The Atlanta Braves have secured All-Star closer Robert Suarez on a three-year, $45 million contract, the team announced Thursday. To make room for Suarez on the 40-man roster, the Braves designated left-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison for assignment.
Suarez, 34, had a standout 2025 season with the San Diego Padres, recording a 4-6 record, a 2.97 ERA, and a league-leading 40 saves across 70 appearances. In 2024, he posted a 9-3 record, a 2.77 ERA, and 36 saves in 65 outings, earning his first of two All-Star selections. The veteran right-handed reliever joins a Braves bullpen that struggled last season, posting the seventh-worst ERA (4.19) in the National League, while Suarez was part of a Padres bullpen that led MLB with a 3.06 ERA.
Suarez is set to earn $13 million in 2026 and $16 million in both 2027 and 2028, with the Braves noting that he will donate 1% of his salary to the Atlanta Braves Foundation. He is expected to serve primarily as a setup man for closer Raisel Iglesias, who went 4-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 29 saves over 70 appearances last season and led the National League with 57 games finished in 2025. Iglesias recently signed a one-year, $16 million deal with Atlanta in November.