Braves rumors: 3 players who are playing their way out of 2024 roster consideration

Braves rumors: There’s a few reasons Collin McHugh won’t be on the roster next season

The Braves bullpen has been rather good this season, with Collin McHugh being a decently big piece of that puzzle. But his spot on the roster isn’t set in stone for next season and there’s a few different reasons why.

First and foremost, McHugh is playing on a team option contract, where the Braves could opt out of paying him the $6 million option that he has. But why would Atlanta do that if McHugh has an ERA right around 3.75? Well, a bit of a deeper dive into his season would show that ERA isn’t a good determining factor for a pitcher’s success, especially a relief pitcher.

McHugh’s FIP is a few ticks higher than his ERA, which shows a bit of luck and future regression to the mean. To go along with that, McHugh is getting hit around this season, allowing over a hit an inning on his way to a 1.50 WHIP. A dependable bullpen arm typically has a WHIP of 1.2 or below, with 1.2 being on the higher end. At 36 years old, the veteran will likely regress next season and Atlanta knows this. His roster spot is far from guaranteed, especially with Atlanta’s top 7 prospects all being pitchers.