The Braves announced a two-year, $23MM contract with outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. He’ll make $9MM in 2016 and $10MM in 2027 and is guaranteed a $4MM buyout on a 2028 club option valued at $7MM. Yastrzemski is represented by Jack Toffey Sports Management. Atlanta designated outfielder Michael Siani for assignment in a corresponding move.
Atlanta hadn’t waded too far into the free agent market outside of re-signing closer Raisel Iglesias. The club now improves its outfield/DH mix by bringing in Yastrzemski. The lefty-swinging veteran finished last season with the Royals after getting dealt by the Giants at the trade deadline. After spending his first six seasons in San Francisco, Yastrzemski will now be on his third team in the calendar year.
Before the move, the Braves were looking at a pair of speed-first options in holdover Eli White and waiver claim Siani as their bench outfielders behind the trio of Ronald Acuna Jr., Michael Harris II, and Jurickson Profar. Yastrzemski gives them a more viable offensive contributor as the fourth outfielder. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos recently mentioned he preferred to leave the DH spot open and split the duties between multiple players. Yastrzemski figures to factor into that equation against right-handed pitching, grabbing left field reps with Profar moving to DH.
Yastrzemski was having one of his weakest offensive campaigns with the Giants prior to getting traded. He had managed just eight home runs and a career-low .355 SLG across 97 games. The move to Kansas City flipped his season, as he quickly emerged as a crucial top-of-the-order contributor. Yastrzemski slugged nine home runs in 50 games with the Royals, while walking more than he struck out. He capped off his season with a two-homer game against the Athletics.
The 35-year-old Yastrzemski didn’t reach the big leagues until age 28. He immediately made an impact in the power department, swatting 21 home runs in 411 plate appearances as a rookie. Yastrzemski earned near-regular playing time over the next five seasons, providing solid production against righties while typically sitting against lefties. He tended to strike out at an above-average rate, but still finished with a wRC+ of at least 106 in all but one season with the Giants.
Yastrzemski has spent the majority of his time in right field, though he has experience at all three outfield spots. He made six starts in left field, five starts in center field, and 29 starts in right field during his brief stint with the Royals. Yastrzemski graded out as a neutral fielder by Outs Above Average. His range received poor marks, but he offered value with his arm, per Statcast.
Kansas City was reportedly interested in a Yastrzemski reunion. Given his strong two months for the team, it made sense the Royals would look to bring him back. The club is currently short on proven outfielders, with Jac Caglianone, Kyle Isbel, and John Rave penciled in as starters. Considering that the trio is entirely left-handed, targeting a righty bat might be a better fit for Kansas City.
Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Braves were nearing a deal with Yastrzemski. Jon Heyman of The New York Post first had the two-year, $23MM guarantee and the option.
Braves fans be like ‘yaaaaaaz’
I didn’t know Yaz played SS or is a Pitcher? AA really thinking outside the box on this one!…Lol, at least it means they won’t be rotating Baldwin and Murphy at DH which seemed like a bad idea.
Dubon is gonna end up playing short. They’re not gonna pay for Bichette. And Kim isn’t enough of an upgrade over Dubon to give him extra money. I’m wondering if signing Yaz means either Murphy or Profar are gone. If not, it means quite a few less AB’s for one or both of them
Not at all. Dubon is a utility-knife they haven’t had that can play almost anywhere in IF/OF, while being an insurance contract on Albies — who may be traded, if they re-sign Kim. I’d envision they’d look to move Albies, save some dollars, and maybe gain a prospect or two, having Dubon 2B, Kim SS. That would give them a bridge to the next 2B/SS (since Kim could do both well).
Dubon isn’t a starter. If you play him as one he’ll be a negative player
Unless Murphy is traded, both catchers will get DH time.
In all honesty Murphy only DH’d some last year because the braves didn’t have a lot of better options. I seriously doubt that it was ever Anthopoulos’s true intention to let Murphy spend much time at DH in 2026.
Depends on how he’s hitting, but he’ll be in the mix.
Imo, Murphy’s best used as a DH against lefties w/fb/changeup as their primary pitches. Murphy crushes in the zone lefty changeups. Don’t DH him vs rh pitching. Watching his futile attempts to make contact w/breaking balls in the dirt of the opposite batters box is maddening. DH Baldwin vs 70% of rh pitchers on his non catch days, catch Murphy 70% plus for his defense. Rotate the other DH at bats between Profar, Acuna, and Yaz.
I don’t disagree in theory. But that’s $41 million a year between Yaz, Profar, and Murphy to all platoon. I’d rather use that money somewhere else
Their bench was terrible. now it’s stronger.
This team has other holes besides its bench. If we address those other holes too, fine. But my god, that’s a lot of money for a 3-man platoon
@Fowler: Murphy was always going to platoon w/Baldwin no matter who the Braves signed as a 4th of’er. Atlanta and their 2 headed catching monster has been AA’s thing since his arrival. For a combined $24.9M, Yaz, Profar, and Eli White are a solid 3/4/5 outfield combo behind Harris II and Acuna. If they get 3 fwar or better out of a Yaz and Profar combo, their $24M works. (I was hoping the Braves would sign Mike Tauchman as their 4th of’er. He’s projected to get $3.5M on a 1 year deal and is the same age as Yaz.) Profar and Murphy’s money is sunk cost unless they’re dealt. No way to allocate that on something else. What else could the Braves get that fills a need for Yaz $9M—-a pen arm maybe?
Murphy’s not part of a 3 man platoon. He’s the primary catcher. He’ll probably get very limited DH at bats vs lefties.
What I was suggesting is either Murphy or Profar end up being dealt…maybe included for a starter. I realize neither of them would get a decent starter by themselves, but I think they both have value if the right pitching prospects were included too.
I see Murphy as a bounce back candidate. He averaged a 118 OPS+ in his first 5 years. I can’t image he cooked at 31. I hope he does get back to where he was..
The Giants had both Yaz and Tauchman. I actually liked Tauchman more that most Giants; fans, but I think you’ll like having Yaz instead.
