The Braves announced Monday morning that they’ve signed right-hander Reynaldo Lopez to a three-year contract that will guarantee him $30MM. The CAA client will be paid $4MM in 2024 and $11MM in both 2025 and 2026. There’s an $8MM club option for the 2027 season with a $4MM buyout.
Lopez becomes the fifth name added to the Braves’ bullpen mix since their season ended, joining re-signed righties Joe Jimenez (three years, $26MM) and Pierce Johnson (two years, $14.25MM) and trade acquisitions Aaron Bummer and Jackson Kowar. Interestingly, however, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that the Braves will have Lopez prepare as a starting pitcher this winter.
While the club isn’t necessarily penciling Lopez into the 2024 rotation, the Braves believe he can have success in either role and ramping him down from starting to relieving is of course easier than the inverse. Lopez’s specific role may not be determined until the spring, but it’s certainly notable that there’s at least a chance he’ll get another look as a starter with his new club.
Lopez, 30 in January, has plenty of experience in both roles but hasn’t had much success as a starting pitcher. Once one of the sport’s top pitching prospects, he went from the Nationals to the White Sox alongside Lucas Giolito and Dane Dunning in the 2016 trade sending Adam Eaton back to Washington. While he gave the White Sox 32 starts and 188 innings of 3.91 ERA ball in 2018, he did so with shaky peripherals. On the whole, Lopez carries a lifetime 3.01 ERA out of the bullpen but a much rockier 4.73 mark as a starter.
Lopez’s career took off, in earnest, with a full-time move to the bullpen — a role in which he’s excelled for the past two seasons, albeit in different ways. The flamethrowing righty had a rough start in ’22 but was one of the sport’s most dominant bullpen arms over that season’s final four months, logging a 1.54 ERA, 28.8% strikeout rate and 3.1% walk rate from early June through season’s end. Overall, his 2022 campaign ended with a sterling 2.76 ERA, a slightly above-average strikeout rate (24.8%) and an elite walk rate (4.3%).
In 2023, Lopez’s run prevention was again strong (3.27 ERA), but he took a different route to get there. Brandishing a fastball that was now averaging a blistering 98.4 mph — a 1.3 mph increase over the prior season’s already-strong 97.1 mph — Lopez punched out a huge 29.9% of his opponents. However, his 12.2% walk rate was nearly triple that of the prior season. He all but abandoned his curveball, throwing it at just a 1.2% clip (after 7.2% in 2022).
The 2023 version of Lopez was effectively a two-pitch pitcher: blazing fastball and hard slider (with a seldom-used changeup and curveball). He has, however, had seasons where he’s thrown both his change and his hook at a 20% clip or higher, so there’s certainly a diverse enough collection of pitches in his arsenal to succeed as a starter — if the Braves can coax better and more consistent results from his secondary offerings. If Lopez were to work as a starter, it’s only natural to think his fastball velocity would drop a tick, but he’s still have well above-average heat regardless.
To an extent, it’s possible that Lopez’s ultimate usage in 2024 depends on the remainder of Atlanta’s offseason. As things stand, the Braves’ rotation includes Spencer Strider, Max Fried, Charlie Morton and Bryce Elder. There’ll be competition for that fifth spot, likely including Lopez but also featuring top prospect AJ Smith-Shawver, veteran Ian Anderson (who’ll be returning from Tommy John surgery), southpaw Dylan Dodd and righty Huascar Ynoa. The Braves have been linked to some free agents of note thus far, and if they succeed in signing Sonny Gray or acquiring another veteran starter, that’d likely push Lopez more firmly into the bullpen.
If Lopez ends up in his more familiar bullpen role, he’ll join a comically deep group. In addition to the aforementioned Jimenez, Johnson and Bummer, the Braves will deploy Raisel Iglesias, A.J. Minter and Tyler Matzek in what’s shaping up to be one of the most experienced and most talented collection of relief arms in the Majors.
Lopez’s $4MM salary for the 2024 season pushes the Braves’ payroll up to around $207MM, per Roster Resource’s projections. However, while its backloaded nature spares Atlanta some bottom-line payroll in the upcoming season, the contract still comes with a much heftier $10MM luxury-tax hit, as all luxury calculations are based on a deal’s average annual value.
