The Atlanta Braves have reunited with trade deadline acquisition Tyler Kinley on a one-year deal with a club option for 2027, according to multiple reports. The deal is worth $3 million in 2026 with a club option for $5.5 million in 2027 with a $1.25 million buyout, according to Robert Murray of FanSided and Foul Territory.
Earlier in the offseason, the Braves declined Kinley’s option for $5.5 million and opted to pay a smaller buyout.
Kinley was a somewhat surprising addition at the deadline for a Braves team that was dead in the water, but he pitched really well during the final two months of the season with a superb 0.72 ERA and more-likely-indicative-of-future-results 2.71 xERA, 2.74 FIP and 4.37 xFIP. Kinley produced a good-not-great 23.4 K% and strong 6.4 BB% across 24 appearances and 25 innings with the Braves.
Kinley joins a bullpen that looks pretty good on paper heading into the season. Raisel Iglesias figures to begin the year as the closer with newly-added Robert Suarez set to handle the eighth inning. Dylan Lee, Aaron Bummer and Dylan Dodd figure to be in the group from the left side, assuming healthy. The last few spots in the bullpen will likely be up for grabs in the spring.
The club DFA’d Ken Waldichuk to make room on the 40-man roster for Kinley.