I think there’s a possibility Murphy turns a corner if he’s healthy for the 1st time as a Brave and that surgery gets him back on track. If he does, I’d feel considerably better about that platoon.
The DH is Profar probably 80% of the time, if all stay healthy. The Braves now have 4 better fielding outfielders than Profar. He kills you in the field, it’s marginally better than Ozuna.
This guy will get 400+ ABs & Eli White will probably get 200 himself. If Profar doesn’t hit he’ll be riding the bench.
@yetipro: Not sure that Profar gets that big a percentage at DH. Baldwin’s going to get a decent amount of ab’s there too—-especially if Murphy’s healthy enough to catch 100 games.
To be honest (if everyone is healthy) look for Yaz to have more total plate appearances at year’s end than Profar, and probably Baldwin more than Profar too.
The 15 million is definitely a sink cost
So if Murphy is the catcher and a right handed pitcher is pitching, Acuna and Harris is healthy (and in Harris case hitting), the Baldwin is the DH for my team that day instead of Profar. (Unless Yaz is slumping).
Just my .02
Murphy isn’t a platoon.
It’s not a platoon. He’s going to catch 60% of the games or more. It’s hot in Georgia in the summer, Braves have always used two catchers during AA’s tenure.
@southi: Yaz is a heavy side platoon bat. He’s a career 79 wRC+ vs lefties, 120 wRC+ vs righties. He won’t be playing against lefties—-if Weiss knows how to correctly use him, lol. Vs rh pitching, Yaz in lf, Baldwin DH or catching. If Baldwin’s catching vs rh pitchers, Profar gets the DH because he switch hits. You’re right—Profar’s ab’s are going down—-but maybe not as much down as we think if they trade Murphy and Baldwin has to catch 130 plus games. Gonna be interesting to see Weiss figure out the playing time.
Every SS option is still on the board. Do you really think teams should use a static approach to the offseason? You really think front offices should turn down good opportunities at a position player because they need pitching? These teams can walk and chew gum at the same time.
What SS options? Kim? They’re not signing Bichette. Seager trade seems unlikely since they already promised Nimmo that they wouldn’t go into a rebuild when he lifted his NTC. And I’m not questioning AA’s ability to multitask. I questioning allocating that much money to a 3-man platoon.
A 3 man platoon? You mean someone who will platoon for three different outfield spots? He will also get DH days
As for the price, Jeff McNeil got 4 years $50 million.
Tommy Edman got 5 years and nearly $60 million.
The price for strong utilities arent what they used to be.
Sure they could use a SS and starting pitching but as we have seen the last several years the outfield tends to, for one reason or another, always have a black hole or two (for at least a large chunk of the season). It’s a mess waiting to happen without depth.
Yaz is solid and pretty consistent. I was hoping for a little better option with a possible trade for Duran…but Yaz will do.
Yaz may not be great in CF but he can play all 3 OF positions giving everyone some time at DH to try and help keep them all healthy.
Either way Yaz strengthens the teams depth which has shown be the downfall the last 2 years. The depth and bench couldn’t hold up to the injuries.
Shut
I thought he would land back with the Royals.
It seemed like a good fit from their side, but maybe he preferred to be elsewhere. Or maybe they simply didn’t want to spend the money.
he probably wants to try to play every day and the Royals probably wouldn’t be able to give him that
Because they’re overflowing with outfield talent?
@RoyalsFamAmongWolves: “he probably wants to try to play every day”
He’s behind Acuña, Harris, and Profar on the Braves, so I don’t think this is it. Braves gave him more money is my guess.
@rct
Yaz is a much better outfielder than Profar. Yaz will get a substantial amount of time on the grass and in the lineup, enough to effectively be a semi everyday player.
Maybe Profar will take another 80 games off and free up a spot for him.
Excellent signing. This guy is a good baseball player.
@southl: I don’t disagree but they’re not paying Profar $15 million to sit on the bench. Yaz will certainly get playing time but I don’t see how he’s going to get more in Atlanta than he would have in KC. My assumption is the Braves gave him more money than the Royals.
Profar will DH when Yaz plays left, and Acuna will dh when Yaz plays right. Yaz is just the piece of the puzzle that allows the braves to have the flexibility to rotate players in and out. Yaz will still get his 450 plus plate appearances and still won’t really affect any of the other outfielders playtime either. Yaz is effectively an everyday starter. (He has always sat against some of the toughest lefty pitchers and in those rare cases Eli White will get a rare spot start). I can’t envision in KC he would have gotten much more time than that. Perhaps the Braves culture and chances of bouncing back with healthy players was the deciding factor. But yes, maybe it was more money. Who knows exactly on that front?
@southi: Can’t see the Braves reducing the number of at bats Baldwin can get at DH. If he gets 30% of the catching time, he’ll probably also get 250-300 ab’s at DH. I hope Weiss is a good juggler because imo you’re right about Profar, Yaz, and Acuna getting DH ab’s. Murphy might get 10 games or so vs lefties as a DH too.
Yaz is a career 120 wRC+ vs right handed pitching… he’s playing vs RH and sitting vs lefties. Profar DH 2/3 times a week… Acuña once a week…Baldwin once a week…Murphy once a week but never vs RH pitching…others occasionally. Once Murphy establishes more value after his injury he should be dealt.
Yaz’ 120 wRC+ for his career vs RH pitching is better than both Profar and Harris. He’s playing vs RH pitching and sitting vs lefties.
Baldwin sucks
NL ROY. Yeah, he definitely doesn’t suck. Troll on.
Profar will get more DH time, with Baldwin and Acuna.
Maybe he thought the Braves had a better chance to win
Not many contract years left. I am sure the money was important. Baltimore wasted his youth underestimating his talent.
Giants fans loved him.
Me too, but the Braves got a good one, a complete player, does everything well except hit for average.
2/$23 feels high for the Royals.
With these signings, the Astros are only increasing business! I was hoping the Braves would sign a QO guy though.
