Left-hander Ian Krol opted to become a free agent rather than accept the Braves’ outright assignment to Triple-A Gwinnett.
It was not unexpected given that Krol, as a player with more than three years of major league service, had the right to become a free agent after being removed from the Braves’ 40-man roster and outrighted over the weekend.
Krol, 26, is coming off a disappointing season in which he posted a 5.33 ERA in 51 appearances, allowing 21 walks and 50 hits including a career-high eight home runs in 49 innings. He had a 6.38 ERA and .952 opponents’ OPS in 18 appearances after July 4 and spend most of August on the disabled list with an oblique strain.
Krol avoided arbitration last winter, agreeing to a $900,000 deal after a solid season in his first year with the Braves -- 3.18 ERA in career-high 63 appearances in 2016.
