Felix Mantilla Passes Away
Eleven-year MLB veteran Felix Mantilla passed away on Friday at age 90. Mantilla appeared in 969 games with the Braves, Mets, Red Sox, and Astros from 1956-66, playing primarily as a second baseman, but with a lot of time spent at third base and shortstop plus all three outfield positions.
Though Mantilla never played for the Brewers, the organization paid tribute to Mantilla by recognizing him as “an iconic figure…who was an inspiration to all of us in the Milwaukee baseball community. We will forever remember Felix for his time with the Milwaukee Braves, but even more for the impact he had on thousands of children through the Felix Mantilla Little League.”
One of the first Puerto Rican players to break through in Major League Baseball, Mantilla was signed by the then-Boston Braves during the 1951-52 offseason and made his MLB debut in 1956 once the franchise had moved to Milwaukee. He was primarily a middle infielder during his six seasons with the Braves but bounced around to multiple positions in his role as a bench player.
Mantilla won a World Series ring for his role on the 1957 championship team, and while Mantilla contributed only a walk over 11 plate appearances in the Fall Classic, his one run scored was of vital importance. Entering the 10th inning of Game Four as a pinch-runner, Mantilla scored the game-tying run just before Eddie Matthews’ two-run walkoff home run.
The Mets selected Mantilla away from the Braves as part of the expansion draft, which meant that Mantilla (playing an everyday role for the first time in his career) was part of the infamous 1962 Mets team that went 40-120-1 in the franchise’s inaugural season. He was traded to the Red Sox after that lone season in New York, which sparked the most successful run of Mantilla’s career — he hit .287/.369/.474 with 54 homers over 1297 plate appearances with Boston from 1963-65. Thirty of those home runs came in 1964, and the 1965 season saw Mantilla make the All-Star team for the only time in his career.
Despite this success, Mantilla was traded to the Astros after the 1965 campaign, and his numbers drastically dropped off in the move from Fenway Park to the pitcher-friendly Astrodome. He never played another professional game after the 1966 season, as an Achilles injury that required surgery seemed to curtail his playing career at age 31.
Mantilla finished his career with a .261/.329/.403 slash line and 89 home runs over 3029 plate appearances. He is a member of the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, and as noted in the Brewers’ memorial, Mantilla has had a lasting legacy in Milwaukee as the namesake of a Little League program since 1973.
We at MLB Trade Rumors express our condolences to Mantilla’s family, friends, and loved ones.
Braves Sign Eddy Alvarez To Minor League Deal
The Braves have signed infielder Eddy Alvarez to a minor league contract, as reflected on his transaction log at MLB.com. Alvarez, 35 at the end of the month, joins his seventh organization for what will be his 12th professional season.
After seven years in the minor leagues with the White Sox and Marlins, Alvarez made his big league debut for Miami in 2020. He has since appeared in 63 MLB games for the Marlins, Dodgers, and Mets between 2020-24, slashing .170/.257/.244 with one home run and four stolen bases. Primarily an infielder with experience at second base, third base, and shortstop, he also played a handful of games in the outfield with the Dodgers in 2022.
In between his MLB stints with the Dodgers and Mets, Alvarez played in the Brewers (2023) and Red Sox (2023-24) farm systems. He signed a minor league deal with the Brewers ahead of the 2023 season, and despite a strong performance at Triple-A, Milwaukee never called him up, prompting him to opt out of his contract in July. He quickly signed a new minor league pact with the Red Sox, only to suffer a season-ending injury after just one game at Triple-A Worcester.
Alvarez’s 2024 campaign with Worcester was more successful, and although he never earned a promotion to the Red Sox, he played well enough to catch the Mets’ eye in September. New York acquired him from Boston for cash and selected his contract the following day. His appearance for the Mets as a pinch-runner on September 9 marked his first MLB action in more than two years. He ended up sticking on the big league roster for the rest of the regular season, although he was ineligible for postseason play because he joined the organization in September.
Alvarez will now look to return to the majors with the Braves in 2025. His chances of cracking the Opening Day roster are slim, but considering Atlanta’s lack of infield depth, he certainly has a shot to join the active roster at some point if he performs well enough at Triple-A.
Latest On Tanner Scott’s Market
Tanner Scott remains unsigned as the top reliever in a slow-moving free agent class. The hard-throwing southpaw and right-hander Jeff Hoffman have been the best bullpen arms available all winter.
There hasn’t been much recent chatter on Scott, though that doesn’t appear to reflect a quiet market. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that the All-Star closer is expected to receive interest from multiple big-market teams. Cotillo’s MassLive colleague Sean McAdam indicates that Scott could receive something like $20MM annually on what would surely be a multi-year contract.
