Welcome to the first Hot Stove Report of this offseason, your semi-regular capsule of all of the off-season news, rumors, transactions, and winter league action for the Atlanta Braves!
And when I say semi-regular, the emphesis is on “semi”. The last one of these we did was back in 2019… you know, in the Before Times. The Braves declined the option on Julio Teheran‘s contract and re-signed Darren O’Day. Fun times.
Bullpen Iterations
One of the early themes of free agency this offseason is teams already spending big on high-end relievers. The Mets kept closer Edwin Diaz from even filing for free agency by inking him to a reliever-record 5-year, $102 million deal to set the tone. Right-handers Robert Suarez (5 years, $46 million) and Rafael Montero (3 years, $34 million) followed with the Padres and Astros respectively.
Atlanta also moved quickly on the bullpen front but at least so far doesn’t seem inclined to swim in the deep end of the pool. They have made two no-risk deals, re-signing righty Jesse Chavez to a minor league deal that will get him $1.2 million if he makes the team and former Rays righty Nick Anderson to a split-contract for $875,000 if he makes the squad. For Anderson, it’s a show-me contract as he attempts to return from a UCL issue and plantar fasciitis that have limited him to 6 major league innings in the last two seasons after putting up stellar production in 2019 and 2020.
At least for now, two right-handers that will compete with Chavez and Anderson for bullpen spots are Michael Tonkin and Seth Elledge, both added to Atlanta’s 40-man roster after pitching brilliantly for AAA Gwinnett in 2022 after signing minor league deals with the team. Both pitchers have some major league experience. They will try to follow the success the team has had with the likes of Dylan Lee and Jackson Stephens, both minor league free agents that played big roles in the 2022 bullpen. Tonkin and Elledge would have both been eligible for minor league free agency if they had not been added.
Braves President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos has publicly indicated the team would be interested in re-signing closer Kenley Jansen, but the team does still have several relievers that they added in 2022 including experienced closers Raisel Iglesias and Kirby Yates.
Allard Returns
Speaking of bullpen possibilities, the Braves re-acquired former 2015 first-rounder Kolby Allard from the Texas Rangers for right-hander Jake Odorizzi and cash. Allard split time last season between the major leagues and AAA Round Rock Express after spending all of 2021 in the majors. Allard will be a contender for the fifth starter roll as well as the bullpen, and he still has an option available. Allard was traded to Texas at the trade deadline in 2019 in exchange for veteran reliever Chris Martin.
As for Odorizzi, the Braves will have fond memories of his starting the division-clinching game against Miami in the last series of the year. Otherwise it was a forgettable tenure for the veteran righty, who was acquired at the trade deadline in exchange with the Astros for reliever Will Smith. Odorizzi had informed the Braves that he intended to exercise his $12.5 million player option to remain with the club, and the trade was consummated shortly afterwards.
Rockies Send Sam Hilliard to Atlanta
The Braves also acquired outfielder Sam Hilliard from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for minor league right-hander Dylan Spain. Hilliard played in parts of four seasons in Denver without consistent production, though he has a track record of minor league success and Alex Eisert of Fangraphs at least believes the end of radical shifting may unlock some of Hilliard’s potential. Hilliard is average to above average defensively at all three outfield positions and would seem to be a potential replacement for Guillermo Heredia if the Braves should elect to move on from the offensively-challenged but impressively plastic sword-laden reserve.
Spain was a 10th-rounder in the 2021 draft. Spain worked both in the bullpen and rotation for high-A Rome in 2022 and has an impressive high-90s fastball.
Minor League Free Agency Decimates the Upper Minors
One of the upshots of exiting a successful rebuild is that minor league depth often has to be filled from outside the organization as prospects matriculate. That’s certainly been true for Atlanta and the downside is that 18 members of AAA Gwinnett and 11 members of AA Mississippi became minor league free agents.
