The Braves announced they’ve signed free agent infielder Luis Guillorme to a one-year, $1.1MM contract. Atlanta also avoided arbitration with right-hander Huascar Ynoa, signing him to an $825K deal. Guillorme, a client of MVP Sports Group, has just under five years of MLB service, so Atlanta could control him via arbitration for the 2025 season as well.
Guillorme sticks in the NL East after spending his entire career with the Mets. He played a decade in the New York organization as a former 10th-round draftee. The glove-first infielder debuted in 2018 and got to the big leagues in each of the past six years. While he saw only sporadic action in each of his first three campaigns, Guillorme got a bit more work over the last trio of seasons.
The left-handed hitter combined for a roughly league average .270/.359/.331 slash in 491 plate appearances between 2021-22. Paired with his solid glove throughout the infield, he was a valuable piece off the bench. Guillorme’s offense dropped last year, as he hit .224/.288/.327 across 54 games. After striking out in roughly 14% of his trips over the previous two seasons, Guillorme fanned at a 23.3% clip a year ago.
That drop in offense led the Mets to move on in November. New York non-tendered the 29-year-old in lieu of a $1.7MM projected salary for his penultimate season of arbitration. Guillorme won’t quite reach that level on his deal with Atlanta, but he’ll get another crack in the big leagues.
Guillorme is out of options. Atlanta will have to carry him on the MLB roster or make him available to other teams via trade or waivers. That the Braves guaranteed him $1.1MM indicates they’re likely to carry him on the Opening Day roster. Guillorme can back up the starting infield of Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia and Austin Riley. There weren’t many shortstop reps available in Queens thanks to Francisco Lindor, but Guillorme has the ability to handle any infield spot.
Atlanta acquired David Fletcher from the Angels last month. At the time, he seemed the option to replace Nicky Lopez as the depth infielder. The Braves outrighted Fletcher from the 40-man roster not long after the trade, at least raising the possibility of him starting next season at Triple-A Gwinnett.
Ynoa, meanwhile, had been projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $1MM salary in his first year of arbitration. He lost all of last season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery but could battle for the fifth starter job in camp.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
They will probably release him tomorrow.
@joel p or trade him lol
Nah, good utility guy with no pop. Versatile and decent glove.
Decent glove? Decent?
@TJT yes he has a decent glove. Not exactly good, but definitely not bad. Although he lacks power, he is a consistent hitter who does not strike out a ton. With his versatility, he is a solid utility IF to have on bench.
Decent glove or Decadant Love?
@Tigers3232: he struck out a ton last year, usually with men on base. He does have a good glove. Better than decent.
Superb hands, accurate throws compensate for not having a rifle of an arm. He’s slow but has a great eye. .278/.367/.344/.711 for an OPS+ of 103 fr 2020-2022 w/ 2.7 bWAR in 559 PA, though he must be shielded from LHP. +8 OAA in slightly less than a full season in the field. Defines “slap hitter.” When Guillorme punches a ball into the gap it’s a feat on the order of the next guy launching a 480-foot homer into the third deck.
Last season was his first bad year. Even so I’m surprised since his game is all reflex that at 29 he’s catching on with a team as good as the Braves, and with what is a near guarantee he’ll stick with the MLB squad. Maybe they figure that $1.1m is worth an extended ST look to see if he has his mojo back and if not they send him down as their backup’s backup where if someone claims him and his salary, so be it.
I don’t doubt the Braves have done their offseason homework, though—they aren’t just writing a check to a player of whom it must be said, he may simply be done after a 2023 season of .224/.288/.327/.615 and an OPS+ of 70, with a defense of -3 OAA or +1 DRS.
When The Great Luigi had one bad game in the field and Mets fans treated him like last week’s trash, it made me despise them for a minute. Too much of their nature surfaced.
That the Mets are effectively replacing Guillorme with Joey Wendle is hardly a clear improvement. Wendle’s 2023 was worse than Guillorme’s 2023, and Wendle is 5 years older. If Joey Wendle is the best that Stearns can do for $2m, it’s one, small data point that he’s not a particularly creative fellow.
I know it’s a joke, but are you allowed to trade players you just signed?
