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Braves make another surprise, declining Pierce Johnson’s option

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 1:44 PM ET

The decisions the Braves faced regarding their club options seemed pretty cut and dry, but apparently not.

Jon Heyman reported earlier today that Atlanta will not be picking up the $5.5 million option on reliever Tyler Kinley. The move saves the Braves just $4.75 million after factoring in the $750,000 buyout — hardly a significant amount to cut ties with a pitcher who posted a 0.72 ERA over 24 appearances after Alex Anthopoulos acquired him from the Rockies at the trade deadline.

Additionally, Heyman reports that the Braves will also decline the $7 million option on Pierce Johnson.

Braves decline Pierce Johnson $7M option

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 6, 2025

Johnson’s buyout only costs $250k, so the Braves save a little more cash by declining his option. But still, it’s not a ton for a reliever that had a 2.91 ERA over 147 appearances across three seasons with Atlanta.

In total, the Braves save about $11 million with the moves, but in return, they pretty much don’t have a bullpen. With closer Raisel Iglesias testing free agency, they are opting for a complete makeover, and that’s not something that’s going to come cheap this offseason.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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