Atlanta Braves free agents: Pass or pursue on all five player options

The Atlanta Braves have decisions to make...

When it comes to professional sports contracts, on its face, options appear to be one of the more straightforward elements. Three kinds of options exist in MLB: Club, player, and mutual. Club options mean that a specific year of the deal can be exercised by the team. Player means the player opts in or out of the contract for the year (if they opt out, they enter free agency). Mutual options mean both sides need to agree, otherwise, the player heads to free agency.

While the mechanics of the contract are relatively straightforward, deciding on whether or not to exercise them is not always easy. General managers need to make a decision on those contracts before they know exactly how negotiations with players in the open market might go. It's impossible to say what your realistic alternative options are to option years with certainty.

The best thing to do, it would seem, is exercise options on players you're enthused with as a team, and go ahead and cut ties with players that aren't exactly blowing the doors off with their performance, hoping the open market or trades can supplement any remaining needs.

Let's look at all the options available to the Braves this year and make an assessment of whether they should pick the option up or let it go.

Brand Hand, RP: Mutual $7 million option

Brad Hand has a mutual option for $7 million in 2024. This one is simple: Pass. Hand made $2 million this season and won't command even close to seven on the open market after appearing in just 53.2 innings this past year for the Colorado Rockies and Braves.

Hand put up a 5.53 ERA and 1.416 WHIP. He was a below-average pitcher this season.

If the Braves really want to take a flier on the veteran pitcher, they could just seek to renegotiate with him in the open market.

Verdict: Hard pass