Braves value the PPI pick. Hope they don’t sign a QO pitcher. Doubt they will, not really AA’s MO to sign pitchers to long term deals—–no matter what the rumors were about him offering Nola a 6 year deal 2 years ago. Imo, AA suspected Nola wouldn’t sign. Drove the price up for a rival. In any case, it worked out well for the Braves.
I agree with Jeff. Not braves normal method of operations to burn that draft pick.
Why were you hoping that? You mean like Framber Valdez so the Astros get the pick?
He said that he hoped the Braves signed a QO guy so they’d lose that pick on another article’s comment thread today.
Any QO guy.
Do you have some special spite for the Braves or something?
No. But I like the Astros picks, maybe too much. If the Braves sign a QO FA, the Astros own PPI pick goes from 28th-26th.
Now does that make sense?
Yes. That’s kind of what I thought when I asked the first time. I wouldnt say you like the Astros pick to much. That’s just being a loyal fan in a reasonable way. In the offseason and in the draft we’re ALL competitors.
Aloha folks, seen many Giants games and sat in RF! I really like Yaz and wish him all the best in Atlanta! Mahalo!
Noooo!
My Dodgers Plan K is off the table
Plan K? Haha
After
Plan A – Tucker
Plan B – Bichette
Plan C – Duran
Plan D – Bellinger
Plan E – Bader
Plan F – Kwan
Ok, maybe Plan G
My plans for my Astros
Plan A-Trade for Shane Baz, get multiple young starters from Paredes
Plan B-Get multiple young starters, sign Merrill Kelly to fill hole
Plan C- Same as plan B, but use Cristian Javier to fill hole and hope for bounce back
Plan D-Sign all veterans
Plan E- Use your own prospects.
My plan (Pirates fan)…
No decent bats but hey it’s only December right…
Still nobody yet but it’s on February right…..
Maybe they’ll sign someone during spring training..
Season starts….still no decent additions…Maybe Reynolds and Cruz bounce back this year…..
May- only ten games below .500 and pitching staff is decent. Maybe the will bring up Konner Griffen soon….
July….Well wasted another season. Maybe they will make some good trades at the deadline…..
September….I hate Bob Nutting
Nice writing!
So Diaz wasn’t plan A?
WHY?
To get Acuña and Profar some DH games, also insurance for Harris. His swing will play nicely at Truist park
Got to be a trade coming. Has to be.
No, why would you make a trade. Yaz will spend a lot of time rotating playing multiple positions on the grass, That flexibility will allow Profar (who is not a great outfielder) and Acuna to spend significant time at DH when needed. This signing fits EXACTLY what many of us and several experts had predicted Anthopoulos would do. It goes hand in hand with his statement that he didn’t want a dedicated DH but wanted to rotate players in and out. If you trade an outfielder as you suggested then you immediately shoot that plan in the foot.
Because you’re paying $41 million a year to Yaz, Murphy and Profar to all platoon. This team has other holes besides having an extra guy to cycle through the outfield and DH.
Yaz $9M. Profar $15M. Murphy $15M. That’s $39M—-and Murphy’s not part of a platoon w/Yaz and Profar, lol. The Braves were always going to sign a better 4th of’er than Eli White. Yaz provides solid protection for Acuna and better defense than Profar. He’s solid value for $9M. All AA’s done is add $9M to the payroll. Plenty left for the pen and maybe a starter that they might not really need if Lopez, Holmes, Elder, Ritchie are healthy and effective enough to fill the last rotation spot.
No, there certainly doesn’t have to be.
alec antompolous: play 1st base its not that hard
wash: its very hard
alec antompolous: tell em wash
Profar and Yaz at those prices is rough but if they don’t regress it should be okay
He’s a solid player but we need a SS. And we need starting pitching depth and some relief pitchers. This guy’s does have Nick Markakis vibes with how he plays.
You’ll love him as Giants fans have and KC fans have.
My gut tells me someone in our outfield is in the move.
I think this is probably more a sign they’re going to be using Profar as the primary DH instead of Baldwin…which makes me think they might be trading Murphy.
You’re right, Profar is such a butcher in the OF.
Having a good 4th OF is necessary, as we saw with Eli White and Jake Fraley and other lesser names getting lots of PA’s last season. Also helps get Ronald and Jurickson some DH games
I’m very confused.
Wow,really? I thought they where going on a trade route to get an outfielder. Well it means big bears time with braves is done.
Always liked him with the Giants. Hope he does well in Atlanta.
Like this fit but hope they don’t stop there
Swing and miss by the Pirates
Congrats to Yaz.
Braves fans will grow to love this guy.
Plays hard & has good game. Solid sign.
And like Sydney Sweeney, good genes/jeans.
Unless this man can secretly play shortstop, which last I checked he was a mid tier left handed corner outfielder, this is an odd signing.
If Kim and Bichette’s asking prices are too high, it makes plenty of sense. If they can’t upgrade Dubon, upgrade elsewhere.
Braves finished 10 games under .500 and had a middle-of-the-pack OF WAR. I think they’re more than just one SS away from building a true contender.
@lifetime
It may surprise you that teams that sign OFs tend to play them in the OF. It may also surprise you that teams may do multiple moves in the off season. There is no time limit, or requirement that moves are done in any particular order.
His Grandfather was my late Father’s favorite player.
Mine, too, as a kid. Then, Canada got Major League baseball and that was the end of that!
His grandfather was my favorite player. My husband and I impulse drove to Cooperstown to watch him be inducted in the Hall of Fame, along with Johnny Bench.
I figured Yaz would get signed, but I had no idea it would be for so much. I figured somewhere around $7-8 million a year or so.
that’s pretty much what he got, $9M next year and $10M in 2027
No that is about 30% more than what I expected. $2 million more per year than expected is not what I would call “pretty much what he got.”
…..and he’s owed $7M w/a $4M buyout on the club option in year 3 of the deal. If Atlanta pays the buyout, the AAV is slightly under $8M a year. Three years @ $23M guaranteed—-get it? EXACTLY what you “figured.”
Pirates made an offer but fell just a bit short.