The Dodgers have been most frequently linked to Scott. He was reportedly on the Yankees’ radar before they orchestrated the Devin Williams trade. The Athletic’s David O’Brien adds another team to the mix, reporting that the Braves have done background work on Scott. Cotillo indicates that the Red Sox are exploring the top of the reliever market generally, though that report doesn’t firmly link them to Scott in particular.
If Scott were to hit the $20MM AAV marker, he’d join rare company. As shown on MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, there are only two relievers who have signed for that amount — and those each come with asterisks. Nick Martinez accepted a $21.05MM qualifying offer from the Reds this offseason. That’s a one-year commitment and Martinez is capable of starting. The only reliever to land $20MM+ on a long-term deal is Edwin Díaz. He signed a five-year, $102MM extension with the Mets two seasons ago. That came with upwards of $26MM in deferred money, though, dropping the net present value closer to $93MM. By that measure, Díaz’s true average annual value could be in the $18-19MM range.
By measure of NPV, Josh Hader set a new standard for reliever contracts with his five-year, $95MM term last winter. Hader has a longer track record than Scott, so it’d be a surprise if the latter got five years and an AAV around $20MM. A four-year deal should be in play, though. MLBTR predicted Scott for a four-year, $56MM deal at the beginning of the offseason. McAdam’s report may indicate that the bidding has pushed beyond that number.
Scott brings rare velocity from the left side. He averaged 97 MPH on his four-seamer and sat in the 88-89 range with his slider. Scott has topped 70 innings with an earned run average below 2.50 in consecutive seasons. He fired 72 innings of 1.75 ERA ball with a 28.2% strikeout rate between the Marlins and Padres last year. Scott added 4 1/3 scoreless frames with seven strikeouts in October, including a handful of punchouts of Shohei Ohtani during their Division Series matchup with the Dodgers.
The price tag complicates the Braves’ pursuit but doesn’t necessarily rule them out. Atlanta’s only free agent activity this offseason has been a trio of low-cost split contracts. They’ve rearranged the Aaron Bummer and Reynaldo López contracts and offloaded the final two years of the Jorge Soler deal. Whether that’s to reallocate payroll space to a major acquisition or a reflection that they’re simply working with a tight budget remains to be seen.
President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said at the Winter Meetings that the Braves weren’t wedded to staying below the luxury tax threshold. Atlanta has paid the tax in consecutive seasons. RosterResource estimates their CBT number for next season around $218MM. That puts them $25MM shy of the $241MM base threshold. They could sign Scott and remain narrowly below the tax line. Atlanta could lose A.J. Minter to free agency. They’ll be without Joe Jiménez for most or all of next season. Bummer, Pierce Johnson and Dylan Lee project as the top setup arms in front of closer Raisel Iglesias.
Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts
Several teams don’t publicize contract details for their top front office executives or even for their managers, so this list of skipper and execs (any head of a baseball operations department, whether titled as a president of baseball ops, general manager, chief baseball officer, etc.) entering the final year of their deals may not be entirely complete or accurate. Still, since MLBTR so often focuses on players entering their “contract year,” this post provides a rough outline of which notable team personnel may be feeling some extra pressure as their own deals may be close to expiring.
It is quite possible some of these names may have already quietly signed extensions weeks or months ago, or will sign new deals during Spring Training once clubs turn their attention away from offseason roster-building. A shorter-term extension may not necessarily indicate much extra job security, as some teams tack an extra year (or at least a club option) onto an executive or managerial contract just to avoid the appearance of that person entering a lame-duck year. Of course, even a longer contract is no guarantee of job security, as a rough season can instantly put a manager or a front office on the hot seat.
As always, thanks to Cot’s Baseball Contracts for reference information on some of these contract terms.
Angels: Ron Washington is already heading into the final season under contract, as he signed only a two-year deal to manage the Halos in November 2023. While the Angels were only 63-99 last season, it could hardly be considered Washington’s fault given the subpar state of the roster. Expectations will be higher in 2025 since the team has been aggressing in adding talent this winter, and since GM Perry Minasian got a contract extension last August, Los Angeles might also look to add a year onto Washington’s deal to at least keep him on line with the guaranteed portion of Minasian’s new contract. It should be noted that Washington turns 73 this coming April, so he might also prefer to just take things year-to-year if he has any thoughts about retirement.
