They have signed a number of pitchers to minor league deals this offseason but haven’t made that impact signing yet. As the clock winds down on the offseason, we’re going to look at some more affordable relief pitcher signings. These guys would likely be signed to a Major League contract, but they’re not necessarily a splash. Two lefties and two righties will be looked at.
Colin Poche – Lefty
The longtime member of the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen hits the market for the first time in his career. He finished the 2024 campaign with a 3.86 ERA in 43 appearances. He dealt with injuries for parts of the season, which could have contributed to a loss in the effectiveness of his fastball.
However, in the prior season he was fully healthy, Poche had a 2.23 ERA.
Poche also has a couple breaking pitches the Braves may be able to get the most out of. According to Baseball Savant, hitters batted .200 with a .360 slugging against his slider. He could also reincorporate his curveball into his arsenal, which hitters batted .178 against – though hitters had a slightly better .400 slugging against it.
Spotrac projects Poche to make $4.9 million in 2025. It would double what he made in 2024 but would still be on the lower end for the overall price.
Lucas Sims – Righty
This name should be familiar to longtime Braves fans.
Before being shipped off to the Red Sox at the deadline, the former Brave was pitching well in Cincinnati with a 3.57 ERA and a 124 ERA+. This number includes a rocky April. From May 4 to July 29 – his remaining time with the Reds – he had a 2.42 ERA.
Once he got to Boston, he struggled with an 8.10 ERA in his first 11 appearances. It turns out a physical ailment could have been the reason for this.
However, once he returned from a righty lat strain injury, he pitched well in four September appearances with a 2.25 ERA and held hitters to a .187 average.
That Red Sox tenure hurt his stock, but there’s a lot of upside here. At a projected $3.9 million according to Spotrac, this could be a reunion with a lot of upside.
Matt Moore – Lefty
Sure, another Angel. Why not?
Initially, Moore’s move to the bullpen was a major success. In 113 appearances in 2022 and 2023, he had a 2.20 ERA and a 191 ERA+. However, he regressed in 2024 to a 5.02 ERA and an 84 ERA+. His walk rate greatly increased to 12.4% from 6.9% in 2023. However, it’s not much different than his 2022 walk rate (12.5%) but his ground ball rate was much higher that year (44% compared to 29.1%).
Hitters still only batted .218 against Moore, so the Braves would need to figure out damage control with the free passes. At a projected $3.4 million salary on Spotrac, this is a low-financial risk signing with a high reward.
Kyle Finnegan – Righty
Finnegan still being a free agent is surprising. The 2024 all-star for the Nationals had a 3.68 ERA in 65 appearances and has been an above-average pitcher according to ERA+ (116) his whole career.
Spotrac estimates he’ll make $12.5 million. It’s not really a budget projection, but he might end up settling for less than that at this point. Last season, he made $5.1 million. If the contract stays in the nine-figure range per season, then the Braves could have a great pickup on their hands.