The Braves are continuing to tinker with their bullpen mix, signing right-hander Ian Hamilton to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. To make room on the 40-man roster, Atlanta designated Anthony Molina for assignment, running him through waivers earlier in the day. Hamilton, 30, joins the club with plenty to prove and a bit of upside if he can recapture his best form.
Hamilton was non-tendered by the Yankees last month, hitting free agency despite a projected arbitration salary barely above the league minimum. The move came after a season that saw him spend the final two months in Triple-A.
Before the demotion, he logged 40 innings across 36 appearances for New York, posting a 4.28 ERA. The strikeout numbers were solid - he fanned 25% of the batters he faced - but the walk rate was a red flag, climbing to 13.3%.
That kind of traffic on the bases is tough to survive in high-leverage spots.
This will be Hamilton’s seventh season in the majors, having previously pitched for the White Sox, Twins, and Yankees. His most impressive run came in 2023, when he carved out a 2.64 ERA and struck out nearly 29% of hitters in a breakout campaign for New York.
But consistency has been elusive. Over the past year, his groundball rate dropped, and the walks became more of an issue - a tough combo for a reliever who leans on a 95-96 mph sinker that hasn’t missed as many barrels as you’d like.
That said, there’s still something to work with. Hamilton’s slider continues to generate strong swing-and-miss numbers, and if he can harness the command and get back to inducing grounders, there’s a path to meaningful innings.
But the clock is ticking. The 2025 season marks the end of his minor league option years, which means if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, the Braves will have to make a decision: trade him, expose him to waivers, or risk losing him for nothing.
Hamilton has between three and five years of MLB service time, giving him the right to refuse an outright assignment and elect free agency if he clears waivers. But that would mean walking away from his contract - a tough call for a player trying to stick in a crowded bullpen.
And make no mistake, the Braves' bullpen picture is already packed. Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, and Aaron Bummer are locked into late-inning roles.
Dylan Lee still has minor league options, but he’s expected to be on the roster. Meanwhile, Hamilton joins a group of arms - Joel Payamps, Danny Young, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, José Suarez, and Joey Wentz - who are all out of options.
That’s a lot of competition for a limited number of spots.
Unless injuries shake things up during Spring Training, the Braves are going to have some tough calls to make. Hamilton’s contract gives them flexibility, but his path to sticking with the big league club will come down to performance.
If he shows flashes of the 2023 version of himself, Atlanta could have a controllable bullpen piece through 2028. If not, he may find himself on the move again.
For now, it’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward play for Atlanta - and a chance for Hamilton to prove he still belongs in a major league bullpen.