Brave Transactions: López, Bummer, Salinas, Gonzalez, and Biggio

RHP Royber Salinas pitches for the high-A Rome Braves in 2022. Salinas returned this week to the Braves organization after two years in exile with the then-Oakland A’s. (Andy Harris/OFR Sports)

There was a flurry of Braves transactions ahead of Monday’s deadlines to set the off-season 40-man roster, exercise options, and tender qualifying offers. Let’s go through them chronologically.

  • 11/01/24: Atlanta Braves claimed RHP Royber Salinas off waivers from Oakland Athletics

Salinas was about to make his debut at #10 on the OFR Top Prospects list for 2023 when he was included in the trade package to Oakland that landed the Braves catcher Sean Murphy. He impressed in 2023 despite being slowed by a forearm strain and Oakland added him to their 40-man roster last off-season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Unfortunately the injury bug continued to plague Salinas and his season ended in July after undergoing shoulder surgery. When healthy Salinas has a well-rounded 4-pitch arsenal highlighted by an explosive upper-90s four-seam fastball. The Braves will get a look at Salinas post-surgery; if his recovery brings him round to his former self, Salinas could be a back-end of the rotation or high-leverage relief option.

There was no other transaction announced, but it seems likely that the Braves passed Biggio through waivers and attempted to outright him to Gwinnett, but Biggio exercised his right to become a free agent. Biggio was eligible for arbitration, and there was zero chance that Atlanta was going to tender him a contract, so Biggio gets to hit free agency a little sooner than expected. Biggio was added by the Braves late in the 2024 season in a cash transaction with San Francisco to shore up infield depth in the wake of the Ozzie Albies injury. Once a rising star with Toronto, the son of Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio had his worst pro season in 2024, hitting .197/.314/.303 in 224 big league PAs with three different clubs. He want 1-for-5 with Atlanta.

  • 11/02/24: Atlanta Braves selected the contract of RHP Domingo Gonzalez from AAA Gwinnett

Acquired by Atlanta in the minor league Rule 5 draft from Pittsburgh two years ago, the 25-year-old Gonzalez is a classic late-bloomer. Signed by the Pirates as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic, Gonzalez now has a mid-90s four-seamer and a plus slider that helped him to a 38.8% strikeout rate in double- and triple-A this past season. This move keeps him from becoming a minor league free agent and sets him up as a bullpen option in 2025.

  • 11/02/24: Atlanta Braves sign RHP Reynaldo López to a 3-year, $30 million contract
  • 11/02/24: Atlanta Braves sign LHP Aaron Bummer to a 2-year, $13 million contract

López was set to earn $30 million under his previous deal at $11 million over the next two seasons with an $8 million club option. The new deal guarantees all $30 million in exchange for lowering the 2025 salary to $8 million. This move doesn’t change the luxury tax calculations, but it helps the cash flow of the 2025 budget. López had the best season of his career in 2024 after signing as a free agent with Atlanta, who converted him back to the starting rotation after spending the prior three seasons as a reliever.

It’s the same story for Bummer, who emerged after injuries to AJ Minter and Tyler Matzek as a key left-hander in the Braves bullpen. Bummer had a $7.25 million club option for 2025 in his contract that the Braves seemed likely to exercise, along with a second option for the same amount for 2026. Instead, the Braves guarantee the next two seasons for a slightly less amount than the potential payout if both seasons were picked up and Bummer’s price tag for 2025 is reduced to $3.5 million. This slightly helps the luxury tax calculation, but mostly this seems to be an effort to slide payroll out to next season when some substantial other salaries potentially come off the books (Marcell Ozuna, Chris Sale, Raisel Iglesias).

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