Players who sign major league contracts in free agency can’t be traded without their consent until June 15 of the subsequent season.
Thanks Steve, your da man!
He is the headliner in the trade for Cease
PTBNL
Replacing Vaughn Grish spot on the bench?
Grissom>>>>>>> guillorme
I don’t think anyone will argue with you Sourhaze, but I think that might be the idea to “try”
He’ll probably hit 25 home runs this year.
…against the Mets…There fixed it for ya
This guy is solid. Another good move for the Braves.
Another good move? They already wasted a bunch of money on David fletcher who’s basically the same player?
I don’t know. Chalk it up to depth while limiting CBT penalties.
@ Travis, They dumped Evan White in the Fletcher trade. White was due to make more, Fletcher trade actually saved $. Fletcher was also outrighted and will likely stay in Minors. Guillmore for his cost is a solid utility guy off the bench.
After watching you die on a hill of ignorance while being clueless to Sale’s AAV and refusing to hear logic from anyone, do you blindly formulate assumptions on everything?? Again you are coming to conclusions with only half the relevant information…..
Tigers3232 Travis has always been a buffoon who lacks any real baseball knowledge and always craps on the braves every chance he gets while proclaiming yoshinobu yamamato is the best pitcher in major league baseball without ever having thrown a single pitch at the highest level. He will definitely be good, and I hope so, but Travis here needs to get off his nuts. And maybe learn a few things about baseball, and not that every team will, or reasonably can spend 1 billion dollars on free agents.
I ve seen a few of his comments. Some seemed questionable but I didn’t pay much attention. The other day tho he refused to back down off an errant conclusion he formulated on Sale’s AAV. Not one comment supporting him, all correcting him. Yet he stubbornly would not listen to logic. It was both funny and kind of sad…
LOL I’m dead watching you try to talk smack but you can’t even add Fletchers contract plus Stassi’s contract to realize that it’s more than Evan White… also hilarious you think the Angels would take on Evan White AND additional salary. Absolutely hilarious. Maybe don’t talk smack when you don’t have a single clue what’s going on?
Sale’s luxury tax hit was incorrect on Spotrac…. But yeah I’m obviously just making stuff up. You absolute clown
Lol you’re making assumptions about me based on a handful of random comments? I dont even think Yamamoto will be that great…. So I’m not even sure what or who you’re referring to…. The fact that you apparently remember my comments about Yamamoto is hilarious and pretty pathetic. I couldnt tell you a single comment I’ve seen from you…. Cause I dont spend my time thinking about random commenters on MLBTR….
U ok man? They hammered u. Can tell your upset
Calm down man.
“i don’t spend my time thinking about random commenters on MLBTR”
The fact that you felt the need to type up three posts to address tigers because you’re mad online says otherwise. It’s kind of funny that you get mad at that guy for “talking smack” when that’s all I ever see you do. Chill man.
Why not just keep Nicky Lopez, who is easily better than Guillorme
G is cheaper
Guillorme has a better beard.
The Sox wanted Lopez.
Lopez was part of the deal that brought in Bummer and was like 2 months ago lol. And Fletcher was a result of the Kelenic trade.
These moves are not directly connected whatsoever.
The Fletcher trade had nothing to do with Kelenic. Are you just making stuff up?
we got Fletcher while unloading White, who was acquired in the Kelenic trade
There’s no salt in the Mets wound when he is 5-WAR player by May and Baty breaks both legs celebrating a solo HR in a blowout.
5 WAR by May? Is he up to 4.9 already?
Good guy to have around if a bat flies into the dugout.
This comment wins the internet for today.
Leads the league in xBCiD (expected Bats Caught in Dugout)
Eh I mean we can find another middle IF utility player that’s no big deal. I do want to talk about Ynoa though I think he has the ability to be a dominant closer or late inning pitcher. He wants to be a starter and who knows maybe he takes that number 5 spot but I could also see him as a 40 save sub 2.00 era relief pitcher.
I completely agree. The stuff and the talent is definitely there. After being out so long I think the best thing for him is to be a bullpen arm while he adjusts to pitching on a regular basis again. He can be a decent starter, but an even better swingman, and an even greater late innings bullpen arm.
