Braves named as top fit for free agent left-handed pitcher

The Atlanta Braves have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, from retaining key free agents like Max Fried and Marcell Ozuna to picking up new players to bolster their roster.

Adding new players is largely dependent on who Atlanta brings back (specifically Fried), but that might not be the case for each player.

One player who’s already being talked about as a top fit for Atlanta is Matthew Boyd.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic listed the Braves as one of the best fits for the veteran left-hander, which paints a picture of what’s expected from Atlanta this offseason.

If the Braves can hold on to Fried and convince Charlie Morton to come back for another season, they’d also have Chris Sale, Spencer Strider returning from Tommy John surgery, Reynaldo Lopez, and Spencer Schwellenbach.

That means there’s either trepidation about Atlanta re-signing Fried, or Boyd is being viewed as a potential bullpen piece.

Either way, he’d be a smart investment for the Braves.

Boyd is projected to earn a one-year, $10 million contract, according to Bowden, and he was phenomenal for the Cleveland Guardians this past season once he was finally healthy — posting a 2.72 ERA, A 1.13 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts to 13 walks across 39 2/3 innings down the stretch of the regular season.

"Matthew Boyd really increased his value in the postseason as he logged a 0.77 ERA over three starts (11 2/3 innings),” writes Bowden. “With a deceptive delivery and an arsenal that includes a fastball, changeup and slider, Boyd commands the strike zone well, adding and subtracting with unique shapes and sizes. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2023 but now looks healthy with a good mindset.”

Considering that Strider will likely have to be eased back into starting games and Sale has a concerning injury history, it would be foolish to not have a backup option like Boyd.

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