The Atlanta Braves lost right-hander Joel Payamps to free agency on Tuesday, just days after the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated them from the National League Division Series.
MLB.com confirmed the move with a straightforward note: “RHP Joel Payamps elected free agency.”
The 32-year-old pitcher struggled badly in his limited major league time this year. He finished with an 8.22 ERA and nine strikeouts across 7 2/3 innings in 12 appearances for Atlanta.
Payamps allowed nine hits and seven earned runs while posting a 1.70 WHIP. He went 0-2 and did not record a save.
Those numbers stand in sharp contrast to his overall major league career. Over eight seasons, Payamps owns a 3.55 ERA with 253 strikeouts in 276 2/3 innings across 261 games.
He has pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers and Braves since his 2019 debut.
The Braves claimed Payamps off waivers from the Brewers late in the 2025 season. He made two scoreless-leaning appearances totaling 2 2/3 innings for Atlanta that September, allowing one earned run.
After electing free agency following that campaign, he returned to the Braves on a one-year, $2.25 million deal for 2026.
Atlanta designated him for assignment in early May after the rough start. He cleared waivers and spent most of the remainder of the year with Triple-A Gwinnett, where he went 6-2 with a 3.89 ERA in 39 1/3 innings over 34 outings.
Payamps previously enjoyed stronger stretches as a high-leverage reliever with Milwaukee. He posted a 2.55 ERA in 70 2/3 innings in 2023 and a 3.05 ERA over 59 innings in 2024.
He also appeared in the postseason with the Brewers in both of those years. In 2023 he threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings; the following year he allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings across two outings.
The Braves won 94 games and the NL East under first-year manager Walt Weiss this season before falling to the Dodgers in four games in the Division Series. Los Angeles advanced with a 4-1 victory in Game 4 on Oct. 7 at Truist Park.
Payamps, a native of Santiago in the Dominican Republic, now enters the open market as one of several relievers available after Atlanta’s early exit. The club faces multiple free-agent decisions this winter involving both pitchers and position players.
His departure comes as the Braves look to rebuild bullpen depth while managing salary commitments that include rising contracts for several key players already under control for 2027.