Pirates offer was probably a one year offer. These offers should be named a Nutting offer and be added to Wikipedia.
Or, the TD offer meaning we want you until the trade deadline.
I wonder if this portends a Profar trade?
I hope so Bham!
Sure seems that way.
I would love to trade Profar, I just wonder if he has a market. He is a below average left fielder, just wonder if anybody wants him
I haven’t paid attention to what San Diego is doing, but they loved him two years ago. Maybe they’d be a possible trade partner.
When he was juicing.
Eat some money and maybe Padres would be interested
Still, if I am running Atlanta, Baldwin and Murphy will both play 81 games at catcher. Profar in left, Harris obviously in center and Yaz in right. Ronald Acuna becomes a full time DH, stays healthy, and maybe rivals Ohtani for the triple crown and MVP. Not likely to happen, since I don’t run Atlanta.
Can’t take that many DH at bats away from Baldwin to give the lesser bats of Yaz and Profar more. Catch Murphy 110-115 games because his defense is much better than Baldwin’s. Baldwin will need 90 games or more at DH.
Acuna is too good defensively not to pay in the field. Also, I think he has a little trouble concentrating. He needs to play defense to stay engaged. Let him sit on the bench all day, and he might check out.
Can sit Yaz against lefties and let Acuna play OF those games and give a few DH at bats to Baldwin
Seems like I may be the minority on this one, but I like Profar. Aside from him dashing my hopes, dreams and high expectations for our 2025 lineup, I thought he did an OK job in LF. Of course that could be a direct result of watching the likes of Soler, Rosario and (yikes) OZUNA completely destroy the LF position for the previous few seasons. He also brings an energy and enthusiasm that this Braves team sorely needs. Then again, if he could be packaged in a deal for Seager somehow, I will forget his name lol
I think Profar is perfectly fine in left field. I’m just wondering what their plan is with Yaz, and if his signing frees up Profar to be traded for a shortstop, or if they got him for depth and flexibility.
totally agree, if nothing else this signing gives us hope for more moves! I also like seeing all the positive remarks about Yaz from Giants fans, you wouldn’t see those if he wasn’t good for a team
Yaz is a solid ballplayer, not like his Grandpa, but he’s pretty good in his own right, loved watching him in SF.
This reminds me of the Nick Markakis signings. Guy just gives you 2.5 WAR year in/year out.
Good pick up Atlanta. Yaz was awesome in KC. Pull your head out JJ, this was a no brainer, but let’s sign India for 8 million. Looking more and more like Austin Hayes to KC 🥱 Wake me if JJ does something useful.
This is a really expensive bench piece or a really bad signing for a guy they plan to start. Either way, it’s bad… they 100% need a bat. Not him. They also need SP and bullpen help. If he’s a bench bat giving folks some time off, ok. This deal is fine. But 11.5 mil a year means they prob play to use him in the field and DH profar or Acuna or at least rotate them all. And if that’s the case, that’s a terrible bat to put into the lineup
Or they could be looking to move on from Profar with not that many OF options. Pay off some of his deal to regulate it and have Yaz with a 2-WAR floor.
He has a career OPS of over .800 and an OPS+ of 110 vs RHP in his career. Barring injury, he probably won’t play vs lefties. I don’t get the fuss
No way he’s a bench bat at that price.
I agree… it’s wishful thinking but his talent level is a bench bat
@bravesfan: Yaz will make $9M in 2026, $10M in 2027, and $7M club option w/a $4M buyout in 2028. $23M guaranteed over 3 years. AAV less than $8M seems reasonable for a 2 fwar plus 4th of’er/part time DH. Need a solid 4th as insurance for Acuna. White’s good as a 5th of’er, not so much as a 4th.
If they buy him out its 23m over 2 years, an AAV of 11.5m.
Yeah, you’re right. AAV under $9M if they exercise the 3rd year option. 3 at $26M.
Would have loved seeing Yaz in Detroit!!!
I wanted him in Boston for old times’ sake.
Does this mean they intend to use Acuna as the DH? Or is someone else on the move in a trade? I’m sure they didn’t pay $23MM for outfield depth.
DH will probably be a rotation of Baldwin, Acuna, and Profar I’d imagine
Being a Braves fan is tough in the off season because you know you’re never in on any of the top free agents. Kinda sucks actually. In 2024 Braves made 510 million and spent on 235 in 2025. 6th in revenue 9th in spending like 46 percent. Phillies 519 in spent over 300 on 2025 team.
Top free agents rarely pay off. Free agency is a minefield. I’d rather they make headlines in October than December, personally. They have already spent more than last off-season and addressed depth issues, while still needing SS/P. This is more than most every team at this point. Tough being a Braves fan because most Braves fans don’t know what they got until its gone, then hurt folks kicking rocks.
You can’t extend everybody and sign the top free agents too!
I think the Braves do a great job constructing a roster (I say this as a Mets fan) while not being hamstrung by massive long term deals. Even the few big contracts they have on the books are for reasonable AAV amounts (Riley and Olson at $22 million apiece, Strider about the same).
Last year was the first year they didn’t make the playoffs in 8 years and it was mostly because they had a million injuries. They don’t need a really big splash to be right back in the playoffs in 2026.
@Hky: Google recent articles on the amount of debt the Braves hold. It’s a huge amount.
Yaz? Yes!
will turn 36 next season but can hit RHP and play a decent OF. Congrats on the pay day! After debuting late as a 28 yo, big check like this was in doubt.
Should have kept Laureano last year. He was a lot cheaper and had a great year last year.
I don’t want to hear about any other salary dispute lockouts from MLB or any pro league when a mediocre player on the wrong side of 30 can get $11.5M per year.
Yaz was drafted by my hometown Orioles and was pretty big news based on his familial ties. We had a crowded outfield at the time and he never really tore anything up in the minors to push his way to the MLB roster. He’s an all around decent player, but doesn’t do any one thing exceptionally well. He’s not a bad player, but he’s not worth what he’s getting paid.
