This coming offseason will be very strange, and not just for the Atlanta Braves. With a lockout extremely likely to begin at the beginning of December, odds are increasing that we will see a whirlwind of activity on the free agent and trade markets before the lockout sets in. In some respects, it could be similar to having another trade deadline in some ways, although the uncertainty around the CBA could lead some teams to be a bit cautious.
So what does all of that mean for the Braves? Well, aside from the fact that the Braves may have to act very quickly once the season ends to get the players they really want, Atlanta will also have to manage their upcoming payroll very carefully. Before that happens, it is important to dive into where the Braves' 2027 payroll stands heading into the offseason. In short, like most things, it is complicated.
Here is where the Braves' payroll for 2027 stands heading into the offseason
Now, there is definitely some uncertainty here, so all of these figures are estimates, especially until we get a sense of baseline changes in the upcoming CBA, such as a potential salary cap, salary floor, or changes to league minimums and/or arbitration. All salary figures included here are courtesy of Spotrac. If you are a diehard Cot's Contracts enjoyer and prefer to use their godforsaken user "interface", you will find no arguments here.
Estimated Value of Guaranteed Contracts: $152,616,667
Estimated Luxury Tax Guaranteed Contract Payroll: $172,783,333
This is pretty straightforward, as you simply take the value of all of the guaranteed money on the Braves' 2027 payroll and add it all up. Chris Sale leads the way with $27 million to top Atlanta's payroll, with Austin Riley ($21.2 million) and Matt Olson ($21 million) coming in second and third, respectively.
Aside from Riley's contract, which seems untradeable at the moment, the Braves have a few salaries that could be on the chopping block if the Braves get their way. At the top of that list is Jurickson Profar who, unless he embraces true stupidity and gets popped for PEDs again, is scheduled to make $14 million in 2027. Spencer Strider's $12.5 million a year for the next few seasons could get moved, like it apparently almost was at the trade deadline, and Reynaldo Lopez's $10 million next season feels like a rental contract Atlanta could try to send elsewhere if his shoulder holds up.
Braves 2027 Contract Options
- Ronald Acuña Jr. - $17 million
- Ozzie Albies - $7 million
You might as well include these salaries in the guaranteed money section, because there is little mystery with the Braves' decisions on their two contract options. Getting Acuña Jr. for $17 million and Albies for $7 million are no-brainers even with Albies' diminished production. At worst, both contracts would be incredibly easy to move if needed.
Braves Pending Free Agents (with 2026 salaries)
- Ha-Seong Kim ($20 million)
- Raisel Iglesias ($16 million)
- Mauricio Dubon ($6.1 million)
- Martin Perez ($3.05 million)
- Tyler Mahle ($10 million)
- Dominic Smith ($1.25 million)
- Kyle Farmer ($1.25 million)
- Brent Suter ($1.25 million)
- Joe Jimenez ($8.67 million)
- Lane Thomas ($5.25 million)
This is where things get a little hard to parse. On one hand, the Braves are freeing up over $72 million in payroll just from the guys that are about to hit free agency. That sounds exciting, right? Well, the problem is that that money is definitely “free” of specific future obligations, but to get that flexibility, the Braves are giving up both of their players who play shortstop, 40% of their starting rotation, including their second-best starter, their closer, and several key role players.
Someone has to play at those spots for the Braves, and the external alternatives for a few of them (Tyler Mahle, Mauricio Dubon, and Martin Perez) will probably be pricier than their predecessors. The one name that is new extra money is Joe Jimenez, who the Braves have been paying but have gotten nothing from for two straight seasons because of his knee injury. It also feels likely that the Braves can do better than the $20 million they gave Ha-Seong Kim for 2026.
Braves 2027 Arbitration-Eligible Players
- Dylan Lee
- Joey Wentz
- Bryce Elder
With the Braves' strategy of locking up their young guys still in full effect, the Braves don't really have that many arbitration-eligible players for the 2027 season. Dylan Lee being offered arbitration is going to happen, and it feels likely that Bryce Elder will come back as well if his knee is actually okay, given that he will be cheap rotation depth that the team is familiar with.
That leaves Joey Wentz, who hasn't really been a factor in the Braves' plans for a while and who has missed the entire season with a torn ACL. Given the Braves potentially needing to free up some payroll, don't be shocked if Wentz ends up getting non-tendered.
The final Braves 2027 payroll verdict (with a twist)
So where does that leave the Braves? Well, we don't actually know. Part of the problem is that the CBA is going to have new rules in place, which may or may not include a salary cap or increases in pay for those under team control. Predicting what those numbers are going to look like this far out is basically impossible, and whether or not it is a soft or hard cap changes the projections considerably.
Arguably the bigger issue with figuring out how much payroll space the Braves will have next year is the new tax bill that they are going to have to pay as a publicly traded company. That is likely to be in excess of $20 million, and some investors are already trying to get the team sold or, at minimum, moved back to being private before that tax hurts the team's ability to invest in their roster.
You can probably bet that the Braves will have a top-10 payroll once the dust settles, as the team is too good and too profitable to do anything else. That said, the details haven't been this up in the air regarding the Braves' room to spend in a long time.
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