00:00The Braves bring back star reliever. Fans are buzzing.
00:04The Braves have taken a measured gamble on experience and potential by bringing back right-handed reliever Johal Piams on a one-year, $2.25 million deal for the 2026 season.
00:15The move, announced this afternoon, marks a reunion with a pitcher the team briefly tested late in 2025 after claiming him off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers.
00:25Piams, 31, returns to a Braves bullpen undergoing major off-season turnover.
00:31Atlanta declined options on Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley, leaving Raycel Iglesias as the lone-established right-handed arm.
00:37And with Joe Jimenez's early-season status uncertain, the team had clear depth concerns.
00:43Gaps Piams could help fill if he rebounds.
00:45He's coming off the worst season of his career, logging a 6.84 ERA and 7.15 XERA, over 26.1 innings in 30 appearances for Milwaukee and Atlanta.
00:57His strikeout rate dropped, his barrel rate spiked, and in his brief two-game stint with the Braves, he allowed a home run and struck out two across two-and-two-thirds innings.
01:08Yet context matters. Between 2021 and 2024, Piams carved out a reputation as a dependable mid-to-late inning arm.
01:17His strikeout rate exceeded 25% in both 2023 and 2024, and his expected fielding independent pitching remained under 4.00, clear evidence of sustained effectiveness beneath the surface.
01:29Atlanta's choice to cut and then re-sign Piams on a modest deal reflects a depth-focused strategy, rather than a major bullpen investment.
01:38Now with six teams on his resume since debuting with the Diamondbacks in 2019, he's moved through various roles across the league.
01:47If he rebounds, he could provide needed support behind Iglesias. If not, Atlanta's financial risk remains low.
01:53The Braves are essentially wagering that his familiarity and experience can produce one more productive stint.
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