The $10MM AAV on Lopez’s contract pushes the Braves squarely into luxury-tax territory, as they’re now at about $241.6MM of luxury considerations — comfortably north of this year’s $237MM luxury barrier. They also paid the luxury tax last season, meaning their penalty levels will rise. Rather than a 20% dollar-for-dollar tax, they’ll now pay a 30% tax (with increasing penalties if they surpass the threshold by more than $20MM total). They’re also in line for even harsher penalties come 2025, as third-time payors face even steeper rates of taxation.
Huh, strange, not what I expected but maybe they can turn him back to a starter? Either way he showed decent stuff last year. Let’s get this off season started!
In his career, Lopez has a 4.78 ERA in 97 games as a starter and a 3.01 ERA in 144 games as a reliever.
Yikes, thanks for pointing that out coop. Keep that man where he is then!
MRtH
Username does not check out.
Nearly every pitcher would be more effective as a reliever than as a starter. Thus, by your logic, there should be no starters and all relievers. Which…
… Makes perfect sense and which is why we see openers and fewer starters pitching deeper into games.
The way baseball has been, relievers have been more effective per inning than starters. A SP with 3.5 runs allowed per nine, is great. A reliever with the same numbers is ok
When starters and relievers, as groups, have the same runs allowed, their usage will be at its most efficient
My username doesn’t check out? Look buddy, I just want guys like Billy Wagner to be in the hall of Fame and Joe Nathan to get some consideration (not necessarily in). I feel like they are a fairly unrepresented minority in the HOF and don’t receive the credit they deserve for their runs of dominance and consistency, especially since a lot of these guys were pitching in some of the highest leverage of spots. My username fits my philosophy just fine , and my philosophy is more than a couple of sentences on a Reynaldo Lopez article on a rumors site sir.
Yeah, you want him as a reliever.
Lord
If he can be a bit terrible starter, he’s almost certainly more valuable as a starter
They might be looking at him as a multi-inning reliever. Let him go through the order once or even twice. As is the future of baseball unless the rules are changed
Pay no attention to filihok. He hates everyone and thinks he’s better/smarter than them. If you say something he doesn’t like, there’s a good chance he’ll mute you.
bham
“Pay no attention to filihok. He hates everyone and thinks he’s better/smarter than them. If you say something he doesn’t like, there’s a good chance he’ll mute you.”
:extreme Luke Skywalker voice: Amazing. Every word of what you just said was wrong
Gromo
He so smart that he can’t explain any of his assertions. He’s the drunk uncle of mlbtr, spouting off nonsense then gets upset when challenged.
Filihoks tidy whities are a bit too tighty
Nerd.
LOL didn’t realize I had him muted but he must’ve tested my patience previously. I don’t ban many people on here but he’s one of them
I’m not sure about the “starter” stuff being a good idea but based on AA’s own comments this shouldn’t preclude them spending a lot more money. According to AA he and the Braves don’t care about the luxury tax figure. They care a lot more about the actual dollar figure. I’m not sure how this deal will affect things down the line, but they are only paying Reynaldo $4M this season. That’s like the Braves just deciding to offer Nicky Lopez arbitration. It shouldn’t really stop them from doing anything this offseason at least. It will be very interesting to see what this team does. If they just cleared a quarter of their 40-man roster even Sonny Gray along with paying $4M to Reynaldo Lopez would seem like a disappointment. I could see them signing Gray, but Braves fans should be disappointed if that’s the top player they acquire. They need to get at least 1 free agent of a notably higher caliber than Gray. Yamamoto, Ohtani, Snell… someone. You don’t clear out your roster that much just to get Sonny Gray and Reynaldo Lopez. At least you shouldn’t anyway.
I have to say, if Lopez becomes a successful starter then Katz should be fired in Chicago.
He’s a traitor to the Guardians and the Dolans don’t have any money
Yeah nice double prank he and Gio played – money exhausted means they’ll have to give up more players downstream Iike stealing the happy meal from the hobo Clevtown you’ve been punk’d
Damn I wanted him great signing this is why braves win 100 games he’s a legit RHP
I’m a fan of the signing, but we need to pump the brakes a bit. Haha.
I am relieved. I thought AA would try to pass off a LHP as a RHP and pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. Glad to know we got a legit one.
Nice work, AA.
AA and Snit decided to go bullpen games twice a week next season apparently lol…Bold strategy Cotton, let see if pays off
Hhhhh
Horrible
C’mon you know AA loves to pay relievers.
For someone named “Saint Nick” you sure aren’t jolly and are always miserable. Come on, it beats coal in the stocking!
At least pay good relievers. This guy walks way too many and is inconsistent AF. Also, $30M…yikes.
Sadly, that’s kind of the going rate for relievers these days buddy, 10m AAV. He’s not that bad ERA+ over 120 since 2021.
Braves hold the option for year four, so unless he is terrible by then, it’s four years at 34 mil. AAV is 10 a year, but when they pick up the option it will end up being 8.5
Good point Bob, that is true.
He’s not that bad but he’s not that good. Any Nats fan who followed that trade for Eaton worried that Reynaldo would take his obvious talent to Chicago and turn out to be the surprise throw-in. But the guy, after years of multiple opportunities as starter and reliever, ultimately disappointed. Now he’s almost 30, with a career WHIP of 1.3 and 6 career saves, with his two serious seasons as a starter yielding a 4.64 ERA. He has talent, and value for the team trying to find his niche, but $30M over 3 years? Crazy.
I think this means the Braves will sign Lucas Giolito as well, since Lopez and Giolito have never not played on the same team.
They were both Nats prospects who were traded to the White Sox in 2016 for Adam Eaton, and then were both subsequently traded from the White Sox to the Angels this Summer, only to both be traded from the Angels to the Guardians a month later.
Braves do need Starting Pitching, and while I do think they’re more likely to sign Sonny Gray, Giolito is a possible back-up option.
Thought the exact same thing- also factor in that Giolito would be playing with his former high school teammate, Max Fried.
Very true, with Atlanta’s inevitable yearly starting pitcher injuries, they may sign Giolito regardless of whether they sign Gray or not.
Then they can pick up Flaherty and get the whole trio back together.
This is a parody post, right?
Gray would cost two draft picks and about a million from the IFA pool. He’s a great pitcher, but I don’t know if I’d want to do the four years at his age like MLBTR projected.
I’d much rather build depth to get through the season, make a move at the deadline if necessary and go big next year when the class is loaded with pitchers like Burnes, Fried, Buehler, Bieber, Hendricks and Glasnow.
Probably a toss up overall but Gray is better than Bieber & Hendricks.
Overpaid.
Aaron loup got 17 million for two years when he was 33. It’s not a overpay. This was two years ago
We gave Martin $17.5M/2 last year, and now I am wishing it was a 4-year contract.
Like his stuff, but heavens, keep those walks down (uptick with the SO/9). Will be interesting how he looks in front a better defense, similar to Bummer, though he’s not the GB pitcher Bummer is.
Just about to turn 30, so buying out 30-34 (with option) — not bad for a RP.
Love keeping salary down in ’24 for minimal impact on this year’s budget.
The hot stove is heating up, boys!
Decent signing for the Braves. More than I would have paid for him, but they can afford it.
Finally, a player signs a major league deal with a team they weren’t just on.
Well, now they’re obligated to sign Giolito. Can’t break that up
This seems a tad overpay. I’m surprised he got got 3 years
0 for 2
1 for 2
Of course this is what they do. Terrible!
Wow, I did not expect Lopez to get that much. Pretty sure that makes him one of the highest paid relief pitchers in baseball now.
This contract puts Lopez in the top 10 of highest paid MLB relief pitchers. Diaz (19.65M), Iglesias/Jansen (16M) & Presley (14M) top the list.
Yikes. That price. I dunno if the Braves just said eff it, we want this guy, what’s he asking.. Or whether this is the market we’re in. But if the latter there will be NO bargains on the pitcher front and any team that has a healthy starting pitcher and no plans to compete next year needs to start shopping him. This looks like a feeding frenzy to me.
Low $ this yr.. takes over as closer next yr when Iglesias is a free agent.
Heck who knows maybe he signed with a shot to start again
Braves don’t really have a rotation opening if they sign Gray.
I’m not 100% confident about the health of Fried’s elbow.
They absolutely do. If you are betting on all of their current starters coming into the season healthy and ready to go then you will likely be disappointed. Once the season starts, it will be the same, injuries, usage scale-backs, schedule anomalies, rainouts, someone forgetting how to pitch, etc. He will get plenty of starts.
Iglesias is under contract for 2 more years
Yea I just checked.. thought he signed 3/45 with Angels when he was traded over
They parted ways with Tonkin and McHugh, (Jesse Chavez is a FA) — 2 of the only options for long RP to bridge the gap, so I wonder if they consider him that knowing that he’s already stretched out and an spot starter, which has been instrumental in the postseason last 2 years with all the injuries.
Damn wanted him
It’s pretty much 8.5 a year that’s really not that bad.
That’s a pretty good contract for him. That’s a lot for a reliever so are they going to try to turn him back into a starter? This could be interesting. The Sox never could figure out what to do with him.
Cheaper than Lynn for a starter.
After he went 17-25 with a 4.64 as a starter for the Sox in ’18-’19, the Sox figured out what to do with him: Not start him.
It’s back loaded as well only $4 million this year the guy throws 98 MPH $30 million is mlb new $12 million. Braves didn’t use no cap space for this year so they still can play on free agency. Rangers need to get Jordan Hicks or Josh Hader quickly.
He got a really nice bag from Atlanta, not sure if he’s worth as much, but he’s probably going to end up being a really good bullpen arm for them. I’m sure they’ve kicked the tires on Lucas Giolito, he’d be a good reclamation project for them.
Baseball Salary Inflation is on a whole other level nowadays- but hey, that’s been a huge argument for a long time- that for as much as these players are paid in salary, ownerships have generally been able to afford a lot more and are pocketing the difference- the equalization of salary levels is a good thing, the right thing, even if they’re jumping a shocking amount.
Reynaldo isn’t bad by anymeans, but this is a little pricey for someone like him.
Methinks the Braves are going all out this year, bad taste the last 2 years…..
I ABSOLUTELY agree. They know they have an extremely good offense, and are going to pull out all the stops now on the pitching side. I would not be shocked if they look at him as someone who can start 5 to 10 games as a five inning pitcher or an opener. They will give him every opportunity to step in to as large a role as he can fill.
Pitching is pricey nowadays. Seems like a little overpay, but people say that every year as salaries ratchet upward. If they can get him to trim the walks, this guy could be a terrific reliever for the Braves. I doubt they’ll try making him a starter again. Just didn’t work out.
It’s because of COVID. ;o)
O’Brien tweeted that he’s going to be stretched out so he could start or relieve. Will be interesting to see if he’s going to get a chance to be a full time SP again.
Just saw that update. I dunno, maybe the Braves see something that everybody else doesn’t, but Lopez never clicked as a starter. He’s not that young any more, so this seems like a risk to me. But they can always use him in the pen if the starter experiment doesn’t work.
No long man (Tonkin, McHugh, Jesse Chavez – all released or FA) — they need someone to go 2-3 IP at will for injuries, etc.
Exactly, signed as a multi-inning reliever, every good team needs a good one
Still need to bring back Tonkin and Jesse on minor league deals
That’s an expensive long man. The long man typically gets bumped in October. I think they’re hoping he’s a rotation member and if not he probably slides back into the late inning mix.
Outside of Hader probably best arm out there. As a CWS fan, question has always been why a pitching coach hasn’t told him he should only use his fastball and slider and nothing else.
Hector Neris, Matt Moore, Jordan Hicks…I like this signing, but I wouldn’t put him in the top 5 of relievers available.
Lopez is for sure better than Neris and Moore. Hicks might better but it’s close
Absolutely not better than Neris.
Neris 1.71 era, 1.05 whip, 77ks last year.
Loup was making 8 million a year, Moore signed for 7.5 at the last minute last year. That’s the going rate.
Oh yeah. Definitely don’t mind the signing. I just don’t see Lopez as the 2nd best reliever on the market.
He won’t be, probably 3rd or 4th
Maybe. I have him just out of the top 5, but it doesn’t matter. I was simply commenting that he wasn’t the 2nd best.
Robert Stephenson may be the best reliever available not named Josh Hader. He’ll probably be the best value of any free agent RP this winter. His numbers last year after joining the Rays were insane.
If the Rays pitching style didn’t crush his arm. Those guys who spend time in TB don’t stay away from surgery for very long. I like Stephenson a lot too though
Dude making more than Ozzie Albies. LOL.
They gonna sign Lucas Giolito too?
They cannot be split up.
He couldn’t make it in the Angels pen. If you can’t make it there, you can’t make it anywhere, good luck with that.
Walking people and not being able to keep the ball in the park are two very bad things. ERA doesn’t tell the story. When he comes into the game, have a six pack handy.
> If you can’t make it there,
> you can’t make it anywhere
ITS UP TO YOU
NEW YORK,
NEEEEEWWWWW YOOOORRRKKKK
Look at his stats. He walks people and can’t keep the ball in the park. Great arm though, but the catcher might as well put his glove over the middle of the plate because he can’t hit his spots.
