Alex Anthopoulos didn’t leave the Winter Meetings with a pitcher, but he was plenty busy in Nashville and has likely made more roster moves than any other GM in baseball. Still, it’s easy to be frustrated as a Braves fan when Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray, and Eduardo Rodriguez, who were good fits for the team, come off the board.
Still, there are plenty of free agent options for the 2024 season. And while most aren’t as strong as the aforementioned 3, they’re still a lot of mid-rotation guys that can help the team. Surely between this bunch, the Braves will find someone:
- Mike Clevinger
- Lucas Giolito
- Clayton Kershaw
- Seth Lugo
- Tyler Mahle (out for majority of season)
- Jordan Montgomery
- Blake Snell
- Marcus Stroman
- Michael Wacha
- Hyun-Jin Ryu
Who’s your pick in this group?
Braves Signings
I said it before and I’ll repeat: Nothing AA does is ever without purpose. Both Penn Murfee and Angel Perdoma were claimed just days before the tender deadline, then surprisingly they were non-tendered. My guess is AA made them an offer but they wanted to galavant around the league before taking the offer. Both came back! Perdomo is the 3rd player this offseason that has signed a split contract (Jackson Stephens and Murfee are the other 2). Since Perdomo is out of options, here is what AA can do with him:
- Leave him on the 40-man on the 60-day IL for the year. He would get a year of ML service (ending the year at 2.131) and the full amount of the major league salary on his split-contract.
- Outright him to AAA. He would NOT get ML service and he would be paid the minor league salary on his split-contract (This is different from Ian Anderson in 2023. Anderson had minor league options left, so the Braves simply optioned him to AAA before he got injured and they never recalled him. He didn’t get any service time and made minor league salary all year. The only thing it cost them was an option year).
The other part of this trade is that Evan White was outrighted off the 40-man roster. Here are the ramifications according to Boggy of Knockahoma Nation:
- Evan White CBT payroll: He’s owed $17M total over 2 years. So that’s $8.5M AAV.
- Seattle sent $4.5M and it’s split over 2 years. So that’s $2.25M AAV.
- White’s total CBT hit for 2024 and 2025 is: $8.5M minus $2.25M = $6.25M
- Marco Gonzales CBT payroll: $9.25M sent to PIT $0.25M assignment bonus when acquired in the first trade.
- Total CBT hit for 2024: $9.5M Total CBT ramifications of the Kelenic trade: 2024: $15.75M plus Kelenic’s salary. 2025: $6.25M plus Kelenic’s salary.
32 year old Leury Garcia is a glove-first utility type that has spent most of his career in the White Sox organization and has logged innings at every position except 1B. He’ll come into camp to compete for the 26th man spot.
Jorge Juan has been a part of the A’s organization for 5 years and has now left the dark side to join the light. He’s likely just org depth, but does have an elite fastball….that he cannot control at all.
Zach Logue has spent time in the Toronto, Detroit, and Oakland orgs and received call-ups with Oakland and Detroit with horrifying results. Looks like org depth with really hairy arms.
Braves After Tyler Glasnow?!
While some are skeptical of Bleacher Nation, this info actually came from the Rays beatwriter. I’ve come around to the idea of Tyler Glasnow, especially if the Braves are thinking of utilizing a 6-man rotation over parts of the year. Glasnow is one of the most fragile pitchers in the bigs, but if the Braves could lower his innings and keep him healthy, what a weapon he could be in the playoffs.
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Thanks Alex. Forgot.
First, thanks to all who enable my Braves habit here on the Journal. I couldn’t make it a day without my Braves Journal fix.
I’m ready to sign Lugo. I’d love Yamamoto. Ain’t happening and Lugo could. I’m ready to settle.
Has AA ever actually made a deal that was rumored by the press?
Rumors about the Sean Murphy trade leaked about 24 hours before it was officially announced. That sort of thing has happened a few other times as well.
Lol
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39056004/phillies-bryce-harper-eyes-extension-deal-up
https://x.com/SamBlum3/status/1733278060395610574?s=20
Whut
That is seemingly the most head-scratching deal AA has ever made. I’ll grant that Fletcher is more usable than White but Nicky Lopez would have been cheaper. Both are exceptional fielders so maybe one or the other might stick. I assume that they might be flipped too. Just not sure where AA is going. I hope wherever it is ends with an ace SP. Unless both players can be flipped, we just took on twice White’s salary to get rid of White. I think multiple teams are looking for catching help, though.
Oddly, this deal makes a lot of sense if the Angels throw in a few bucks and TdA retires to become a coach (we need a few coaches). Also, the Angels were desperate to get a couple of guys off their 40-man while the Braves have room.
The Braves could try to pass both through waivers to see if anyone will pick up their contracts.
I have no idea what’s going on with this team
How about Elder, AJSS, and Stassi for Cease?
In AA I trust.
I also, Timo. Give them heck, AA.
obviously Fletcher is Ohtani’s best friend and by acquiring him we’ve now become frontrunners to sign him. Genius move by AA.