He’s 35 and he’s actually older than Ozuna by a few months and no where near the hitter. Way over pay. AA over paid for Profar last year and now Yaz too, but he’ll try and go cheap on the pen.
All you said is true but Yaz can play in the field. The days of Harold Baines, Tommy Davis, Jim Ray Hart, Vlad Sr., etc playing full time DH on terrible knees are almost completely gone! And that’s where Ozuna is in his career
His contract is 5% of the Braves payroll. How is that considered an overpay? He’s getting paid what he’s worth to a sport that generates billions in revenue
I disagrees that he doesn’t do anything exceptionally well. He has a strong and very accurate arm. Baseball Savant has his arm value in the 97th percentile. He’s also a very good baserunner. His baserunning value is in the 81st percentile.
Thanks for supporting my original comment that he does nothing exceptionally well. “very good” is not EXCEPTIONAL.
He doesn’t hit for high average, he doesn’t have a high OBP, he doesn’t hit for massive power, he doesn’t give you speed on the bases, he’s not a great fielder.
If he was better than what I stated, he wouldn’t have been a 28 year old rookie.
He has Baseball IQ up the yin yang though, you always want smart ballplayers, not dumb ones.
Being in the 97th percentile for arm value isn’t exceptional? Sorry, I should have used the word ‘exceptional’ to make it easier for the slower among us to understand.
You do realize that a strong and accurate arm is of exceptional value in RF, right?
So here: His arm strength and accuracy are exceptional. Happy?
“…he doesn’t give you speed on the bases,…”
Wrong again. His baserunning value is in the 81st percentile. Maybe being in the top 19% for baserunning doesn’t meet your criterion for exceptional, but to suggest there’s little value when he’s on the basepaths is just plain incorrect.
At 11 million you don’t have to be exceptional, above average is fine.
Nashville Jeff is gonna like this one!
Yes to all to all of that Jean, and he’s never had a wRC+ less than 106. A bit above average everything imo.
Yes, he is what you call a “heady” player. He knows the fundamentals. He’s an all around ballplayer. I am not saying he sucks, which is what certain people think whenever you criticize the game of their favorite glazed over player they have.
He’s a decent player, is he $11.5m/year decent? No.
Having a strong arm does not make you a great fielder. you know, there is more to fielding than just throwing hard. He’s not fast in the field, so he doesn’t have tremendous range. You also have to catch the ball.
That “baserunning value” does not mean he is FAST. It means that he tags up, takes the extra base, and doesn’t make mistakes any more than 20% of the entire makeup of the major leagues does. He’s not stealing 20-30 bases or more.
If you are going to cite stats to me and pretend that I am wrong, you should at least know what in the world you are talking about.
He’s an all around player that does many things at a decent clip, but he is not EXCEPTIONAL in any one aspect. He has a strong arm. Wow, so do a lot of right fielders. It is kind of what is expected of the postion.
Is being what he was, around 5-6% better as a hitter than a replacement level player at the position, and hoping he doesn’t start regressing at age 35/36, worth $11.5M/yr?
He’s projected to be worth 1.5 fwar over 400-500 ab’s by Steamer. If you figure 1 war @$8M, he should be worth $12M if he hits the projection.
Should easily be worth 1.5 fwar w/400 plus ab’s. He’s never had a season w/less than 1.5 fwar in his career. He was worth 2.4 fwar in 477 ab’s in 2025. Most worrisome detail about Yaz is that his SLG vs fastballs has declined steadily from 2020 to now. ,589 in 2020 dropped each year to last season’s .383. Something to be nervous about. Market value deal for the Braves.
SLG decline isn’t as bad if you remove cutters from the sample.
You admit he has strong arm, yet conveniently leave out that the arm is accurate as well. That’s why there’s only 3% of the players better than him in arm value. Obviously arm value is a concept you seem to not understand. Arm value means more than just a strong arm.
“He has a strong arm. Wow, so do a lot of right fielders.”
Wrong again. You apparently do not understand the data. Being in the 97 percentile for arm value is statistical evidence that a lot of RFers fall short of his ability on throws. And also you’re obviously clueless about RF at Oracle Park. It’s as tough to play as CF. In 2025 Yaz was tied for 3rd best in OF assists with 11, 2 behind the leader Kwan.
““…baserunning value” …means that he tags up, takes the extra base, and doesn’t make mistakes…”
So that’s not good? And you’re wrong that he doesn’t make mistakes more than 20% of the time of others. It’s more like he doesn’t make mistakes more than 80% of the time.
A you can try and diminish baserunning value as much you want and you’ll only look foolish. The idea that baserunning is about footspeed is superficial thinking. Anyone that’s been around the game long enough knows that footspeed and baserunning are 2 entirely different things. Plus, teams generally don’t steal a lot of bases in today’s game, so base stealing has a lesser value than what a guy does on the basepaths.
I’m not using stats to pretend you’re wrong, I’m using stats to prove you’re wrong. Your statement that he’s not exceptional at anything is factually wrong. Throwing, which Yaz is exceptional at, is one of the 5 basic tools. Your whole argument is strong accurate throws don’t count for much, which is one of the silliest arguments I’ve ever encountered here.
I didn’t say they didn’t count for absolutely nothing. It doesn’t make him a GREAT FIELDER. Even if I accept your argument, that is 1/5 tools in baseball, by your own account.
You’re paying 1.1.5 million for 1 out of 5 tools, because he doesn’t do anything else well. He doesn’t have speed, doesn’t have much power, and doesn’t hit for a very high average. And that’s based on what he is currently. If he drops off at all in any of those departments, he’s now below average at everything else other than throwing.
I think you’re being the silly one. Misconstruing a statement and then making a longwinded tirade about it? That’s silly.
That’s what I thought. You ran away when the actual truth came out and proves my point all along. You were so sure of what you were saying. Typical behavior from a person like you that thinks they know everything, double down on being a superior intellect, and then get proven that they don’t know half as much as they think they do. It’s okay, everybody here knows now. I am glad you exposed yourself.
Oh yeah Jean got ya on that arm.
