The Atlanta Braves, coming off a disappointing 2025 season, have made a couple of free agent moves involving mid-level free agents, getting free agent closer Robert Suarez on a 3 year, $45 million deal and free agent outfielder Mike Yastrzemski on a 2 year, $23 million deal.
Suarez, who turns 35 in March, didn’t pitch in the United States until the 2022 season, having spent 2015 pitching in the Mexican League and then the 2016-21 seasons in Japan. Suarez signed one year deal with a player option with the San
Diego Padres prior to 2022 and declined his player option despite missing two months due to knee surgery. He returned to San Diego on a five year, $46 million deal that he opted out of after the 2025 season.
Suarez was considered one of the top relievers on the free agent market, having put up a 2.91 ERA in 210 innings over 206 appearances over the past four seasons, and leading the National League in saves in 2025. The Braves re-signed their incumbent reliever, Raisel Iglesias, to a one year, $16 million deal in November, so it remains to be seen who will close and who will set up.
Yastrzemski, a 35 year old lefthanded hitting outfielder, also made his major league debut relatively late. Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2013, he didn’t reach the bigs until 2019, after being traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for the immortal Tyler Herb. He alternated between being a regular and manning a platoon role for the Giants until the 2025 trade deadline, when he was dealt to the Kansas City Royals.
Yastrzemski, the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, has primarily played right field in his career, though he has also spent some time in center field. He’s had fairly extreme platoon splits the last few years, and seems likely to be used in a platoon role with the Braves.
Yastrzemski will be making $9 million in 2026, $10 million in 2027, and there is a team option for 2028 at $7 million with a $4 million buyout, so unless he is just toast by the end of 2027 — not impossible, given he’ll be 37 at the end of the 2027 season — that option would seem to be likely to be picked up.
