As they did yesterday with reliever Brad Hand, the Atlanta Braves have officially declined to pick up their 2024 club option on reliever Collin McHugh, making him a free agent. The Braves will pay a $1M buyout.
McHugh, 36, signed with Atlanta as a free agent in March of 2022 after leaving the Tampa Bay Rays the previous November. McHugh was one of the more effective relief arms for Atlanta in 2022, going 3-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 69.1 innings with 75 strikeouts to only 14 walks.
But he struggled in an injury-shortened 2023 campaign, with his ERA ballooning to 4.30 and his strikeout rate dropping from 2022's 9.7 K/9 to only 7.2 K/9, while seeing his walk rate jump from 1.8 BB/9 to 3.4 BB/9.
McHugh went to the injured list twice during the 2023 season, once in April and again in September, both with right shoulder inflammation. He returned soon after the minimum in both stints, but wasn't as effective as in years past and Atlanta's choosing to move on.
McHugh's 2023 struggles made it easy for Atlanta to save the $6M and move on from the veteran reliever - - they've already committed almost $35M to their bullpen in 2024, putting them in the top five in all of baseball both in total dollars and as a percentage of payroll. There may be another signing or two for the relief corps, but reclamation projects and low dollar signings are more likely than a large salary.
It's a dynamic that likely impacted the previous declination of Brad Hand's $7M option, and may play an impact in Kirby Yates' $5.75M option, as well.
Important Braves Today Offseason Stories
2023 MLB Free Agent Rankings
Current Atlanta Braves prospect rankings
Current Atlanta Braves 40-man roster
Key offseason dates for the Atlanta Braves
2023 Atlanta Braves Club options
Projecting the 2024 Atlanta Braves' arbitration salaries
More must-reads: