The Braves announced that they’ve traded right-hander Aaron Kurcz to the Athletics in exchange for an international bonus slot that’s valued at $167K. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that this latest trade will allow the Braves to sign Venezuelan shortstop Juan Morales.
The Braves have been the most active team in terms of trading for international bonus money. They’ve moved right-handers Cody Martin, Caleb Dirks and Garrett Fulenchek in addition to outfielder Jordan Paroubeck and now Kurcz in order to acquire an additional $1.299MM in bonus money to sign Morales, Dominican shortstop Derian Cruz and Dominican outfielder Christian Pache. By making these trades, the Braves have avoided incurring spending restrictions in the 2016-17 signing period, and Ben Badler of Baseball America tweets that the organization plans to spend aggressively in next year’s class.
An 11th-round pick by the Cubs in 2011, Kurcz went to the Red Sox as part of the compensation package for Red Sox GM turned Cubs president Theo Epstein. Boston traded him to the Braves in the offseason deal that sent Anthony Varvaro to the Red Sox. Kurcz, 24, missed the 2013 season due to Tommy John surgery but has otherwise posted consistently low ERA marks and gaudy strikeout totals with questionable control. He has a lifetime 2.87 ERA in the minors with 11.6 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9, with his BB/9 rates worsening as he’s ascended he minor league ladder.
Kurcz keeps getting undervalued at a time teams look for hard throwing guys in the BP. He missed a full season of development and won’t turn 25 until August, throws mid 90’s w/a decent slider?
Bad enough Boston gave him away and Atlanta didn’t even have him for 3 months? A guy who has yet to put up 1 mediocre season, much less a poor one? Gone for a 160k slot? Beane spots the ludicrousness of this it seems.
Its like Beane looks at Boston’s farm, subtracts all the top 10 prospects, and then feasts on the exposed/available/ones they gave up on.
2y ago, Cherrington left Josh Fields exposed in the Rule 5 draft and he was the 1st guy taken by Houston. Now he’s one of the vital guys in that pen, throwing mid-upper 90’s. This past winter they left Jason Garcia exposed, who sits mid 90’s and touches 100. houston took him as well, then traded him to Baltimore, who seem inclined to hang onto him.
Then they left Kurcz off the 40 man, whom I figured would get swiped in the draft, tho maybe with only half a season coming back from TJ in 2014? It was a reach.. Still.. Giving away.. Waving goodbye to an organization of young power arms, while bringing in the Craig breslow’s and varvaro’s of the world to fail seems like a recipe for continued disaster to me, then giving away Alex Wilson over the winter also as a throw in with the Porcello deal.
Cherrington has no clue on bullpen building, or Farrell is feeding him bad advice. Somewhere, something is going wrong. No additions, other than Ogando have gone close to right.
The Braves have given up 5 players for $1.3 million. Sounds like a lot.
Remember when Salcedo was the next Chipper at age 16? i guess we will know something in 3-4 years on them
The only one I’m upset about is Paroubeck. He was one of the VERY few players in their system with any sort of power potential.
Beane is collecting bullpen arms. He didn’t do it in the off season now they are stuck with a bad bullpen.