Ex-Braves reliever Mark Melancon has a new home, and it’s not ATL

Former Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres rehab Mark Melancon has agreed to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks in free agency.

You can’t accuse Mark Melancon of chasing a ring this season.

After playing for the All-Star with the Padres, the reliever is heading to Arizona for the Diamondbacks, by Ken Rosenthal.

Mark Melancon turned down the Braves to join the Diamondbacks

Jeff Passan added some details about the agreement. Melancon is expected to raise $14 million in two years.

That ended some people’s hopes that Melancon would return to Atlanta with the aim of helping them compete for another World Series.

Melancon joined the Braves in 2019 through a commercial transaction and made 23 appearances for the team in 2020. He joined the company as a free agent in 2021 and joined San Diego for a year.

The terms of the deal essentially kept him out of it brave. Atlanta is said to have discussed the possibility of bringing him back. Even at the time, there were questions about whether they would cancel the contract he was seeking.

Payday is coming after his stellar season with the Padres. He leads the MLB with 39 saves with an ERA of 2.23.

Melancon is 36 years old this year and will be 37 in the 2022 season. He made his debut with the Yankees in 2009 and has spent time with the Astros, Red Sox, Pirates, Nationals, Giants, Braves and Padres and received four All-Star nods throughout the ride. He’s going to add the Diamondbacks to that list.