The Atlanta Braves continued their aggressive offseason approach on Wednesday, reportedly agreeing to a deal with free-agent starting pitcher Cole Hamels.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Hamels heads to Atlanta on a one-year deal worth $18 million.
Hamels, who will be pitching in his age-36 season next year, is coming off a 2019 campaign that saw him record a 3.81 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and post a 143/56 K/BB ratio across 141.2 innings with the Chicago Cubs.
The veteran could have landed a multi-year deal this offseason, but opted to sign with a contender on a one-year deal. He joins a team that strengthened its bullpen with All-Star reliever Will Smith, re-signed Chris Martin and signed Travis d’Arnaud as its new catcher.
While he battled shoulder soreness last season, Hamels will provide further stability to Atlanta’s rotation and postseason experience. He also demonstrated he can still miss bats with a 9.08 K/9 and a 23.2 percent strikeout rate.