Astros: Dana Brown is entering his third season as Houston’s GM, and the terms of his contract weren’t made public when he was hired in January 2023. It is possible Brown might only be working on a three-year deal since his predecessor James Click also received just a three-year commitment, though Click was hired in the singular aftermath of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. This probably isn’t a situation to monitor too closely since the Astros have kept winning during Brown’s tenure, with the caveat that owner Jim Crane and his advisors are known to weigh heavily on baseball operations decisions. Click was let go within days of winning a World Series due to reported acrimony with Crane, but there hasn’t been any indication of any heat between Crane and Brown.
Athletics: Mark Kotsay‘s initial contract covered the 2022-24 seasons, and the A’s picked up Kotsay’s 2025 club option over a year ago. GM David Forst said in October that “there’s no one I would rather have managing this team,” and that Kotsay “wants to be here,” though there hasn’t been any public word about any extension talks. As comfortable as Kotsay seems with the organization, it is possible he might be willing to let the season play out and then explore his options, if he has any uncertainty over continuing to manage the A’s through their stint in West Sacramento before their planned move to Las Vegas for the 2028 season. While no public details were revealed about Forst’s latest contract, the GM has obviously signed some kind of extension since his last deal expired after the 2023 season, and said in November that “I’ve been here for 25 years. There’s not a thought that I wouldn’t be in this for the long run.”
Blue Jays: Manager John Schneider is entering the last guaranteed season of his three-year contract, as the Blue Jays hold a club option on Schneider for 2026. It is fair to guess that the Jays might not exercise that option too far in advance, as there is widespread speculation that another disappointing season (or even a slow start) will cost Schneider his job. The same could be true of general manager Ross Atkins, even though Atkins is under contract through 2026. Team president Mark Shapiro is also entering the final season of his five-year contract, and while Shapiro’s focus has been more towards bigger-picture projects like Rogers Centre’s renovations, his possible departure might also trigger a larger overhaul unless the Jays turn things around on the field in 2025.
Braves: Manager Brian Snitker is entering the last year of his contract, so the Braves might well look to tack at least one more season onto Snitker’s deal this spring. Snitker has led Atlanta to the postseason in each of the last seven seasons, highlighted by the team’s World Series victory in 2021. He has stuck to just shorter-term deals and extensions during his tenure, which is probably due more to his age (Snitker turned 69 in October) than any dissatisfaction on the organization’s part, so no change seems imminent in the Braves dugout.
Cardinals: John Mozeliak’s exit plan is already in place. The longtime head of the St. Louis front office is stepping down after the 2025 season, with Chaim Bloom already inked to a long-term contract to become the Cardinals’ next president of baseball operations.
Cubs: The Cubs have posted 83-79 records in each of the last two seasons, but they still haven’t reached the postseason during Jed Hoyer’s four-year tenure as president of baseball operations. 2025 is the last year of Hoyer’s original five-year contract, and acquiring Kyle Tucker (who is a free agent next winter) in a big-ticket trade might indicate that Hoyer is feeling some heat to win as soon as possible. It can be argued that Hoyer has been somewhat hamstrung by ownership’s reluctance to spend at the top of the market, but that might also indicate that ownership could be considering hiring a PBO with more experience in building contenders on limited budgets.
Dodgers: Reports surfaced earlier today that the Dodgers are planning to work out an extension with Dave Roberts, as the skipper is entering the last season of his last three-year extension with the club. It comes as no surprise that L.A. wants to retain Roberts in the wake of the team’s second World Series title during his tenure, and it stands to reason that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is also a candidate for a new deal, perhaps regardless of the terms of his last agreement. Friedman came to the Dodgers on a five-year deal in October 2014, then signed an extension of an unknown length in November 2019. If that next contract was another five-year pact, Friedman is a technically free agent right now, but there has no zero indication that Friedman (who has been as busy as ever in bolstering the Dodgers roster this winter) is going anywhere.
Guardians: This is a speculative entry since it has been well over a decade since Chris Antonetti’s contract terms were publicly reported. Even if he is approaching the end of his current deal, there hasn’t been any sense that the Guardians are planning a front office change, especially not in the wake of another AL Central crown and a trip to the ALCS. Antonetti has been a member of Cleveland’s front office since 1999, and in his current role as president of baseball operations since October 2015.
Mariners: Jerry Dipoto has been extended twice since the M’s first hired him in September 2015, and his last extension in September 2021 was a multi-year deal of unspecified length. It is therefore possible this could be Dipoto’s final season under contract as Seattle’s president of baseball operations, unless another extension has been signed in the last three-plus years. Despite four straight seasons of 85 or more wins, the Mariners reached the playoffs just once in that span, as a lack of hitting has hampered the team over the last two years in particular. It remains to be seen if ownership is okay with just being competitive (or, as Dipoto infamously put it, winning “54 percent of the time“) or if any impatience is growing over the Mariners’ difficulty in truly breaking through as a contender. The Mariners were sparked to a 21-13 record down the stretch after manager Dan Wilson was hired last August, so it could be that the managerial change (and a change of hitting coaches) is what was needed to get the M’s back on track, but Dipoto and Wilson could both face pressure if Seattle again falls short of postseason baseball.