He didn’t get me on anything. A strong arm being your only tool as a RFer isn’t amazing at all. That’s what the position demands.
Correction: not just a strong arm, but a strong and accurate one.
I wasn’t misconstruing anything, just taking what you wrote at face value. Now you’re trying walk back your original statement, which was, and I quote (copy/pasted from your post) that he “doesn’t do any one thing exceptionally well”, which has been shown to be categorically false.
You also now want to deflect by nit-picking the value of a strong and accurate arm. Again, look at his Statcast page. not only is his arm value in the 97 percentile, but his baserunning value is in the 81st percentile.
So you are dead wrong about him not doing anything exceptionally well twice over, since he does 2 things exceptionally well. And he’s a well above average fielder with his FRV in the 69th percentile.
Plus, he’s not getting paid anywhere close to what someone that does do 3 or 4 things exceptionally well. If he was a great fielder and had a lot of power, along with what he does do well, he’d be making about $25M a year or more.
My guess is, as an Orioles fan, the criticism of your team in letting him get away for basically nothing is embarrassing for you. You want to try and diminish his value to make what your team did seem like not a mistake. It’s clouded your objectivity.
Just admit your team let a good player get away. Every team makes mistakes like that. Arguing that Yaz is not worth that reasonable salary is what’s really silly.
I am not walking anything back. I stand by my statement. Wow, he can throw a baseball! Move over Cooperstown. Wow, he understands how to run the bases. Amazing that a baseball player knows how to do this. Which one of the 5 tools is that?
Hit tool: Average at best
Power: Below average for a corner OF
Speed: Well below average
Arm: Plus
Defense: average because he doesn’t have speed. He’ll catch what he can get to.
You are one of those people that bury their noses in books and thinks that Statcast is the end all, be all of a baseball player, instead of watching them play and understanding what you see.
He didn’t “get away,” the Orioles OF was crowded, and he never did any one thing exceptionally well enough to crack the MLB roster until he was 28.
The leaps your mind is making is what is really silly. And no, he’s not worth that much money. No ball player is worth the money they are getting paid.
Your logic is certainly questionable. A guy with an average hit tool, and below average power can still do some things exceptionally well. Again, I’ll repeat what you said which was that he doesn’t do anything exceptionally well. The facts clearly show that statement is just simply incorrect,
You’re trying to mitigate what you said, by now conflating being exceptional at something, with the HoF. Your arguments are weak, and your rationalizations are transparent.
Now you’re trying to deflect from your mistake by trying to define who I am, of which you have no idea. For example, I saw almost every single game Yaz played in a Giants’ uni. I know that since I’ve watched every Giants’ game since before and after his tenure.
It was a mistake for the Orioles to keep Mullins over Yaz.
If you don’t want to use Statcast, that says a lot about you, and shows an unwillingness to use the data available. It brings into question your depth of baseball knowledge.
“No ball player is worth the money…”.
Well that is a nice cheap trick to justify your stance that Yaz isn’t worth his salary.
Mullins, a CFer who hit 30HRS and steals 30 bases and was the catalyst for this offense was a mistake to keep over a corner OFer with limitied hitting, limited power, and limited speed. Now I know you’re more than just silly.
There’s nothing wrong with my logic at all. What I said stands pat. He does many things fairly well, he’s a smart player, but he’s not exceptional. A strong arm and base running without speed. doesn’t make you exceptional.
There’s no mitigating here, there’s just you misrepresenting my statements to try to make yourself look like the smark you think you are, but clearly aren’t. I was pointing out the absurdity of your points, clearly that was lost on you. How could it bet, if you’re so smart?
I made no mistakes. I know exactly who you are. You don’t know half as much as you think you do. You just throw out some stat and think that’s the end of it. “Well, this metric that is completely made up and subjective says he’s this, so that’s the end of it.”
It isn’t that I am not using statcast, it is that it isn’t the holy bible and the end of the discussion because it says something. Relying solely on this without knowing actual baseball doesn’t question your baseball knowledge, it clearly demonstrates your complete lack of it.
No trick, just a commentary. No player is worth what they are getting paid. You think a guy that hits a ball with a stick is worth $400 million dollars?
Yaz isn’t worth what he’s making either, because he’s just not that good. Get over yourself, and get over your Mike glazing. He’s not his granddad, that was Yaz.
“… but he’s not exceptional.”
So now the mitigation tactic is to change what you actually said to fit your narrative. In the post I responded to you said he’s not exceptional at anything, which is much different from not being exceptional. And again for the umpteenth time, stats show that to be factually incorrect, since he does do at least one thing exceptionally well.
You try to throw in all sorts of unrelated things to deflect from your error, like who’s plays CF, number of HRs, and who you think I am. All of which are all totally irrelevant to my response to your factually inaccurate post that Yaz did not do any thing exceptionally well.
I don’t know who you are, except as someone that, instead of simply admitting your post was off the mark, have chosen to double-down with denials and all sorts of attempts at deflection. When the data shows you’re wrong you reject the data.
But your tactics are so transparent and it’s so easy to see what you’re trying to do, that I’m amazed you don’t see or realize that for yourself. So I’m over this. This debate is over as far as I’m concerned. You can believe anything you want.
You are not someone to be taken seriously. I realize it was silly of me to try and argue with someone who’s deluded themself into believing they’re making a coherent argument.
Correct he’s not exceptional. I don’t care if a person like you, a complete stranger, thinks they can take me seriously or not. Somebody that believes a mid corner OFer is better than a CF that can run better, plays better defense, has more power, and sometimes can hit for high average clearly doesn’t know what they are talking about and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
My tactics are simply to speak the truth. Mike is not exceptional. He’s an all around decent player.
But since you think Statcast is the Bible and what they say means everything, let’s take a deeper dive into what you are basing your whole argument off of. What they rank his arm value as. See, I already knew this before hand, I just wanted you to really bury yourself first and totally commit to your argument. Let’s take a closer look at his “arm value” over his CAREER and not just for one season like you want to cherry pick and make it seem like this is his actual skill.