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s Guillorme!
Makes the Fletcher move even more confusing
My thoughts exactly. Though they likely still had a bench spot open after dealing Grissom.
Fletcher is likely still in their plans and is a safer option at SS who can also play corner OF if needed. Luis is a LH so that helps with PH roles too.
They moved Evan White in the Fletcher trade who makes more. Fletcher saved them a bit of $ and was optioned to AAA. He provides depth and ultimately saved the Braves $. Guillmore provides an immediate cheap bench bay for MLB roster.
These moves the Braves are making do seem puzzling at a quick glance. But when you starting looking at all these moves as a whole it is pretty damn impressive.
No matter how many times you say this you’re still wrong LOL not sure you should be calling anything impressive when you can’t even do basic math….
You are an incompetent fool…
I’m incompetent?? You can’t even add two contracts together lol you’re just a clown who wants to talk smack
All it took was a single google search…. Or just go back to the article on this site about the trade…. Or just use common sense…. But no you’d rather talk smack while being COMPLETELY WRONG about very basic payroll situation lol this is actually hilarious
Sweet, I actually really like Guillerme, the braves are seriously lacking SS depth so a nice guy to have on the bench and over 2 million cheaper than Lopez would have been.
Wasted money. For both these guys.
Nice little bench piece.
Thought he’d hold out for a starting role on a bottom team. Guess he didn’t get any offers.
Good depth. Exceptional glove. Soft contact
His glove isn’t exceptional for sure, and neither is his hitting.
I’m a mets fan, not bitter about this at all, guillorme was a terrible player. Out of shape, routinely bobbling balls, and failing in every spot he was in. Then his father went thought Twitter to complain in behalf of his son.
Good luck on the braves…I guess. He doesn’t offer much but 1.1 million? I think he could’ve gotten more and I dont think he’s remotely good
If he could have gotten more, why didn’t he?
You must have been watching a different Guillorme than the one who played for the Mets.
NO! How could he the traitor! He’ll hit like 20 hrs and win a gold glove now. Lol. Best of luck to him. He was real pleasant to watch at times on the diamond.
Settle down, Beavis.
The Mets non-tendered him, and he’s just a ballplayer trying to keep his career going. It’s just business.
Baron you are the only Beavis around. This guy was wishing well wishes to our second bench player. You are hard to please at best. Your wife must be super stoked all the time on Xanax and Chardonnay.
I was addressing MWMet, not you.
And my lovely bride doesn’t take drugs and rarely drinks.
But why did you feel the need to jump in with a personal attack? How have I attacked or harmed you?
You literally attack everyone on this site and seem like a miserable person during each attack. Which as a Mets fan is completely understandable. I’m stoked for your wife she is drug free and rarely drinks that’s good for her!
You always chime in on any Braves thing I say and as well chime in on a lot of Mets fans take. Seems like a miserable life.
I just feel free to express myself and my opinions on and fairly good knowledge of baseball, and I don’t concern myself with what anyone thinks about that as they are equally free to ignore or mute me.
I try not to attack people personally, but I sometimes fall short of that ideal since I am human and, as such, far from perfect. I have been trying in recent months to be better about that.
I’m quite happy with my family, friends, and business, and I’m having a perfectly fine time on here.
It’s rather amusing to me that people who don’t know me jump to conclusions about misery and other conditions. Unfortunately, that’s a common occurrence on the Internet.
Although I can’t stand Donald Trump, some of the reactions I evoke on here have led me to believe that there is a sort of BBDS or Blue Baron Derangement Syndrome going on, and I find it hysterically funny that anyone takes me that seriously and devotes emotional energy to disliking and attacking me.
But that’s their problem, not mine, and something over which I have no control.
I completely disagree, Blue Baron and I have had some arguments in our conversations about baseball but he has never been insulting or attacking in my opinion. He certainly doesn’t attack someones wife which is a really crappy thing to do even in a disagreement.
So why exactly did they waste that money to acquire David fletcher? What’re the Braves doing?
Probably keeping both? They have room on the roster.
