The Braves are bringing back right-hander Tyler Kinley on a one-year contract worth $4.25MM in guaranteed money, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal. The deal breaks down as a $3MM salary for the 2026 season, and there is a $1.25MM buyout on a $5.5MM club option for the 2027 season. Kinley is represented by Paragon Sports International.
Atlanta declined its $5.5MM option on Kinley shortly after the season ended, opting to hand him a $750K buyout. The move was a bit of an eyebrow raiser at the time, considering the righty’s strong work once he joined the team, but it makes more sense now. The Braves get Kinley at a cheaper number while adding the ability to retain him in 2027.
The deal is indicative of Kinley’s impressive turnaround last season. The 34-year-old had an ugly 5.66 ERA in the first half with Colorado. It continued a troubling trend, as Kinley was coming off back-to-back seasons with an ERA over 6.00. Atlanta scooped him up at the trade deadline for a Double-A reliever. The Braves weren’t in contention, so acquiring Kinley was more about giving him an audition for 2026. The gambit paid off, as the veteran allowed just two earned runs in 24 appearances with the team.
Kinley often worked in high-leverage spots during his Rockies tenure. The role was given to him more out of necessity, not performance. Despite a 6.19 ERA in 2024, Kinley led the team with a dozen saves. He wrapped up his five-plus seasons in Colorado with a 5.05 ERA. Pitching half your games at Coors Field is no easy task, and Kinley’s underlying metrics were routinely better than his standard run prevention numbers. He had a SIERA close to or below 4.00 in each of his five full campaigns with the team. Kinley’s xERA was more than a run lower than his actual ERA on three occasions.
The Braves have already made several additions in the bullpen this offseason. The club re-signed Raisel Iglesias in mid-November, then doubled down by grabbing Robert Suarez in early December. Atlanta also brought back Joel Payamps and picked up veterans Ian Hamilton and Danny Young. Iglesias and Suarez are the clear 1-2 punch in the late innings, which likely leaves Kinley to pick up opportunities in the middle frames.
I had no opinion on this, but several regulars here opined that the Braves would likely try to sign Kinley or Johnson for less than the amount of their option year contracts that the Braves declined. Good call guys. Kinley’s 2026 option was for $5.5M w/a $750K buyout. By waiting, the Braves saved $500K on the deal for 2026.
When I posted the above comment, the amount of the 2027 option hadn’t been updated. Since Kinley’s salary for 2026 is $3M, the Braves actually saved $2.5M on the 2026 payroll vs his declined option. AAV is $4.25.
I like it. He was solid for the Braves. We needed another righty.
Thrilled to see this guy back. AA is getting it done brilliantly this year. Just get that solid starter and call it a successful off-season.
Not getting that starter I don’t think. Still a playoff team IMO.
Offseason ain’t over yet. I still think they get a starter before the spring.
I think they possibly get a FA starter on a high value one year deal due to it getting close to spring training. Then again who knows what kind of trade might get pulled off.
I’m hoping for a trade. We need to get rid of Nacho before everyone figures out he’s bad.
Braves now up to $260mm on luxury tax so not getting any FA SP for sure…not going over the $284mm threshold. I wouldn’t bet against AA trading for one though… possibly off loading a Bummer or Murphy contract in a deal.
Like AA did w/Grissom.
Please let it be Bummer. Doubt they sell low on Murphy and leave themselves unprotected at catcher in case of a Baldwin injury. The system is so weak at the position after Baldwin and Murphy. I’d hate to see who would be catching 40-50 games along w/Baldwin if Murphy’s dealt.
Chris bassitt would be a relativity cheap addition starter wise
Bassitt is still projected to get $20mm per year…just less years. AA likes to leave more room under that $284 threshold…lose a draft pick if they go over.
Don’t they just get the draft pick moved down 10 spots?
That’s correct. But AA has made it clear he won’t do that. Got close in ’24.
Nobody wants an injured Murphy. Nacho can be a valuable utility man. I don’t think he trades any prospects.
Absolutely have to keep Murphy … for defense/experience and to allow Baldwin to DH.
I was about to post further up … my gut instinct all along has been Bassitt. No one has been paying any attention to him but he’s a solid, reliable starter that AA can sign for 2-3 years to bridge to the young stallions that aren’t quite ready. Think Charlie Morton or even Chris Sale. Exactly the kinda move I see AA making. Solid pitcher for a reasonable salary.
Nice.
Great move AA
Good get. Full season in Atlanta should help his numbers.
I feel much better about our pen now.
If they could resign Pierce Johnson it would just he the bow on a great off-season for AA
Good move AA. Now trade Bummer.
I’ve been of the same mind all off season, but at this point I doubt Bummer’s contract is preventing us from signing other people so might as well keep him.
Bummer has been misused his entire tenure with the Braves. Hopefully, a coaching change will end that streak of misuse.
@fowler. How so? He’s been pretty similar to how he was with the White Sox.
He’s never had a defined role. They’ve mostly used him in low leverage situations, or to eat innings starting games when our rotation was in shambles, then it seemed like he’d get completely forgotten about all together and wouldn’t pitch at all for 6 or 7 days. His numbers regressed last year compared to 2024 (where he was excellent…and still rarely saw high leverage innings), but I feel like at least some of it is just because he never had any idea when he’d actually end up pitching.
I don’t disagree but he generally pitched the innings before 7-9. Generally 5th or 6th (often multi innings). It’s hard to know if/when you will pitch but it’s a common role. Many have had success in it (recently Grant Holmes). The periods of extended rest are (in large part) the result of so many multi inning appearances.
Honestly to overanalyze (and speculate) he just seems like he gets thrown off by the slightest of things. A little grounder gets through with 2 outs and he starts getting very visibly upset. He seems to lose focus and then start missing spots in key situations. This type of thing would explain why he regularly pitches worse than the peripheral stats would expect. This is the kinda thing they always call “luck” when sometimes the explanation is both more simple and (from a perspective) more complex.
Good move, especially with the option
At this rate every top free agent left is going to sign a Boras Special
Kinley was terrific as a Brave last year, glad they snapped him up. In 24 appearances gave up 1 run in 2 of them.
makes AA seem like frugal genius but remember how much braves just paid for 2 years of david fletcher..what, over 13 million..or 18 million for 3 innings of cole hamels in 2020..go braves!
Atlanta busy after last year
Nice little pickup and a creative way to spread out the $5 mil they would have paid him if they picked up the team option. Between what the buyout was, this years contract, and the next buyout it looks like it’s roughly $5 mil. Lol article says his option was 5.5 mil but I’m pretty sure it was 5. Either way, exactly what the Braves needed in the middle relief. Bullpen looks good, lineup looks well rounded (although Ozzie and Harris are huge question marks). Now, go get a vet arm to round out the rotation, as the rotation is nothing but questions with their health.
His 2026 option was $5.5M. Google, Cots, and Spotrac are your friends.
“The deal is indicative of Kinley’s impressive turnaround last season”
TEAM: ERA-, FIP-, xFIP-
w/Col: 118, 96, 113
w/ATL: 17, 68, 106
xFIP is the best measure of pitching performance, and there wasn’t that much difference between his time in Col and Chi