This is his arm value by season ranked not by me, but your God, Statcast:
2019: 52
2020: 46
2021: 19
2022: 5
2023: 53
2024: 33
2025: 97
Now take a look at that and tell me which one is the outlier? You do know what an outlier is, right? So if you look at that entire body of work you get the real answer to what his arm value is, which is below average. Kinda fits what I’ve been saying about him all along, right? This is the ONE thing you’ve been hanging your hat on this whole time, and I just blew it up, using your own source of information to do it. How does that feel?
Now let’s see who actually backtracks, distracts, and to change your narrative.
Check out Mike’s CAREER rating for the stat he’s claiming. It has been scored 5, 19, in the mid 40’s, and the low to mid 50’s. 2025 was the only season he scored a 97. Funny how Jean doesn’t mention any of that in his argument. So I stand by my original statement, because I already knew that his arm wasn’t that good. So who got who, buddy?
Welcome to The ATL.
Yikes. Overpay.
Not a bad payday for Yaz, considering the Orioles released him from the.minors because they didn’t think he was a prospect. Good for him!
Especially for a 35 yr old
Solid player at Vandy, but his early minor league numbers were mediocre. No MLB debut until age 28 says it all. A decent player but nothing to build around.
It isn’t because they didn’t think he was a prospect, it is because he was blocked by better players. Mike’s numbers in the minors were never overwhelming, and he doesn’t really have any plus tools. Maybe if you consider his mind, he’s a smart player and does the little things correctly. He doesn’t hit for high average, doesn’t hit for more than average power at best for a corner OFer, doesn’t have speed, and doesn’t have great range in the OF. Mike was with the Orioles organization from 2013-2018. Let’s see who the Orioles had in the OF:
2013: Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Nate McClouth, Nolan Reimold
2014: Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, David Lough, Alejandro De Aza
2015: Adam Jones, Gerrardo Parra, Steve Pearce, Nolan Reimold, Delmon Young, Alejandro De Aza
2016: Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo, Hyun Soo Kim, Joey Rickard, Michael Bourn
2017: Adam Jones, Trey Mancini, Mark Trumbo, Joey Rickard
2018: Adam Jones, Trey Mancini, Mark Trumbo, Joey Rickard, Cedric Mullins
Now check out Mike’s minor league numbers from 2015-2018 when he was facing AA-AAA competition. His numbers weren’t very good. His 2017 looks decent, but you have to factor in that those numbers were heavily skewed by a monster, short term stint in AA before falling off the table in AAA for the rest of the season.
Wow!!!!!!! AA is disappointing us Braves fans! SMH
So far he’s following the same path as last off season. Over pay for Profar and dumpster diving for relievers and how’d that work out for us? The Braves make too much money to be so cheap.
Paying anyone nearly half a billion dollars is overpaying.
unless they bring back double from markets on the other side of the earth.
Congratulations on that pay day sir you earned it! Helluva guy on all accounts from a fan who watched almost his whole career to date here in the Bay Area. Love this dude.
One of my favorite Giants players over the past decade-plus. Atlanta just got a guy who busts his tail and does all the little things well. Want nothing but the best for him as he hopefully contributes to a playoff club
It’s fitting that Yaz Jr. signed with a team that started out in Boston.
As a Royals fan, this is a real punch in the gut. That said, he signed for a LOT more than I expected. I was expecting to see the Royals bring him back for a 1 year contract for around $6-8m. I can’t see the Royals making an offer to compete with what the Braves offered.
Way too much money. Cedric Mullins who’s 4 yrs younger about same offense and he signed 1 yr 7.5 so yeah way too much money.
Switch hitter. Better in cf. Motivated to get last contract vs being on last contract.
Not really; Yaz is a better hitter, career 113 OPS+ to Mulins’ 105 OPS+.
Plus, compare their Baseball Savant pages:
baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/mike-yastrzem…
baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/cedric-mullin…
There’s way more red on Yaz’s page making him clearly the better player.
Except one plays CF, and the other plays corner OF. Mullins also has more speed, more power, and more range in the OF.
OPS is not the end all, be all measurement of a player’s offense.
I cited OPS+, which is park-adjusted, providing a better comparison tool, not OPS.
Mullins: 8 years, 15.8 bWAR
Yastrzemski: 7 years, 17.1 bWAR
Now I predict you’ll respond that WAR isn’t the be all, end all of a player’s value, just like you did with Statcast, and OPS. It doesn’t make for a strong argument to simply reject the data that doesn’t support your opinion, and you seem to be making a habit of that.
@jqks: You wanted him for $6-8M and he’s making $9M this year, $10M next, and a $7M club option w/a $4M buyout in 2028. Pretty close AAV to that $8M you wanted him for—- a bit under $8M a year if they don’t exercise the $7M option, slightly less than a mil more a year if they do.
so much confusion and senseless arguments could be avoided if the “journalists” would just call it what it is, a 3-year contract. No matter what happens we are paying him for 3 seasons.
Braves have more holes than a brick of swiss cheese and they spend 23M on this jobber lmao. This is a move a 4th/5th place team makes.
Well it’s the bloodlines you see, or maybe you have to pay premium on that famous name.
He hits righties good. Plays good defense well the balls a 36 year old can get to. Hmm what else positive can I add….. They’re only paying him until age 37 and not 38! If he hits like he did in KC you basically got Tucker for 300 400 million less.
Nats fans exhale.
Wow congrats yaz!
Great signing! Love this signing. Now Bichette.
$23m ! Could not have happened to a nicer guy. I’m all warm and fuzzy inside. Good work,
Braves. Congrats Mike.
Probably not signing Tucker now…..
I’m convinced the Royals aren’t very serious about signing an outfielder.
Pham Frazier Conforto Kepler Andujar not signed yet
……and Mike Tauchman too AI!
Jarred Kelenic probably took some Valium at this news. He needs to take it to chill as every borderline pitch that is called a strike sends him into a mental funk. I have always rooted for the kid but instead of becoming the next Garrett Anderson he’s instead the next Mike Kingery.
