DEC. 16: The Braves have now announced the signing.
DEC. 8: The Braves are in agreement on a two-year deal with catcher Tyler Flowers, pending a physical, multiple reports indicated on Tuesday evening. Flowers, a client of agent Tom O’Connell, will receive a two-year contract that guarantees him $5.3MM. He’ll reportedly take home $2MM in 2016 and $3MM in 2017 before the Braves decide on a $4MM option or a $300K buyout. Flowers can earn $1.5MM worth of incentives each season based on games caught (each year maxes out at 120 games), meaning he can earn up to $13.5MM over a three-year term in Atlanta.
With this signing, Flowers will return to the organization that drafted him back in 2005. He will presumably serve as a backup for A.J. Pierzynski, with whom he can form a solid platoon. Flowers, who will turn 30 in January, is a career .223/.289/.376 hitter across parts of seven seasons, but he’s produced offensively at a clip that is roughly average for catchers over the past two seasons (.240/.296/.378, 90 OPS+). He also delivered positive pitch-framing metrics in 2015 and has caught about 28 percent of attempted base-stealers over the past two seasons.
The addition of Flowers, on a multi-year deal no less, further calls into question the future of Christian Bethancourt with the Braves. Once viewed as Atlanta’s catcher of the future, the rocket-armed Bethancourt has struggled considerably at the plate in the Majors and also struggled tremendously with passed balls — an unexpected and unforeseen deficiency in his game. While it’s conceivable that Bethancourt will iron out the kinks in 2016 at the Triple-A level and be ready for a significant role in 2017, it has long seemed like the Braves may simply have lost faith in him. However, a club looking for a long-term upgrade behind the dish could certainly take a chance at buying low on him this offseason, as Bethancourt will be hard-pressed to earn playing time behind Flowers and Pierzynski in the coming season.
MLB.com’s Scott Merkin first reported the agreement (Twitter link). David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweeted shortly before Merkin’s report that the Braves were believed to have made some progress on a deal with Flowers. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted the guarantee and incentives. Mark Bowman of MLB.com added the yearly breakdown (Twitter link).
Ok
Sounds like the final nail in the coffin that is Bethancourt’s 2016 Major League season…
I mean, unless they find a way to deal A.J. before the end of the season. Never a dull moment with Coppy and Hart.
don’t be so sure to assume thats the end of the road for the braves bethancourt…..he scould always be moved to first …..
Why would he move to first Freeman is there
All the Braves need to do is sign Alex Rios and Alexei and they’ll be set
At least it’s not another pitching prospect
Just as important — these guys call the games.
I wish the Braves had actually given Bethancourt an actual chance. I think it’s pretty clear that his defensive issues were more of nerves than anything.
Still hard not to like Flowers’ defensive history, I’d love to see him work with Folty.
I agree, I think C-Beth deserved 1 year as the starter to see if his bat would improve (as it has at every other level) but, Flowers is a framing god with some power. so it’s not all bad.
Can’t risk these pitchers’ development on a catcher in-development.
Really??
You don’t think Bethancourt was given enough chances? His pitiful work ethic and his lackadaisical effort were some of the most obvious things the last couple of seasons. Many coaches pointed out that while the talent was there Bethancourt was apparently unwilling to work hard to help develop it to its fullest. Good luck to him elsewhere. He could be a classic change of scenery guy but no doubt he had enough opportunity given to him by the braves.
no he wasn’t,. the team mismanaged him badly. and just because you buy into some silly propaganda doesn’t make it true. His defensive peripherals looked pretty good actually.
The Braves aren’t going anywhere for a couple of years.
Why not give Bethancourt a chance?
I don’t know what they want to do with the arms they have but
where are the position players to start contending in 2017?
He had two years he was the starting catcher when the braves still had gattis and he done so bad they sent him to AAA plus last year
Good we got another power bat
Baseball’s a funny game. The White Sox moved on from AJ after the 2012 season largely to make room for Flowers, who had been his understudy for the two years before that.
Unless they flip him for a mid tier prospect, I think it is more likely that the Braves are just making it possible to give Bethancourt another year at AAA to see if he is able to prove that he is willing to work at getting better. Too many within the orginazation have labeled him lazy and I wouldn’t blame them if they cut ties with him but I think it is also likely that they are just making it possible to give him more time to develop
Bethancourt is out of options.
The Merkin tweet goes straight to DOB tweet.
Glad Tampa didn’t go this far.
Well, here comes the thumbs down, I’m sure.
But based on the trades and signings, and the interest in Pollock, it is my opinion that the Braves will be in contention in 2016.
You get Pollock for miller and some prospects,and sign Heyward, that’s a pretty good lineup.
Bring in a couple of veteran pitchers (Buerle,Lohse)and you might just have a contender.
Thank God the Rays didn’t sign him.
I’m wondering if all these people screaming about the braves not giving Bethancourt a chance haven’t watched him play, don’t realize that when given a chance he played himself out of the position, and that he was overhyped all along. From many accounts he has a poor work ethic as well.
Agreed. His performance shows it. I believe it’s time to move on and see if he just needs a change of scenery.
He is a good pitch framer and is pretty good calling a game. Too bad his offense never caught up with him. Liked him here in Chicago but unfortunately his bat never came around on a full time basis.
Flowers in Triple A hit .297 with an .432 obp
Thought he was the next big thing for the Sox like
Soto was for the Cubs
Hope him the best
Why haven’t we traded for lucroy of the Brewers I thought we where going to trade for him.
because that’s a waste of money to bring in a guy who will be a free agent before the team is ready to compete.