The Atlanta Braves have been active this offseason, but in today’s MLB environment, it’s unrealistic to expect teams to keep every free agent. On Sunday, New York Post insider Jon Heyman reported that former Braves reliever Pierce Johnson has agreed to a deal with the Cincinnati Reds after spending parts of three seasons in Atlanta.
While the financial terms were initially unclear, reports on Monday revealed that Johnson will earn $6.5 million for the 2026 season. Atlanta’s bullpen appears largely set following the recent signing of Tyler Kinley, even though Johnson logged more than 55 innings in each of the two full seasons he spent with the Braves. With additions such as Joel Payamps, Robert Suarez, and Kinley, Atlanta clearly felt confident in its internal bullpen depth, which likely made Johnson expendable.
During his time with the Braves, Johnson compiled a 2.91 ERA across 139 innings and recorded 158 strikeouts. In the 2025 season alone, he posted a 3.05 ERA over 59 innings.
Atlanta originally acquired Johnson from the Colorado Rockies midway through the 2023 campaign. As has often been the case for pitchers in Colorado, he struggled there, finishing with a 6.00 ERA over 39 innings. However, after joining the Braves, Johnson immediately flourished. Over 23.2 innings in 2023 with Atlanta, he delivered a dominant 0.76 ERA and struck out 32 batters. Like Tyler Kinley, Johnson is another example of a pitcher who left the Rockies and found success in Atlanta.
For Cincinnati, this represents a solid pickup. Johnson brings a swing-and-miss skill set, driven primarily by his heavy curveball usage. Although his strikeouts per nine innings dipped slightly to 9.0 last season, he has consistently averaged around 12 strikeouts per nine innings throughout his career, an appealing trait for a late-inning reliever.
The Braves may have been interested in re-signing Johnson, but his asking price likely surpassed what the front office was willing to commit after already investing heavily in the bullpen.
Atlanta began by re-signing closer Raisel Iglesias to a $16 million contract, followed by deals for Joel Payamps ($2 million) and Robert Suarez. Suarez was the headline addition, signing a three-year, $45 million contract that solidified the back end of the bullpen. The Braves also added several pitchers on minor-league or non-guaranteed deals, further reducing the need to bring Johnson back.
On paper, Atlanta’s bullpen looks well-positioned heading into Spring Training. The key, as always, will be keeping those arms healthy and ensuring they perform at the level the team is counting on throughout the season.
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