The Atlanta Braves are showing they’re not messing around and will give the Philadelphia Phillies a good run for the National League East after finishing fourth in the division (76-86) for the first time since 2015.
To do so, the Braves are building a strong back-end of the bullpen, first by re-signing reliever Raisel Iglesias (one-year $16M), and now by adding the best closer on the market, Robert Suarez. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Braves and Suarez are finalizing a three-year contract worth $45M.
Second in saves (40) to the Kansas City Royals Carlos Estevez (42), Suarez was the second-best back-end reliever on the market and became the top choice of teams once RHP Edwin Diaz signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers (three-year $69M).
Suarez, who will be 35 in 2026, went 4-6 with a 2.97 ERA and struck out 75 batters in 69.2 innings. Suarez has also been elite in the postseason, having a 3-3 record with a 2.45 ERA and three saves in 12 appearances, and his only blunder was letting up a go-ahead home run to Bryce Harper in Game 5 of the 2022 NLCS.