The Atlanta Braves have made several offseason moves to this point, but it’s nearly impossible in today’s MLB landscape to retain all free agents. On Sunday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Cincinnati Reds are signing reliever Pierce Johnson, who pitched with Atlanta for parts of three seasons.
The financial details of the deal had been unknown, but reports on Monday indicated that Pierce Johnson will be paid a salary of $6.5 million for his services in 2026. Atlanta seemingly has its bullpen pretty much in stone with the recent signing of Tyler Kinley, but Johnson had provided Atlanta with 55+ innings in the two full seasons he was with the team.
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Braves Unable to Retain Pierce Johnson
The Braves certainly feel comfortable with their internal bullpen options to this point, and the signings of Joel Payamps, Robert Suarez, and Tyler Kinley likely pushed Pierce Johnson out of the fold.
Johnson posted a 2.91 ERA with the Braves over 139 total innings and struck out 158 batters in an Atlanta uniform. In 2025, he posted a 3.05 ERA over 59 innings.
He was acquired by the Atlanta Braves from the Colorado Rockies halfway through the 2023 season. Non-surprisingly, Johnson struggled in 39 total innings with the Rockies (6.00 ERA).
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However, Johnson is just another example (Also Tyler Kinley) of a pitcher who left the Rockies and thrived with Atlanta. In 23.2 Innings with the Braves in 2023, Johnson posted a 0.76 ERA and 32 strikeouts.
This is a good acquisition for the Reds, who are acquiring a pitcher in Johnson with a strong swing-and-miss arsenal, centered around his primary curveball usage.
His SO/9 innings took a slight dip (9.00) this past season, but he has consistently struck out around 12 batters per nine innings over the course of his career, which is a huge plus for a reliever.
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Atlanta Has Spent Millions on Its Bullpen Already
The Atlanta Braves likely wanted to bring Pierce Johnson back, but his contract demands likely exceeded what the front office would be willing to pay him, considering the Braves have spent millions on their bullpen this offseason.
It started with re-signing closer Raisel Iglesias to a $16 million deal, then the Braves agreed to terms with Payamps ($2 million) and Robert Suarez. Suarez is the Lamborghini addition of the offseason for the Braves, as he received a three-year, $45 million deal.
Atlanta also went out and signed several arms to either minor league deals or non-guaranteed contracts, which again, kinda pushed Pierce Johnson out of the fold.
Either way, the Braves’ bullpen sets up very nicely on paper, headed into Spring Training, but the arms must stay healthy and produce at the level Atlanta is relying on them to.
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Former Braves Veteran Reliever Signs $6.5 Million Deal with Reds