I agree and it’ll be a change of pace pitchers will struggle having to try to pitch around all the homers the braves hit just for Luis or David to come in an slap singles all over the place just for the next batter to hit a two run jack. I think it’s great the braves added contact to their bench. We already have enough homers to go around.
Fletcher trade saved the Braves $, Evan White who was moved makes more than Fletcher.
False. They added money cause Stassi was in the trade too. Why would the Angels ADD salary to add Evan white?
Stassi has been traded to the White Sox. Again making comments without all the relevant information….
You ever hear the saying listen more than you talk? Maybe you should read more than you type.
Maybe you could have a clue what you’re talking about? The Braves are paying Stassi’s contract….. come on man keep up. It’s not hard. But you still tried to talk smack anyways LOL sounds like you’re the one who needs to do some more reading….
Who cares. No salary cap in mlb. Braves roster is absolutely loaded.
Well the teams all care….
The Braves moved Shewmake, Lopez, Grissom and do not have any ss minor league prospects that could fill in if needed. Flecher and Guillorme can both play mlb ss. The Braves need a rh outfielder to compete for the 4th/5th outfielder job. The Braves have signed 4 AAA players that can be used in a pinch if/when needed. 2 of these additions can play outfield and infield. Basically bench and AAA backups if needed.
Maybe this will help you. Kelenic costs the Braves the Braves 15 million to acquire for 5 years of control. Acuna is now the old man in the outfield at 26. Sale costs averages out to 10.5 for 2 years and 18 for the 3rd (if picked up) for Grissom.
These moves were a pivot from the missing out on Nola. The next team needs were left field and a high end starter that could help in the postseason. Sale will be the 4th starter and will be treated gently till (hopefully) the post season.
By moving all the dead money (most of it) to 24 it opens room to possibly sign Fried next off season. Be well.
Your comment doesn’t explain why they’d ever need Fletcher if they have Guillorme. They moved most of the dead money to 2024? Huh? They added a bunch of dead money to acquire players, they didn’t get rid of any dead money in the future? They could’ve just signed Guillorme and a mid tier SP and LF and they’d be in the same position but wouldn’t have had to take on all those bad contracts…. There’s a reason 4 different teams have used the Braves to dump bad contracts…. You’ll notice no other teams are doing this. It’s a poor strategy. It took less than a month for the Fletcher/Stassi trade to become entirely irrelevant except for the extra cash the Braves took on
They have Flecher as insurance if their is an injury to Albies or Arcia. Flecher is in AAA. I believe if he doesn’t get picked up next year his 6 million tax hit goes away for 25. Hence Guillorme is on a mlb deal. They could also move Flecher with a prospect if really needed.
I meant to say they had dead money for 24, 25 and moved most of the dead money to 24. Other teams were not locking up players earlier like the Braves did. They spent 3.25 million to get Kerr. 15 to get Kelenic. These are not crazy moves. Pretty straight forward. They are betting on Kelenic batting 7th will help him do better on a better team. Betting Sale in the 4th slot will be fine. Not a huge gamble either way–Kelenic is a 15 million gamble. Kerr a 3.25 gamble. Sale averages out to 10.5 each year for 2–not a bad gamble.
This fills one of the last bench spots they had available, and I like it, personally.
So far, they’ll go into the season with d’Arnaud, Guillorme, Fletcher, and Wall as their primary bench pieces.
They also have some decebt depth options in AAA, but I really would have liked for them to add another bat-first LF 4th OF type.
Their 26-man roster appears pretty set now, though.
Rotation:
Fried
Strider
Morton
Sale
Elder
Bullpen:
Iglesias
Minter
Jimenez
P.Johnson
R.Lopez
Bummer
Matzek
Kerr/Lee
Position Players:
DH: Ozuna
C: Murphy/d’Arnaud
1B: Olson
2B: Albies
3B: Riley
SS: Arcia
LF: Kelenic
CF: Harris
RF: Acuña Jr.
OF: Wall
UT: Fletcher
UT: Guillorme
Looks pretty solid to me. I mean, there are definitely some upgrades that could be made to strengthen their chances at a run for the playoffs, but there’s always the trade deadline.
Great job by AA strengthening the depth of this squad and improving their roster around the edges. It’s still a crapshoot, but the Braves definitely look set up for success with plenty of pitching depth at AAA.