Among these players are several that had some time with the Atlanta Braves: outfielders Alex Dickerson and Travis Demeritte, infielder Ryan Goins, and relievers Jesus Cruz, Jay Jackson, and Jacob Webb. Also getting a chance in the free agent waters are some players that at one point peppered the OFR prospect lists like relievers Thomas Burrows, Corbin Clouse, and Jasseel De La Cruz and outfielder Jefrey Ramos.
It could have been an even bigger exodus, but Atlanta re-signed catchers Ryan Casteel, Hendrik Clementina, and Arden Pabst and relievers Benjamin Dum, Roel Ramirez, Danny Young, and Malcolm Van Buren to minor league deals before the free agency period began.
The baseball ops department will be very busy re-filling these holes this offseason.
Golden Hardware
Today MLB will announce the winner of the AL and NL Rookie of the Year Awards, with Braves Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II essentially co-favorites to take home the NL award. Later this week will be the Manager of the Year, Cy Young, MVP, and Heart & Hustle Awards, with Comeback Player of the Year and the All-MLB team announced next week. The Braves have finalists for Manager of the Year (Brian Snitker, natch), Cy Young (Max Fried), Heart & Hustle (Dansby Swanson), and Comeback Player (Ronald Acuña Jr.).
Atlanta has already fared well in offseason awards, with shortstop Dansby Swanson collecting his first Gold Glove award and pitcher Max Fried his third. First baseman Matt Olson and catcher Travis d’Arnaud were among the finalists.
The Braves however were shut out of the Silver Slugger awards for the first time since 2017. The Hank Aaron award for best offensive player in the league went to St. Louis first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, though Braves third baseman Austin Riley was among the finalists.
Malloy and Conley Impress In Arizona
The Arizona Fall League came to a conclusion this weekend with the Surprise Saguaros outlasting the Glendale Desert Dogs in extra innings to win the championship game. All of the Braves prospects however were on the Scottsdale Scorpions, which failed to make the playoffs. That doesn’t mean that the Braves contingent didn’t have some stand-out performers.
Left-fielder Justyn-Henry Malloy hit a respectable .306/.438/.444, the fourth league this year where he posted an OBP over .400. Malloy got consistent praise from observers for the quality of his at-bats. Not to be outdone, shortstop Cal Conley more than held his own against the advanced competition despite not advancing the Braves system beyond high-A Rome, hitting .267/.376/.465 with 2 home runs (including an inside-the-park job) and leading the team with 9 stolen bases.
The Braves pitching contingent had a rougher go of it. Right-hander Austin Smith tied for the team lead with 10 appearances and had a respectable 3.38 ERA in the offensive-friendly environment. Right-hander Allan Winans was second on the team in innings pitched in 6 outings, including 5 starts, with a 4.87 ERA. Relievers William Woods and Alex Segal took it on the chin however, pitching to 8.53 and 8.38 ERAs respectively.
Catcher Chadwick Tromp is the only current Brave playing in the Dominican Winter League, acting as the regular backstop for Estrellas Orientales. Right-hander Silvino Bracho is pitching for Aguilas Del Zulia in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Rumors and Innuendo
- The Athletic’s David O’Brien this week indicated that he was told “by the people actually setting the payroll” that the Braves would not exceed the so-call luxury tax threshold of $233 million in payroll. The team already has payroll guarantees estimated at $152,675,000 against the threshold calculations.
- Jon Heyman of the New York Post says the consensus at the GM meetings last week was that Dansby Swanson would get a free agent contract somewhere around the 6-year, $140 million level that fellow shortstops Javier Baez and Trevor Story achieved with the Tigers and Red Sox respectively last season. It was reported earlier in the month that Atlanta made a $100 million offer during the season that Swanson turned down.
- MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweeted that the Chicago Cubs are looking to sign one of the “Big Four” free agent shortstops of Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, and Dansby Swanson.
- Kiley McDaniel of ESPN estimates that Swanson will get a 6-year/$150 million deal with fellow Braves free agent Kenley Jansen getting $14 million for 1 year. The crew at MLB Trade Rumors went even higher, projecting Swanson to go for a 7-year/$154 million contract, with the Cubs again a consensus landing spot; Jansen they projected at 2-years/$26 million.
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