Braves Have Easy Decision to Make this Offseason with Tyler Mahle

The Atlanta Braves hit the nail on the head with their acquisition of Tyler Mahle. With some key adjustments to his arsenal, he's turned into one of the best starters in baseball since the trade deadline.

He's the clear No. 2 starter for the team and, along with Chris Sale, is the most reliable option to call upon for the postseason. Now that they know what they have, they'd be wise to keep him around.

This isn't to say we can expect this strong of a run over a full season. A 1.28 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP are unsustainable. That's something most of us are likely going to agree on. But even if he's half as good as he is now, they have a really good starting pitcher on their hands.

Those aformentioned adjustments to his arsenal, emphasis on his fastball and splitter, have shown sustained effectiveness. Players always needs to keep making adjustments, but it's safe to say he's not on some fluke run.

He has an injury history, so there is an argument that he may not being more certainty to the starting rotation. The extra option helps, but that's something that should be taken into account, at least in deciding how much to give him and for how long to extend him.

His 26 starts this season are the most he has made in five years, when he made 33 starts in 2021. His 144 innings and counting, in turn, are the most he's thrown since he clock 180 in 2021 as well.

Even he sticks around, there is an expectation that he might miss some time at some point until proven otherwise.

It's a move that comes with risk, but with how he's pitching, it could be a risk worth taking.

What is a Reasonable Contract for Mahle?

Mahle will make $10 million on his one-year contract this season. The Braves are on the hook for about $2 million of it. With how he's pitched, it would come with a pay increase, but even a modest bump would still be a solid deal.

Part of his current contract structure could help bridge a deal that is friendly to both parties.

He receives bonuses for reaching certain inning thresholds, two of which he's crossed. He has them for 100, 125 and 150 innings. The last one will likely come this upcoming start. He needs to pitch six innings.

These thresholds come with a $500,000 bonus and then $1 million more each time. This brings his contract to a total of $12.5 million before other incentives. He would have received $100,000 for making the All-Star team, and he could received $50,000 more if he is named Comeback Player of the Year.

Providing these types of bonuses in a new deal would provide Mahle will extra money if he stays healthy and effective while keeping the inital cost down for the Braves.

The base salary, as mentioned before, would need to increase. I think a 50% bump to $15 million per season would work. For length, maybe one or two years guarateed with a club option worth the same amount.

That would keep him around for a few seasons to bolster the rotation as younger arms continue to develop.

Regardless of whether or not it comes before or after the lockout, it's safe to say that it's an extension that needs to get done before opening day of next season. If he's shutdown in the postseason, then it would become even more pressing.

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