I am all in on Ynoa being a closer and Raisel Iglesias and his 10” Cuban being the setup guy. He strong but not my closer.
They’ll option Wall and add another vet OF to take his spot.
Yeah. That’s how I see it also. Probably bring back Adam Duvall .
Need a RH OF to share time with JK.
Fletcher may also start in AAA if they want to bring someone else in, as he isn’t in the 40-man roster.
Love that signing. He’s legit.
This deal really surprises me. The Braves are already paying Fletcher $6 M, and it seems to me they need a backup outfielder a lot more than they need another backup infielder. I guess I’ll have to wait and see what more surprises the Braves FO has up its sleeve. There is still room on the 40 man roster, but the 26 man roster looks full..
Send Wall to AAA and that veteran OF they still need just takes his spot. That includes having Fletcher and Luis on the active roster if my math is right.
Fletcher was already optioned to AAA.
No reason for the Braves to have BOTH Fletcher and Guillorme on the active roster unless there’s an injury to an infielder. Still need a right handed stick for the OF.
Mr Twig is available, mkay.
Charlie Culberson, who felt there was a small shred of hope even after the deal to acquire Fletcher, sees this transaction, tearfully looks skyward and screams, “NOOOOOO!!!!”
Not kidding. Charlie is now a relief pitcher in AAA. We will see.
I can’t remember the exact rules of outrights from rosters, but David fletcher being outrighted immediately after being acquired could mean he Never sees the major league roster. I want to say that 1 year/season following an outright, that player’s salary no longer counts against payroll for luxury tax purposes.
He’s a client of MVP Sports Group so he must have MVP talent. 2024 NL MVP.
Braves remain the best team in baseball.
Long a versatile defensive specialist with exceptional hands and contact hitter. Perrenial KOST for the Mets.
Hall of fame bat catcher.
One of the slowest guys in MLB. He got even slower in 2023. Lost a lot defensively and struggled a bit with the bat too.
Looking forward to Keith calling him Guillermo for all Mets Braves games this yeah.
Can’t wait for him to be the next Justin Turner.
I, too, appreciate “exceptional hands.”
The braves dont miss! Guillorme bout to smack 15hr and drive in 70 RBI
Kelenic and Guillorme are set to become superstars in Atlanta. Braves like these ex-Mets to stick it in their face like D’Arnaud does. Welcome to the 90s Mets/Braves all over again. Thanks for nothing Cohen.
Guillmore may play 10 games, so not much sticking in anyone face there. Kelenic is now more Seattle than Queens. Travis and Justin Turner are and will always be a painful reminder how strange the Mets choices with their players can be. Winans is another example, but not nearly as bad.
D’Arnaud had plenty of chances to shine in NYC. Was injured too much. Turner never showed much in NYC and turned into a winning lottery ticket for the LAD, just like Max Muncy. While it would have been nice if Turner replaced Wright at 3B and TDA had stuck, life goes on.
Turner tells the story when he has his 1st batting practice as a dodger. Turner was signed to a minor league deal and was fighting for a bench role. He swings for about 5 minutes. All the batting dodger greats who are now coaches and advisors are watching. They huddle together and speak for about 15 minutes. Then the dodger batting coach walks over to Turner still in the box and asks him why he doesn’t have a leg kick. Turner responds that the Mets don’t want you to have a leg kick because because. The hitting coach put a finger in Turner’s face, ‘with your swing you always have a leg kick no matter what anyone says to you no matter what team you end up on.’ They throw him so more batting practice and now with a leg kick. 5 minutes later he was hitting like Justin Turner. Flipping Dodgers. Got Turner for nothing. Turner still had two options. The Mets just cut bait.
When TDA was asked why he did so well with the Rays and Braves compared to the Mets, TDA said, “In some organizations they beat you down to get the best from a player and in others the organizations encourages you to be your best. I guess I do better with encouragement.’
“Meanwhile” can’t come in the middle of a sentence, set off by commas. It has to START the sentence.
The braves have a ton of offense and none of these bench players are really gonna play unless someone gets hurt as the braves don’t rest players much at all. Having glove first bench players makes sense.