If you’re on Twitter/X, make sure to follow @knockahomantn for payroll and CBT updates as there’s no better option to give up to date Braves payroll stuff than Boggy!
For anyone that would like a full breakdown of all the trades AA has made recently, this is from Boggy, whose payroll sheet is in our tabs in the header.
I love you guys, mostly b/c it makes me remember I’m not the only nerd who wants to know this crap. Adulting has gotten in the way of me getting my Spreadsheet up-to-date, but I’m getting there and some down time at the office in the next week should help.
Here’s What I Know so Far
Brent is right – the $4.5M from SEA in the original Kelenic trade stays with ATL to offset White’s salary (this is a function of a rule about cash considerations in the CBT, as Brent noted above). ATL sent $9.25M to PIT and gave MG a $250k assignment bonus. So MG’s 2024 Cash & CBT payroll hit for ATL is $9.5M.
Braves also add $17M guaranteed for White ($7M 2024, $8M 2025, $2M buyout 2026); AAV = $8.5M. The $4.5M from SEA gets pro-rated over 2024 & 2025, so it’s $8.5M – $2.25M for a true CBT hit of $6.25M
The Los Angeles Angel Trade
- Add David Fletcher: $14M guaranteed ($6M 2024, $6.5M 2025, $1.5M buyout 2026); 2024 AAV = $7M
- Add Max Stassi: $7.5M guaranteed ($7M 2024, $0.5M buyout 2025); 2024 AAV = $7.5M
- Suubtract Evan White: $17M guaranteed ($7M 2024, $8M 2025, $2M buyout 2026); 2024 AAV = $8.5M
It was a straight 2 for 2 swap, no cash involved (minor leaguer $ doesn’t matter).
So Braves add $13M cash to 2024, $7M cash to 2025, and $1.5M cash to 2026. They subtract $7M cash for 2024, $8M cash for 2025, and $2M cash for 2026. So net cash after this trade is:
- $6M 2024
- ($1M) 2025 savings
- ($0.5M) 2026 savings
For CBT: they add $14.5M in AAV for 2024 ($7M Fletcher, $7.5M Stassi) and subtract $8.5M AAV (White) for a net CBT hit of:
+$6M in 2024
-$1.5M in 2025
The Chicago White Sox Trade
Then they sent Max Stassi + cash to CWS. The cash was $6.26M (CWS pays him league minimum). That comes to a cash and CBT hit for Stassi of $6.26M.
Full Summary of the Madness
Ignoring Jarred Kelenic‘s salary)…
2024 Cash: $21.76M
$9.5M Gonzales (cash considerations, dead $)
$6M Fletcher (salary)
$6.26M Stassi (cash considerations, dead $)
2024 CBT: $22.76M
$9.5M Marco Gonzales
$7M David Fletcher
$6.26M Max Stassi
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE $4.5M FROM SEA?!?!?!
It’s gone. POOF.
That’s right. It’s gone. For CBT purposes anyway, and this thread from my dude Ethan explains why. ATL still sees it on cash payroll but not CBT payroll. I plan to leave it a “cash from others” line on my cash payroll calculation, but CBT ignores it. This is supported by Roster Resource.
Nice job but God I hope we don’t spend the rest of the offseason bean-counting instead of talking about our new ace pitcher.
What is AA doing? Lugo just went to KC for 3/45. I don’t think this bodes well for the Braves to be adding an SP.
I don’t think the Braves will play in the FA market. Will opt for trade only – Cease, Glasnow, Burnes……. Lugo was not worth it anyway. The only FAs that might make any sense for the Braves are Snell, Montgomery, or Yamamoto and I don’t think they’re gonna go there.
Although this waiting is killing me.
I am also very interested to know the PTBNLs from the Pirates and Angels. AA is playing a very complex game of chess. I am okay with the Kellenic deal based on potential. I am struggling with the Fletcher deal. I know it is probably small sample size error, but Lopez’s value seemed to be increasing and Fletcher’s seems to be on the decline, even though they are the same age. On paper it looks like we are upgrading about. 5 WAR with Fletcher. Not sure if he is worth that much unless I’m missing something, which I’m sure I am.
The trade wasn’t Lopez for Fletcher. AA probably wouldn’t have made that trade. You end up with Fletcher instead of Lopez which is a wash, but a lot of money and contracts got moved around to give us 5 years of ascending Kelenic instead of 1 year of declining Rosario for a few million bucks. Otherwise, he kept trading until he found something marginally useful or cash relief, and here we are.
Braves do not have a strong enough farm system for a trade, and now they have outrighted Fletcher to Gwinnet, and he has 4 days to reject it and the Braves are on the hook for the 15k. With open spots on the roster, this makes no sense. AA has added to much payroll to get another pitcher now and I think he is done
I think if Fletcher rejects he opts for free agency with no contract.
Right. Fletcher won’t reject this because no one will pay him as much as his salary under this contract if he elects free agency. But will earn the contract amount if he accepts this and goes to AAA. He will compete in spring training for the backup infielder job.
I think it is clear that AA is not going to overpay for anybody in terms of dollars or prospects. The Braves don’t have the minor-league pitching prospect depth to send away AJSS, Waldrep, or Murphy for anything short of a Dylan Cease trade-and-extend special. I’m sure he signs a pitcher before the season, but I think the hopes have gone from Nola, Gray, or Cease, to maybe Giolito, Wacha, or Mahle.
You’re probably right…sigh. I do love Michael Wacha, tho. He’s as good as any of these guys when healthy.
Dan Szymborski’s ZiPS projections are now up on FanGraphs. Unsurprisingly, the Braves project to be a really, really good team in 2024, but I encourage you to look at RAJ’s projections in particular. They are astoundingly good:
— From the article: “ZiPS puts a 50/50 season in reach for Acuña, and his projected WAR is more than a win better than anyone else in baseball.”
— In addition to a possible 50/50 season, he’s projected to score 140 runs, slug .590, and post a 164 OPS+ and .417 wOBA.
— His 20th percentile WAR projection is an absurd 5.4 mark.
— His top three near-age offensive comps are Frank Robinson, Willie Mays, and Mookie Betts.
Olson, Riley, Murphy, Harris, and Albies certainly aren’t slouches, either, as they’re projected for a combined 18.8 WAR.
Man, this lineup is so, so good.
New thread.
Braves should just sign James Paxton for 1/$10M. Maybe even with.one.of those AA club-option specials.
Lefty, still throws 95, his metrics all say he’s a sub-4 ERA pitcher. When he’s on, he’s as good as Rodon or Montgomery. If he gives you 150IP and makes it to the playoffs healthy, he could be another strong option.
Let Lopez and Elder battle for 5th spot in ST.