Braves should be racing to call Tyler Mahle if contract predictions are close to correct

Free agent contract predictions are running rampant at the moment, and the Atlanta Braves have quite a few players they'll be monitoring in the market. Judging by the discourse from Braves Country, Tyler Mahle could very well be the highest priority free agent from the 2026 team.

Mahle found something when he was traded from San Francisco midway through the season, as his run with Atlanta should help him cash in this offseason. Mahle's work with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner was superb, as evidenced by his 1.99 ERA, 3.32 FIP, and 1.8 bWAR in just nine regular season starts.

Thanks to Mahle's stellar work down the stretch and big time postseason performances, some figured that he may have priced himself out of returning to Atlanta. However, the early projections on Mahle's contract aren't so expensive that the Braves have no chance of retaining him. In fact, if some of the early projections on Mahle's are correct, Alex Anthopoulos should pick up the phone right now.

Tyler Mahle's early contract projections would be great value for the Braves

Quite a few major publications released their contract predictions for the top free agents in MLB. No matter which publication you look at, Tyler Mahle's contract prediction is coming in at a value the Braves simply cannot pass up. ESPN tagged Mahle for a three-year, $49.5 million contract (16.5 AAV), and MLB Trade Rumors projected a similar figure. Meanwhile, Ben Clemens of Fangraphs predicted Mahle would land a two-year, $30 million deal.

One thing is clear: none of these projections are too steep for the Braves to be in the picture for Mahle's services. If Mahle's contract were approaching four years or an AAV over $20 million, we would understand some hesitancy. However, Mahle's injury history and concerns about whether he can repeat his success with Atlanta could suppress his market.

If this is the case, Atlanta has every reason to be aggressive in bringing Mahle back. The Braves likely need two legitimate starters this winter, and the relationship they built with Mahle in 2026 should give them a slight leg up against other teams, so long as the Braves keep their offer competitive.

Thankfully, starting pitcher might be the deepest position in this year's free agent class. Mahle isn't going to land the biggest contract among free agent starters, but he might be the Goldilocks of targets for Anthopoulos. Given the uncertainty around the entire MLB offseason, these contract predictions are meant to be taken with caution until proven otherwise.

Once the first free agent starter comes off the board, we will have a better sense of whether or not Mahle's projections are legit. If these numbers end up being close to the actual dollar amount Mahle receives, the Braves have to like their odds.

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