it wouldn’t be for long.) I think if the Braves grab another big arm then that might tell us that they think Joe Jimenez either won’t pitch this year or not until deep in the year. I think they’re done with the bullpen, myself. Fangraphs has the Braves bullpen predicted at number one in FIP. Probably the next big arm will be a starting pitcher.
