Atlanta Braves begin free agency with a quality move
By Nick Stevens
Josh Tomlin will be returning to the Atlanta Braves in 2021.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Atlanta Braves have re-signed right-handed pitcher Josh Tomlin to a one-year deal for 2021 with a club option for 2022.
It took Rosenthal a few tweets to get the specific contract details correct, but the hot stove is just heating up and we all need a little practice, even the legends.
Apologies for any confusion. Here’s a better explanation: Tomlin’s salary in 2021 will be $1M. If Braves decline $1.25M option, he gets $250K buyout, bringing guarantee to $1.25M. https://t.co/re9JdgO8mB
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 11, 2020
Bringing back Josh Tomlin is far from the biggest offseason move the Atlanta Braves will make, but it is an extremely valuable move for a young baseball team in need of major upgrades to their pitching staff.
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The 36-year-old has been a reliable bullpen arm for the Braves over the last two seasons, throwing 119 innings across 68 games with a 4.08 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. In a shortened 2020 campaign, Tomlin saw his strikeout numbers jump to 22% (16% in 2019) and posted a FIP nearly half a run lower compared to his first season in Atlanta (4.02 in 2020).
Tomlin’s true value came in his ability to eat innings and provide five spot starts as Atlanta navigated their way through a year with hurdle after hurdle being thrown at them when it came to their starting rotation.
His ability to continue posting extremely low walk rates and eat quality innings will be even more valuable should Major League Baseball return to a 162-game schedule in 2021.
The Braves can also rely on Tomlin’s mentoring of young arms to help better their staff. For example, it was Josh Tomlin who was responsible for helping Kyle Wright make a key adjustment and improve his performance last season.
Across his 11 seasons in the major leagues (all with Cleveland and Atlanta), Tomlin owns a career 65-56 record with a 4.69 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 699 strikeouts in 1,017.2 innings.
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It’s just the first signing for the Atlanta Braves, but it’s a quality signing in Josh Tomlin who provides value not just on the field, but off the field as well. For a high-quality playoff team with a very young starting rotation prepared to take the field in 2021, Tomlin will be a valuable piece for Atlanta.