Braves sign RHP Collin McHugh

The Atlanta Braves bolstered their pitching staff by signing right-hander Collin McHugh to a two-year contract.

The Atlanta Braves have had an eventful week. They moved on from longtime first baseman Freddie Freeman and traded for his replacement in Matt Olson. On Tuesday, the Braves signed Olson to a lucrative eight-year contract. That was not the only deal that the organization finalized that day.

Later Tuesday, the Braves announced that they have signed former Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Collin McHugh to a two-year contract worth $10 million guaranteed. The deal also includes a $6 million option for the 2024 season.

Braves announce signing of RHP Collin McHugh

This is a homecoming for McHugh, as he is an Atlanta resident who played high school baseball in Lilburn, Ga.

McHugh spent the majority of his career with the Houston Astros from the 2014 season until the conclusion of the 2019 campaign. In 2020, he joined the Boston Red Sox, but he did not play a single game that year due to an elbow injury.

Last year, McHugh signed a one-year, $1.8 million deal with the Rays. McHugh appeared in 37 games for the eventual AL East Champions and started in seven of them. The right-hander recorded a 1.55 ERA, a 0.938 WHIP, 74 strikeouts and 12 walks in 64.0 innings of work.

Overall, McHugh owns a 3.77 ERA, a 1.299 WHIP, a 64-44 win-loss record and 845 strikeouts over 864.2 innings of work throughout his nine year career.

With Atlanta looking to defend their World Series title this year, sans Freeman, they bring in McHugh to bolster their pitching staff.