Left-hander A.J. Minter is now a year away from free agency but he tells Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he hasn’t heard from the Braves about an extension, though the Excel Sports Management client would like to stay.
“No,” Minter said. “I mean, obviously, who wouldn’t want to play in Atlanta? Atlanta, in my opinion, right now it’s the best organization in baseball. Obviously, I would love to stay in Atlanta. Who wouldn’t? But yeah, that’s something that’s kind of out of my control at the moment. Obviously, you’ve gotta come in here and treat it like it’s my last day. I’m gonna come in here and do everything I can for this organization, and pitch to the best of my ability and go out there and try to win a World Series. I’m going to put it into the organization’s hands (in terms of) what they want to do. Just got to go out there and show them what I’m made of.”
Minter, 30, has somewhat quietly been a very effective reliever over the past four years. He’s tossed 208 2/3 innings in that time with a 2.89 ERA. He has struck out 30.7% of batters faced while walking just 7.8% of them. He’s also kept 40.3% of balls in play on the ground. He’s done that while moving into high-leverage spots, having earned 15 saves and 83 holds in that time. He’s also been a key part of the club in the postseason, throwing 12 playoff innings during their 2021 title run. Raisel Iglesias is the club’s closer but Minter projects as the top lefty, with Tyler Matzek and Aaron Bummer also in the mix.
Atlanta hasn’t been terribly shy about spending on relief pitching recently. As shown on MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, since Alex Anthopoulos was hired in November of 2017 to lead the baseball operations department, the club has given eight-figure deals to Will Smith, Joe Jiménez, Kenley Jansen, Pierce Johnson, Chris Martin and Collin McHugh. There’s also Reynaldo López, though he may wind up in the starting rotation this year. Atlanta also acquired Iglesias from the Angels with three-plus years remaining on his four-year $58MM deal.
Minter would be in line for a nice deal himself if he continues pitching well this year. He’s in his final season of club control and agreed to a $6.22MM salary with the club in order to avoid arbitration. The club could keep him around by putting some money down on the table, as they did with Johnson and Jiménez. Both of those pitchers were slated for free agency at the end of 2023 but Johnson got a two-year, $14.25MM extension in October and Jiménez a three-year, $26MM deal in early November, the day after the World Series ended but before free agency officially began.
If no deal is worked out and Minter signs elsewhere in free agency next winter, it will be his first time in another organization. He was selected by Atlanta in the 2015 draft, going 75th overall, and has been with the club ever since.
Nothing happening for Minter this Winter
No, but the first com-Minter is Robert effin Frost.
I assume they wait to see how Matzek and Bummer look since they have 25 options. If those two are looking good, i think they aren’t engaging for an extension that Minter would like. If either of those guys struggle, which is a definite possibility, then the team tries to get an early deal assuming minter is putting up solid numbers.
Even beyond them, they took a lottery ticket on Ray Kerr, Dylan Lee, and even Dylan Dodd that could be more effective in the ‘pen, not include Perdomo.
Good looking out. I forgot about Kerr. Completely changes my thought process on this.
The Braves have shown they have no intention of bidding against themselves especially when a guy says how badly he wants to stay.
Yea haven’t we been down that road with Freeman saying he wanted to stay just to take the highest offer?
Who’s “we”? Despite accusation on here, I’m not employed by the Braves or Liberty Media.
Sometimes betting on a big walk year and letting go is the best move. Minter could certainly get closer money with another solid season and ATL has the depth to not have to sign him. Plus they would have QO leverage.
I absolutely love AJ I really do and I hope we can get an extension but there’s a part of me that is weary of relief pitchers long term I compare them to Field Goal kickers in football in that they can be dominant and get the job done then all of a sudden they fall off the face of the earth and become trash. And vice versa they can be trash and all of a sudden become good.
No one respects Kickers until they have a bad one that loses them games. Same goes for the bullpen….that doesn’t really add anymore insight to what you already said, I just like the comparison lol
So true about kickers. As a Lions fan growing up it was the only constant of stability. My entire childhood til I became an adult Lions had 2 kickers Murray and Hanson. It’s been a revolving door ever since.
BTW, thank you. This is first time I ve been able to speak of Lions in a few weeks. Was a very very tough way to end a season.
But at least they reached the level of having their season end like that.
Much better than 5-12.
Just be glad you didn’t lose to Taylor Swift…. Satan’s chosen daughter
I’m a Jets and Giants fan. I’d give anything for either team to be playing into January.
Jets and Giants fan…..
I could see giving Minter a 3 year deal. I really would love to see Max ink a 6 year deal. Pitchers like him are hard to come by.
Especially a nice Jewish boy!
Closer level stuff when he’s on, just never feel like he’s ever gonna quite be the guy he’s got the stuff to be.
We love AJ Minter for all he does, and has done in the past, but I wouldn’t be fond of dealing with his agency after they moved Freddie and Dansby out of the ATL. I think Freeman fired them after the agents botched his re-signing with the Braves. Changes agencies, AJ.