Which 2024 club options does Atlanta pick up this offseason?

This one isn't up to Atlanta, I don't think - The 40 year-old Morton has indicated not being sure as to his future and whether or not he'll come back for another season. He performed well enough for Atlanta to feel good rolling the dice if Morton wants to give it one more run towards a title, and it's possible he doesn't want to career to end the way his season did, with him on the injured list while Atlanta got blasted. 

Prediction: Atlanta picks up the option and Morton pitches in 2024

Here comes the first tough decision in this group. Rosario, 32, was a key piece of the 2021 World Series run, but has underwhelmed at times during an injury-riddled 2022 and streaky 2023. Atlanta platooned Rosario pretty hard, with him in the lineup only five games against left-handed starters. 

For a team that spent last season just over the $246M luxury tax and paid a tax bill of $2.6M, do they want to spend $9M on a platoon bat? It doesn't feel likely. I wouldn't be surprised if the Braves tried to retain him for a lesser amount, however. 

Prediction: Atlanta declines the option, but tries to re-sign Rosario anyway

This is the first of the bullpen-related options Atlanta needs to decide on, and also the one that's probably hardest for the Braves to decide on. 

The 36 year-old Kirby Yates performed well for Atlanta in 2023, pitching in 61 games with a 7-2 record and 3.28 ERA. He was the "back-up" closer when the main high-leverage group of Raisel Iglesias, AJ Minter, and Joe Jimenez were all unavailable, and he converted five of eight save opportunities in those situations. 

This one feels like the most likely to be picked up, simply because Yates, while not back to the "leading the league in saves with 41" form of 2019, is a useful piece to retain in a bullpen that stands to potentially lose a LOT of pieces between this offseason and next. 

Prediction: Atlanta picks up the option for 2024

Ah, a mutual option - they're rarely picked up simply because both the player and team have to agree on the value, and either the player thinks they're worth more or the team thinks that can replace that player for cheaper on the open market. 

Hand was acquired at the trade deadline from Colorado and the trade triggered this mutual option to vest in the contract - Hand's twenty games in Atlanta saw him pitch to a 7.50 ERA and he'd be, at best, the fourth lefty in the bullpen behind AJ Minter and the duo of Dylan Lee and Tyler Matzek, who are both expected back on the mound in spring training. 

Prediction: Atlanta declines the option, paying the $500k buyout. 

Simply put, I don't think there's any way Atlanta retains McHugh. His age 36 season, his 2nd in Atlanta, saw his ERA climb from 2022's 2.60 to 4.30 with both his strikeout rate plummeting from 9.7 K/9 to 7.2 K/9 and his walk rate jumping from 1.8 BB/9 to 3.4 BB/9. The Braves can get better production for significantly cheaper than $6M on the open market. 

Prediction: Atlanta declines the option, paying the $1M buyout.