Raisel Iglesias Returns to the Atlanta Braves
Veteran closer Raisel Iglesias has reached an agreement to return to the Atlanta Braves on a one-year, $16 million contract, the team announced Wednesday. Iglesias, 35, became a free agent after a season with a slight decline for the Braves, where his earned run average (ERA) rose to 3.21, compared to the 1.95 recorded in 2024. Despite this, he performed well with the Braves for part of four seasons as a closer, accumulating 97 saves, a 15-12 record, and an ERA of 2.35. A significant change in 2025 for Iglesias was the decreased reliance on his slider and changeup. The use of these pitches decreased from 52% of pitches in 2024 to 38% in 2025. Both pitches were notably less effective according to Baseball Savant’s run value, which evaluates each pitch based on its outcome, going from +13 runs in 2024 to -10 runs in 2025.Since 2017, when Iglesias became a full-time closer, he ranks third in MLB in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) for relievers, with 11.8, surpassed only by Edwin Díaz and Josh Hader. In addition, he ranks second in saves (247), behind Kenley Jansen.
Iglesias began his professional career with the Cincinnati Reds, who signed him in June 2014 as an international free agent. He debuted in 2015 and shined with the Reds before moving to the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, where he signed a four-year, $58 million contract and finished 11th in the voting for the American League Cy Young Award. The Angels traded him to the Braves at the 2022 trade deadline.
