Braves' Joel Payamps: Back with Atlanta on one-year deal
Rotowire
Atlanta signed Payamps to a one-year, $2.25 million contract Sunday.
Payamps joined Atlanta as a waiver claim in late September and was outrighted to Triple-A on Nov. 6. That move was likely made by the team to avoid an arbitration hearing, as the $2.25 million agreed to by the sides Sunday is probably less than what the veteran reliever would have received in arbitration. Regardless, Payamps now seems ticketed for a role in Atlanta's bullpen in 2026. He's had plenty of major-league success but will be looking to rebound from a career-worst 2025 campaign during which he posted a 6.84 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 24:9 K:BB over 26.1 innings across 30 appearances between Atlanta and Milwaukee.
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Braves' Joel Payamps: Outrighted to Triple-A
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Atlanta outrighted Payamps to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.
Payamps has the ability to decline the outright assignment and elect free agency, which he seems likely to do. The 31-year-old reliever held a 6.84 ERA over 30 appearances between Milwaukee and Atlanta in 2025, but a 2.78 ERA over 137 regular-season appearances for the Brewers across 2023 and 2024 should be enough for a team to take a flier on the righty.
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Braves' Joel Payamps: Claimed by Atlanta
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Atlanta claimed Payamps off waivers from the Brewers on Monday.
Payamps was a staple in the Milwaukee bullpen from 2023 to 2024, holding a 2.78 ERA and 136:35 K:BB over 129.2 innings. However, he's experienced sharp regression in 2025, posting a 7.23 ERA with the Brewers and spending much of the campaign in the minors. Atlanta will give him a look in the final week of the season and could keep him for 2026, as well, if it wants to tender the reliever a contract in his final year of arbitration eligibility.
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Brewers' Joel Payamps: DFA'd by Crew
Rotowire
The Brewers designated Payamps for assignment Saturday.
Payamps owns a 7.23 ERA and 1.61 WHIP through 23.2 innings in the big leagues this year, though he gave up just two runs in 5.1 frames during his latest run with the big club. He'll now lose his place on the 40-man roster for the second time this season, freeing up space for Bruce Zimmermann.
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Brewers' Joel Payamps: Back in big-league bullpen
Rotowire
The Brewers selected Payamps' contract from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.
Payamps was removed from the Brewers' 40-man roster back in May after holding an 8.35 ERA and 1.69 WHIP through 18.1 innings with the big club. However, he's made his way back to the majors after posting a 4.73 ERA and 30:6 K:BB across 26.2 frames with Nashville.
Payamps cleared waivers Thursday and was sent outright to Triple-A Nashville, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
The Brewers kicked Payamps off their 40-man roster last Thursday after he'd accumulated an 8.35 ERA and 1.69 WHIP through 18.1 innings. No team was willing to take on the remainder of his $2.995 million salary for that level of performance, so he'll remain in the organization and attempt to earn his way back into the big leagues with Nashville.
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Brewers' Joel Payamps: Booted from 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Brewers designated Payamps for assignment Thursday.
After turning in a 2.78 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across his first two seasons with the Brewers, Payamps hasn't been anywhere near as effective in 2025, giving up 17 earned runs in only 18.1 innings. His poor performance will ultimately cost him his spot on the 26-man and 40-man rosters, though his previous success could make him a waiver target for other teams in need of bullpen help.
Brewers' Joel Payamps: Gets back on track with save
Rotowire
Payamps picked up the save after throwing a clean ninth inning Thursday against the Reds. He struck out one.
With closer Trevor Megill having worked each of the past two days, Payamps got the call to preserve a narrow 1-0 lead in the ninth inning and made quick work of Cincinnati on just 11 pitches (nine strikes). It was the first save of the year for Payamps, who got back on track Thursday after yielding five runs in his first three frames of the campaign. The right-hander is likely to remain a setup man for the Brewers throughout 2025, but he appears to be the next man up for ninth-inning work on occasions when Megill is unavailable.
Payamps allowed two earned runs over an inning of relief in Monday's Cactus League loss to the Padres.
Payamps opened the exhibition season with three straight scoreless outings, but he was touched up for a couple runs in his fourth appearance. Payamps was a steady presence near the back end of Milwaukee's bullpen the last two years, over which he racked up 10 wins and nine saves. He figures to fill a similar role in 2025 and will likely open the campaign as the setup man in front of closer Trevor Megill.
Payamps agreed to a one-year, $2.995 million contract with the Brewers on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Payamps gave up just three runs (two earned) in 21 innings over the final two months of the 2024 regular season, allowing him to finish the year with a 3.05 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. With Devin Williams now in the Bronx, Trevor Megill is likely the Brewers' new go-to option for saves, though Payamps may be asked to handle the ninth inning at times over the course of the season.
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