Orioles: Mike Elias has been Baltimore’s GM for six seasons, though his contract terms haven’t been made public at any point during his tenure. Manager Brandon Hyde signed a three-year deal when first hired prior to the 2019 season, and he has signed at least one or perhaps two extensions since, leaving his contract status a bit of a mystery. This is another situation where job security probably isn’t an issue, as the Orioles have come out of their rebuild to reach the playoffs in back-to-back years, even if the club has yet to record even a single postseason win in that span. New owner David Rubenstein is eager to win but hasn’t shown any inclination to changing the leadership structure since he bought the Orioles earlier this year.
Pirates: Ben Cherington has now completed five full seasons as the Buccos’ general manager, so he either signed a somewhat unusually long contract when first hired, or he has already inked one extension that has escaped public attention. Pittsburgh fans are impatiently waiting for the first winning season of Cherington’s tenure, as the team has flirted with contention in each of the last two years before finishing with identical 76-86 records. Paul Skenes has at least emerged as the crown jewel of the Pirates’ lengthy rebuild process, so regardless of Cherington’s contract terms, it doesn’t appear as though he is in any danger of being fired.
Rangers: Bruce Bochy’s return to managing saw him sign a three-year contract with Texas, so 2025 represents the final year of that deal. Bochy turns 70 in April but didn’t give any hints about retiring when speaking to reporters at the end of the season. A second straight losing season might change the equation either on Bochy’s end or on the front office’s end, but the Rangers’ 2023 World Series title (to say nothing of Bochy’s three previous rings as the Giants’ manager) has naturally brought him a lot of leeway within the organization. Both sides might prefer to go year-to-year just to maintain flexibility, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Bochy soon gets another year added to his contract.
Rockies: Bud Black has signed three straight one-year extensions to remain as Colorado’s manager, and past reports have indicated that Black is on something of an unofficial year-to-year rolling contract with the organization. It is perhaps notable that Black’s most recent deal wasn’t finalized until this past October, whereas his previous two extensions were completed prior to the start of the seasons. This might indicate that ownership and/or Black himself are starting to think harder about continuing the relationship in the wake of six straight losing seasons, even despite the Rockies’ well-known penchant for staying loyal to long-term employees. The same logic could extend to GM Bill Schmidt, though Schmidt’s contract terms haven’t been known since he was elevated to the full-time general manager position in October 2021.
Royals: Matt Quatraro is entering the final guaranteed year of his initial three-year contract as manager, though the Royals have a club option on his services for the 2026 season. J.J. Picollo has also completed two full seasons as the team’s general manager since being elevated to top of Kansas City’s baseball ops ladder in September 2022, though his contract status in the wake of that promotion wasn’t known. Regardless, it doesn’t seem like either is going anywhere, and extensions could be in order since the Royals enjoyed an 86-win season and a return to the playoffs last year, including a wild card series win over the Orioles.
Tigers: Likewise, Detroit is also coming off a playoff appearance and a wild card series victory, as a magical late-season surge left the Tigers just one game short of the ALCS. It is therefore safe to assume that president of baseball operations Scott Harris has plenty of job security, and while his contract terms aren’t known, it is probably safe to assume Harris received more than a three-year guarantee when he was hired in September 2022.
Twins: Some larger-scale changes could be afoot in Minnesota since the Pohlad family is exploring selling the Twins, and some shuffling in the front office has already taken place, with president of baseball ops Derek Falvey also becoming the president of business operations and Jeremy Zoll replacing Thad Levine as general manager. Falvey’s previous deal was up after the 2024 season so obviously he signed an extension, but while manager Rocco Baldelli‘s previous extension is known to have run through at least the end of the 2025 campaign, it is unclear if the coming season is the final year of that deal. If Baldelli is indeed heading into a lame-duck year, the ownership situation might prevent the skipper from getting at least another season added to his deal, just so a new owner could potentially have a clean slate in evaluating things once they take over the team.