Kelenic is GONE
As a Giants’ fan, I think most Braves fans are going to love having Yaz. I expect a bump in his offensive numbers playing in Truist Park. Oracle is one of, if not the worst, park for LHHs, especially pull-hitters like Yaz.
He’s a solid ballplayer, with above average baserunning skills and a very good, and accurate arm, Braves’ fans are going to love his throws to third and the plate. He’s also a great clubhouse guy. Not a Braves’ fan, but as a fan of Yaz, I hope he exceeds all expectations in Atlanta.
Hi Jean, Yaz’s numbers were better in KC right after leaving our Giants. I’m sure the hitting coaches in KC and in Atlanta will be better than the SF hitting coaches last year. Let’s hope the new coaching staff is better this season, I’m excited for Vitello and new voices, I’m sure there will be bumps but at least it’s an adventure
Hey agnes, good to see a post from you. Yes to all that. Yaz did do better in KC. Kaufmann is better for lefties overall than Oracle, but it’s dead last for LHH HRs. Kaufmann is about equal to Truist overall, but Truist is 7th best for HRs for LHHs, so I expect at least 20, and maybe more for Yaz next season. I certainly hope that’s the case.
And I’m definitely excited about Posey’s wholesale changes. I’m really hoping for more consistency from the hitters. Bringing in Vitello as manager with the new coaches will be interesting to say the least.
Morning Jean, I just hate all the trade Bryce talk, I know it’s just winter chatter but I love a homegrown team or mostly and we need some of our kids to come through. Our development has been so uneven. But trading everyone away isn’t the answer either. There’s so many changes with coaches, we will just have to see how this shakes out. Getting the 4th pick finally feels like a stroke of luck after many years of things not going our way,I’m hoping we keep going in a positive direction!
It’s a good deal and they’ll definitely cycle through everyone getting DH time. From an outside perspective, not bad.
AD. If he can hit like he did with KC A. Like Giants D. I didn’t watch him with KC but his data is great. His Giants numbers are fine but that’s if he doesn’t decline the next 2 years. Pretty much platoon at this stage. Late stage.
If he’s just a bench piece, that’s fine with me. My biggest gripe with the Braves over the last couple of years has been their terrible bench. If they get Kim back, then Dubon, Murphy and Yaz make for a strong bench core.
but Luke Williams was such a clutch late innings pitcher for us ( : I waited all year (or 2) to find out what position he played
Lol, nice.
Nailed this one for the contest, yeah! So obvious when you sit down and really think about it. Does this push my boy Kelenic to a bench role?? Very sad actually.
I think Kelenic is a free agent now.
He is already gone
I feel a trade brewing ( no pun intended)
Stable, undervalued, predictable performance at a low cost. Decent platoon against the RHP.
Hmm, not my favorite team but ok, we’ll go there.
Braves got themselves a solid pickup. He’s a professional and plays the game right. Always hustling. Great teammate and one of the good guys. And he can hit 20+ HR’S and a decent amount of 2B’s. Also a pretty decent defensive right fielder, at least in Oracle Park which is a tough RF to play. Congrats and hope he has a nice year.
Good luck Yaz, we will always love you in SF! I’m so glad Zaidi found you in the O’s minor league purgatory and gave you a chance! It was an honor to watch you play 🧡
I was hoping for Eddie Rosario.
@Rishi: That’s not how you spell “expecting,” lol.
He’s a journeyman. He’s 35. If his name weren’t Yastrzemski, he’d be a journeyman with a more boring, easier-to-pronounce name. Hasn’t really ever fulfilled the potential hoped for following good college years at Vandy. He’ll be useful.
I was hoping the Braves would acquire another outfielder, but I didn’t think they would spend this much money. I’m glad that the Braves are serious about strengthening their bench, because their bench has been woeful in recent years. They’ve been left scrambling when injuries hit. And since their farm system is bereft of position players who are major league ready (or even close to being ready), acquiring Yaz and Dubon are very good moves. If they can sign Kim or acquire another solid SS, their position player side of the roster will be really good.
Now we’ll see who else they will acquire for the pitching staff….
The Braves just added a savvy veteran to their outfield mix, inking lefty-swinging Mike Yastrzemski after a solid finish with the Royals. Dealt midseason by the Giants, Yaz now heads to Atlanta with a fresh start and something to prove.
After six seasons in San Francisco, a change of scenery might be just what he needs. Let’s be real Oracle Park isn’t exactly a hitter’s paradise, especially for lefties trying to muscle one out into that thick Bay air. But Truist Park? That’s a different story. The ball carries better, and it could be a sneaky-good fit for Yaz’s swing path.
He’s got more in the tank. Don’t be surprised if he becomes a key piece in the Braves’ push back to October.
Congrats to Yaz. On paper it’s a 2/23mil contract but it’s realistically a 3/26mil contract with that 3mil net option for the 3rd season. His children’s grandchildren are now set for life and he has job security for the next 3 seasons.
He was my favorite Giant and he was always a well above average outfielder, never a neutral outfielder. Despite his success with the Giants, every year there were questions about whether he would be non-tendered. Now he is set until after he turns 38. I will enjoy following Yaz in Atlanta and I imagine this slots Profar at DH.
He definitely earned the security this contract gives him. Braves will really be getting a great human being and a good solid player. He was always a good community guy along with his wife. Good luck Mike.
I am excited to see us try something new under AA this offseason: add depth to our position player lineup, instead of being so top heavy, expecting our starters to play all 162 games at every position.
I assume this wise plan is a request of Weiss, which is already a departure from Snitker’s strategy.
Yaz should do well in Atlanta. If he gets the ABs, we’ll see better power numbers from him. SF’s home park is death for LH pop. Yaz did well in his short time with KC, and that’s not exactly a hitter-friendly park either.
Kind of a Nick Markakis Lite, comes to play. And don’t forget his additional skill as a mop up man which he did the last couple seasons in SF. Good pickup.
The grandson of Yaz signs with the team that used to be in Boston.
I hope he wears #5