The Atlanta Braves announced that they have signed reliever Joe Jimenez to a three-year contract worth $26 million.

Joe Jimenez will make $8 million in 2024, then $9 million in each of the last two years of the deal, according to the Braves' release. Jimenes has agreed to donate 1% of his salary to the Atlanta Braves Foundation as well.

In 2023, Jimenez pitched with the Braves for the first time, appearing in 59 games and putting up a 3.04 ERA, which was by far the best of his career, according to Baseball Reference. He previously spent six years with the Detroit Tigers, struggling in some of them, especially 2017, 2020 and 2021. He improved in 2022, pitching in 62 games and putting up a 3.49 ERA in his last season with the Tigers, but it was not close to what he did with the Braves in 2023.

The Braves clearly thin they have found something with Jimenez, so they wanted to lock him in for the next few years at a price that is not very expensive. He was scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, but with the Braves getting a deal done with him a day after the World Series ended, Jimenez did not talk to other teams.

This year, Atlanta was knocked out in the divisional series by the Philadelphia Phillies for the second year in a row. Atlanta has one of the most talented teams in baseball, and it won the World Series in 2021, but the Phillies have been a problem for the Braves in the playoffs over the last two seasons.

Locking in Jimenez is the first move of the offseason for the Braves, as they hope to have more postseason success in 2024.