The Atlanta Braves have further strengthened their bullpen by signing elite setup man Robert Suarez to a three-year, $45 million contract.

Following the departure of two main relief pitchers after the 2025 season, the Atlanta Braves have put together one of the best setup man and closer duos in baseball.

Robert Suarez has further reinforced the Braves' bullpen today by signing a three-year, $45 million contract. The 34-year-old right-hander will serve as the setup man for closer Raisel Iglesias, who rejoined the Braves in November on a one-year, $16 million deal.

“I had many conversations with other teams,” Suarez said, “but ultimately, I kept hearing so many positive things about the (Braves) clubhouse, this team, the organization, how they treat players, and the city of Atlanta itself. It felt like the right decision for me, and I’m extremely happy. My family shares that happiness as well.”

Under the terms of the contract, Suarez will earn $13 million in 2026 and $16 million each in 2027 and 2028. The veteran reliever recorded 36 saves for the San Diego Padres in 2024 and added 40 more in 2025. He may take on the closer role for the Braves in the final two years of this deal.

Despite his recent success, Suarez is comfortable with being Iglesias’ setup man next season. “I’m willing to do whatever is needed,” Suarez stated. “I just want to help the team win in any capacity. So whatever the team requires, I’m ready to do.”

By making solid financial commitments to both Iglesias and Suarez, the Braves have significantly eased bullpen concerns that arose since November 7, when they declined the $7 million club option on Pierce Johnson and the $5.5 million option on Tyler Kinley. The plan was to reallocate funds more efficiently while rebuilding the bullpen.

Now that the Braves have signed two of the top three relief pitchers available on this winter’s free agent market, it appears they have indeed used their resources wisely.

The announcement of Suarez’s signing came about 16 hours after the Braves revealed the signing of backup outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. Yastrzemski has competed against Suarez several times in the National League West during his years with the San Francisco Giants.

“He’s definitely an ace pitcher,” Yastrzemski remarked. “Whenever I saw him come out of the bullpen, it was never a fun moment. It was like, ‘Alright, I have to really try to get a decent at-bat here.’ You never expect to easily get the better of him. He really intimidates opposing hitters.”

After spending the first six seasons of his career in Mexico and Japan, Suarez signed with the Padres in December 2021. The Venezuelan right-hander made his Major League debut at age 31 the following April. Since then, except for a down year in 2023, he has been one of the best relievers in baseball.

Suarez’s career ERA stands at 2.91, with 77 saves over four MLB seasons. In 12 postseason appearances, the hard-throwing righty posted a 2.45 ERA and recorded three saves. The Padres did not offer Suarez a qualifying offer after this season, so signing him did not involve draft pick compensation or penalties.

His pitching arsenal mainly consists of three pitches: a four-seam fastball, a changeup, and a sinker. Suarez’s best pitch is his four-seam fastball, which averaged 98.6 mph (about 158.7 km/h) last season and contributed +15 in run value. Opponents hit just .155 against this pitch, which he threw 63.4% of the time. Thanks to his 198 cm extension on delivery (ranking in the top 19% of the league last season), his fastball’s perceived velocity is even higher, enhancing its effectiveness. His changeup complements the fastball well, generating a 32.8% swinging strike rate.

In recent years, Suarez has shown positive trends in key metrics. His 27.9% strikeout rate last season was the highest since 2022, while his 5.9% walk rate was a career low. His 2.88 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) in 2025 was also a personal best, marking his second consecutive year as an All-Star.