But you’ll see.
How many times did loup come in after him and give up his runners, and some.
He’s stinks less is not much of a motto. And since his ERA was good, probably zero. But you couldn’t bring him in with men on base.
@Halo11Fan — sure, he had a wild year in terms of control on 3 teams (CHW, LAA, CLE), but like Iglesias, give us your weak, broken and weary and we’ll turn him into a top-10 at his position in front of a Wash-made top-5 defense and that 98mph heater/slider combo. Aside from 2020 & ’23, his walk-rate is much better than Bummer for his career (per BB/9).
Overall, a good point. Iglesias was good with the Angels. He didn’t need big adjustments.
And the Braves, unlike the Angels, are smart. Maybe the Braves can make some tweaks. The Angels couldn’t.
I was thrilled the Angels got him, by the time he left, I was glad to see him go.
As for pitching in the AL Central, the NL East is not the Central. He’s now pitching in the Major Leagues.
Bummer gets balls on the ground. Lopez? Not so much. I think he’s as about as good as advertised but id be surprised to see him hit another gear as a starter in ATL.
Funny how many posters on MLBTR couldn’t comprehend the Bummer pickup. They abuse their pitchers in Chicago, apparently.
Braves assembling the White Sox bullpen.
Paying above market price for bullpen arms not the smartest gambit. What got the White Sox in trouble between Graveman-Kelly and Bummer.
Braves have higher revenue streams than CWS. They also have a plan. It wasn’t the dollars as much as the % of payroll they put to the bullpen that messed up the CWS.
So, the Braves looked at the White Sox from 2023 and said “Yep – I want some of that! Bummer – check, Lopez – check!” Wonder if they’ll send the Sox a bag of balls for Kopech?
Pitching for Atlanta defense versus White Sox of 2023. Expect some bounce back for most.
100% agree on Bummer. Lopez is more of a flyball/k pitcher, but he was already pretty good.
It was mostly just a joke.
Agree, and the angels defense sucked at time had a lot of players out of position due to injuries
Uh…….What?
Always a solid option to have relievers that can stretch to starter if a crisis. Solid depth move and there is some upside for him, too. May as well add yet another Sox pitcher and trade for Cease….
Must be the “big” move idiot Ken Rosenthal couldn’t stop talking about. Looks like a desperation move by a failing team.
The best team in baseball is failing?
And that’s a Phillies fans saying that lol thank you von for this thanksgiving blessing lol
m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt44o5EF9QE
I liked what I saw in his limited time as an Angel. The Angels desperately need bullpen help and was hoping they’d bring him back, but definitely not at this contract.
I remember when reds fans said raisel sucked, and were excited about noe Ramirez he didn’t even make it pass spring training.
Braves continue to make moves while the Mets twittle their thumbs waiting for the Winter Meetings. Can someone wake-up Cohen and Stearns. The Braves and Phillies are busy trying to improve.
OK, if they can pry him from Giolito’s luggage!
Does AA have a suite in Chicago or at White Sox facilities? Go ahead and bring Dylan Cease back home to Atlanta! Dylan Cease for Dylan Lee PLUS?? Bob Dylan? Just a Dylan connection joke!
Atlanta white Sox or Chicago Braves?
Chicago Braves
Million $ Arm…$0.10 head
I have them at 184.3 million that is before pre-arbitration people however. So roster resource is saying that pre-arbitration people will cost the Braves 23 million?
Not certain I am getting the $10m AAV for the cap number. 4+11+11+8 = 34million, over 4 years. Shouldn’t it be $8.2m AAV. I am probably missing something.
Regardless, it’s not that much difference I know, especially since it’s starting to look like the Braves will blow through the first luxury tax threshold easily.
I am wondering if the Braves have decided their starting pitching is enough and they want potentially dominant bullpen arms available for every game from the 6th inning onward. Even if it doesn’t work out, bullpen arms are always in demand by mid-season, so the Braves can get something for these guys to patch up any holes they might have.
It’s essentially a three year deal with a 4 million buyout puts it at 30. It’s 8.6 a year and some change.
So, if they pick up the option after the third season, the one-year AAV for luxury tax purposes in 2027 will only be $4 million? I.e. the remaining portion of the option salary?
It would put it at 34, I’m guessing they would buy him out. But yeah essentially 4 million dollars more. That might still be a bargain in 4 years if he doesn’t completely drop off.
