The Atlanta Braves announced a series of roster moves. Today was the deadline for decisions on player and team options. The Braves exercised Charlie Morton's option and declined options for Eddie Rosario, Brad Hand, Collin McHugh, and Kirby Yates.
The #Braves today exercised the option on RHP Charlie Morton’s contract for the 2024 season, and declined options on RHP Collin McHugh, RHP Kirby Yates and OF Eddie Rosario. pic.twitter.com/lM0Rri8x8A
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) November 6, 2023
Jeff Passan broke the news that the Braves were picking up Morton's option earlier today and news of Kirby Yates' option being declined came a few minutes later. Reports that the Braves were declining Brad Hand and Eddie Rosario's options broke yesterday.
Eddie Rosario's tenure with the Braves comes to an end after a very league-average 100 wRC+ season. The 2021 NLCS MVP will always be known for his insane run during that playoff series, as he slashed .560/.607/1.040, but the Braves will now look elsewhere to fill the left field spot.
Collin McHugh struggled in his second season with the Braves, so it's not surprising to see the Braves move on. After pitching 69.1 innings with a 2.60 ERA, McHugh's ERA ballooned to 4.30 in 58.2 innings this season.
Kirby Yates had a 3.28 ERA in 60.1 innings, but his 4.63 ERA suggests he may have been more lucky than good. The Braves might have also wanted more flexibility with the bullpen, as this year, the team had very few relievers with options.
The Braves activate eight players off the IL
The Braves were also required to activate the remaining players on the Injured List. Kolby Allard, Nick Anderson, Yonny Chirinos, Dylan Lee, Tyler Matzek, Michael Soroka, Kyle Wright, and Huascar Ynoa were all activated from the 60-day IL.
Lastly, the Braves claimed left-handed pitcher Angel Perdomo off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates and outrighted Jackson Stephens to Triple-A Gwinnett. Perdomo appeared in 30 games for the Pirates in 2023 and had a 3.72 ERA and 3.01 FIP in 29 innings. Stephens elected free agency.
With the IL activations, the 40-man roster is now full. Any subsequent signings will require another roster move.