Atlanta Braves sign former Toronto Blue Jays right-hander


Joel Payamps pitching for the Blue Jays

Photo credit: https://www.rds.ca

The right-handed relief pitcher has signed a one-year, $2.25MM deal to return to the Atlanta Braves.Payamps appeared in two games for Atlanta season, after the Braves picked him up off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers in the final week of the season. He had a 3.38 ERA in 2.2 innings pitched in a pair of appearances.

The #Braves today agreed to terms with RHP Joel Payamps on a one-year contract worth $2.25 million for the 2026 season.

Prior to that, Payamps had spent the last 2.5 seasons in Milwaukee. While his first two seasons went great, going 10-12 with a 2.80 and nine saves in 137 games, he regressed in 2025, a season which saw his ERA balloon to 7.23. Unable to recover, he was designated for assignment in September.

Payamps came to the Brewers via a trade with the Oakland Athletics in a three-team deal that also ironically involved Atlanta that saw the Braves get catcher Sean Murphy, while former Atlanta catcher William Contreras ended up in Milwaukee.The 31-year old from the Dominican Republic made his major league debut as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks back in 2019.After appearing in two games in 2019 and other two in 2020, he was cut loose by the snakes and claimed off waivers by the Boston Red Sox, who then DFA’d him three months later.

Payamps pitched for Blue Jays in 2021

He was then picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays, then the Red Sox, then the Blue Jays again and pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 22 appearances before being DFA’d the following July.

Expect Payamps to be a mid-to-late inning reliever for the Braves in 2026.

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Atlanta Braves sign former Toronto Blue Jays right-hander

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