Will Smith has been a dominant closer for the Giants the past two seasons, and now the Atlanta Braves hope he’ll be one for them after making the first big free agent signing of the offseason.
He made the All-Star team last season and saved 34 games. He’s had a sub-3 ERA with an elite strikeout rate. He was widely regarded as the top potential free-agent relief pitcher going into this offseason.
This is a big move by General Manager Alex Anthopoulos. The move should push Mark Melancon down to the setup role (despite what recent reports say) and means the Atlanta Braves will have about $27 million invested in the back end of the bullpen for 2020.