Thank you Ozuna from the Braves for recruiting him under Chisox podcasters projection. Guy should be out on staff the day he retires.
I wanted to give me Braycleigh and Chevin a well-rounded education so they’re actually enrolled in every elite metro Atlanta private school. Their grades and my wallet are suffering tremendously (sorry Kyle) but it’s a hell of a flex.
I heard he was still mad that Kyle Wright made an honest woman out of his favorite The Ivy bartender and this was his revenge.
added Tromp back on a minor league deal. Like that. I think he's a perfectly serviceable third catcher to have in the org.
Has this article about the luxury tax been posted? Gray’s age (34) and injuries in prior seasons before his sensational 2023 will likely make his contract demands far less than the seven-year deal, $172 million deal that Nola signed, something perhaps closer to three years and $70 million based on various projections. However, even if the Braves signed Gray to a contract with an average annual value of only about $22 million, it would ensure the team moves well above MLB’s luxury-tax threshold ($237 million) for the second consecutive year and, unless they traded a significant salary, it would also push them more than $20 million above the threshold. That would trigger an additional 12 percent surcharge on top of the 30 percent penalty they’d already owe. The Braves’ actual 2024 payroll, with the addition of López’s $4 million salary, stands at about $207 million. But for luxury-tax purposes, the average annual value of contracts is used, and they’re around $242 million. The López deal is like most other long-term extensions the Braves gave in recent years in that it’s backloaded, which increases the AAV — in Lopez’s case to $10 million, the average value of his three-year deal including the buyout. So, unless the Braves have plans to trade at least one player with a big salary, it would seem they are planning to start López, add a pitcher with a considerably lower salary than Gray, or they are ready to accept tax penalties. Their overage rate would rise from 20 percent to 30 percent for surpassing the threshold a second year in a row, plus a 12 percent surcharge if they are $20 million to $40 million over $237 million. That would jump to 42.5 percent overage if they were to go $40 million over. The Braves, after rotation issues contributed in a big way to consecutive postseasons that ended abruptly with NLDS losses to the Philadelphia Phillies, perhaps decided they would go higher than they wanted to if that’s what it takes to add the level of starter necessary to lessen the likelihood of a repeat of the past two Octobers. But it also could put them in a position to pay a far higher 50 percent tax rate if they were to surpass the threshold for a third consecutive year in
Interesting. I wonder if Ozuna produced enough where we could attach him to a trade package without it costing too much in the way of additional prospects.
I’ll be shocked if it’s not at least one of AJSS or Waldrep. Ritchie is a possibility but he just had TJ. Might work if the WS are willing to wait since they won’t be contending next year
Thought this Bowman bit was interesting. Would love Yamamoto. If not via trade, how are the Braves going to satisfy their desire to add quality to their rotation? The 34-year-old Gray looked like a viable option because he would be willing to take a three or four-year deal. Unlike some of his peers, Anthopoulos has been wise enough to recognize giving six or seven-year deals to veteran pitchers isn’t good business. This is why 31-year-old Blake Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, and 30-year-old Jordan Montgomery don’t seem like fits. That said, a six or seven-year deal for a guy like the 25-year-old Yoshinobu Yamamoto feels more like a reasonable gamble.