If they exercise the option, they won’t do it until after the 2026 season. The only part they’re on the hook for now is the $4M buyout. So the luxury tax AAV would be $10M for each season in 2024-2026 (4+11+11+4=30 over 3 years). Then the AAV in 2027 would be only the remaining $4M ($8M option minus the $4M buyout cost that already got included in the AAV for 2024-2026).
I guess you can say 4/34 million either way it’s not a crazy overpay they just structured it different. I was just saying it’s around 8.6 per year, drops a little if they pick up the option.
Barves not wasting time getting their team ready for 2024
That means Giolito is signing a 3 year deal with the Braves
Braves have a trend of turning not-so-great relievers into serviceable pieces. 8/10 move.
See examples : Tonkin, Chavez, Johnson, Matzek, Iglesias, Yates, Stephens, Lee.
I don’t care if Lopez isn’t on a first name basis with ESPN outside of trades, he’s an upgrade over a guy like Tonkin, Chavez, Yates.
I think this guy good. Could pitch 6 7 even 8 for many teams.
Exactly. It’s a step up in their BP rankings. Hard to complain about pay. It’s the new standard
Lucas Giolito to the Braves confirmed!
Joe Jimenez got 3 yrs. and $26 million???!!!!
Wha?
I could squint and see the Braves signing Sonny Gray and going with a six man rotation. Charlie is 40+, Max is coming off an injury, Reynaldo is possibly transitioning to SP.
What a bargain. What are other teams doing? I will answer. Failing.
So I guess this means the Braves will be signing Giolito too because wherever Lopez goes, Giolito goes and vice versa
You’re like the 9th person to make this clever point
When I saw that the Braves had 10 open spots on the roster, I knew that swinging and right handed relief were one of the clear needs. Lopez certainly fills one/ both of those. Braves still need a SP, another right handed reliever, a LF and quite few players for the bench.
lol @ “veteran Ian Anderson”. Kind of rough not to include Hurston in the players battling for that fifth roster spot, he’s shown filthy stuff so far, wouldn’t be far fetched if he makes the opening day roster.
Wow wayyyyy over pay unreal
Call me Rip Van Winkle but in what universe get a 3-year-deal that guarantees him $30M?
I frustratingly watched him during his Sox years, and he was ye another pitcher with great stuff but an inability to harness it with consistency.
Trading for Bummer and signing Lopez , are the Braves convinced they can heal these guys?
AA will eventually bring Jesse Chavez back so Snit will have him to play Checkers!!
Better not be our answer for starting pitching
No one knows just yet. It is pretty funny but he had lasic eye surgery and it really helped him. He could actually (20 percent chance) be the 5th starter for the Braves.
There’s your new price for signing a good, multi-inning middle reliever. Josh Hader may get up to $150MM.
History says we now know where Lucas Giolito will sign.
They usually play for the same team and get traded together and the braves need starting pitchers
Players are paid for past performance plus the quality of their agent…. maybe it’s time to just pay players after the season based on their WAR…
I think the arbitration/free agency calendar needs to be revised, but I’m not sure how. Especially the pre-arb system… of course, I am assuming that players are getting to the big leagues (on average) at a much older age than guys in the 1970’s to 1990’s.
Maybe every player should become a FA every year. No long term contracts.
There never been a question about his stuff..the question has always been about pitching IQ. Put a good catcher behind the plate and he’ll be awesome.
Does this mean the Braves are interested in Lucas Giolito also, or does that bond only happen when traded?
The luxury tax thresholds need to be increased by a lot. It doesn’t make sense to have a QO of $20 million but expect teams to field a competitive team with less than an 11-12 multiple…
How else will teams in perpetual rebuilding receive their revenue-sharing checks?
Why do the Braves always refuse to get a top closer? They could have won so many more titles if they just got one
Hader is on the market and they’re not interested
They’ve had plenty of good closers before.
I actually went through their team’s bbref pages over the last 15 or so years and outside of Kimbrel when he was at his peak and 1 year of Billy Wagner, I guess they haven’t. They still didn’t do anything with them. The Bullpen was always an issue in the 90’s though. No wonder Cox left the starters in longer than they should’ve..
Pitcher/Pos player gets huge contract: “Well deserved!” “Congratulations”
Lopez gets 3/30: “OVERPAID!!!!”
So this just means Giolito is becoming a Brave then. You can’t take one without the other.