White Sox: This is more of a speculative entry, just because Chris Getz‘s contract terms weren’t released when he was named Chicago’s general manager in August 2023. A GM wouldn’t normally be considered to be on the hot seat so soon after being hired, nor are immediate results expected since the White Sox are quite obviously going through a hefty rebuild. While nobody expected the Sox to contend in 2024, however, there’s a difference between just being a losing team and having a league-record 121 losses. Another embarrassment of a season might give owner Jerry Reinsdorf second thoughts about Getz’s stewardship of the rebuild effort, or the possibility exists that Reinsdorf could sell the team, which should shake the organization up entirely.
Yankees: Aaron Boone quieted some of his critics when the Yankees both returned to the postseason, and captured the first AL pennant of Boone’s seven-year stint as the Bronx manager. This result led the Yankees to exercise their club option on Boone’s services for 2025, and while no negotiations had taken place about a longer-term deal as of early November, it stands to reason that some talks will take place before Opening Day. Then again, Boone’s current deal wasn’t signed until after he’d already completed the final season his previous contract, so it could be that the Yankees will again play wait-and-see. There isn’t much sense that Boone is in jeopardy, and while expectations are always high in New York, ownership’s loyalty to Boone through some relative lean years would make it unusual if he was let go so soon after a World Series appearance.
Braves Re-Sign Brian Moran To Minor League Deal
The Braves have signed left-hander Brian Moran to a minors contract earlier this month, as per Moran’s MLB.com profile page. The southpaw elected to become a minor league free agent at the end of the season.
This is the third straight winter Moran has inked a minors pact with Atlanta, though this tenure has yet to result in any playing time at the MLB level. Moran posted a 3.21 ERA, 28.3% strikeout rate, and 9.8% walk rate over 47 2/3 innings with Triple-A Gwinnett in 2023, but dropped back to a 5.91 ERA and 22.9K% in 45 2/3 innings last year, albeit with an improved 7.6% walk rate. Looking at other advanced metrics, Moran benefited from an 84.8% strand rate in 2023 but had a .373 BABIP in 2024.
Now entering his age-36 season, Moran seems to be viewed by the Braves as a useful veteran depth arm, even if the club hasn’t been compelled to give him another look on the active roster. Cracking the bullpen could again be difficult for Moran since Dylan Lee, Aaron Bummer, Angel Perdomo, and Dylan Dodd are all left-handers projected to be part of the relief corps, plus Atlanta recently brought another southpaw in Kolton Ingram into the fold on a minor league deal.
Moran last appeared in the majors in 2022, pitching just a third of an inning in cup-of-coffee fashion with the Angels. Moran has a 7.94 ERA in 11 1/3 innings over 18 career games in the big leagues, primarily with the Marlins and Blue Jays during the 2019-20 seasons. A seventh-round pick for the Mariners in the 2009 draft, Moran has bounced around the league to multiple organizations, including another stint in Atlanta’s minor league system back in 2016.
Ehire Adrianza Announces Retirement
Veteran utilityman Ehire Adrianza has decided to retire after 12 Major League seasons. The 35-year-old Adrianza made the official announcement on his Instagram page, thanking the many people who contributed to his success.
“This journey has been incredibly challenging, filled with ups and downs, but every step along the way has been a blessing that I cherish immensely,” Adrianza said. “Since my childhood, I dreamed of the possibility of winning a World Series, a goal that once seemed so distant and almost unattainable. However, thanks to my effort, dedication, and the unwavering support of each one of you, that dream has become a reality. I still find it hard to believe that I have had the honor of playing more than a decade in the Major Leagues. I never imagined I would achieve so much, and it’s astonishing to reflect on this experience.”
Adrianza has been part of six different organizations over his career, and he saw big league action in the form of 624 games with the Giants, Twins, Nationals, Braves, and Angels from 2013-24. His long career saw Adrianza play roles on World Series-winning teams in San Francisco (in 2014) and Atlanta (2021), with Adrianza getting 10 pinch-hit at-bats during the Braves’ postseason run.
Hitting .237/.307/.352 in 1578 career plate appearances, Adrianza was able to consistently latch onto MLB rosters due to his ability to play almost anywhere on the diamond. He made at least 16 career starts at six different positions (all four infield positions plus the two corner outfield slots) while also making a few cameos as a center fielder and pitcher. The Outs Above Average and UZR/150 metrics gave Adrianza plus grades over his career at shortstop and third base, his two most frequent positions.
Adrianza was usually a part-timer or bench player who was only pressed into more regular duty in the event of an injury, though this happened often enough that he was a useful player to have on hand. His 114 games with Minnesota in 2018 was a career high, followed by his 109 games with the Braves in 2021. In the latter season, his ability to come off the bench and make the odd spot start made him a valuable member of an Atlanta team that had to overcome some significant injuries on its way to the championship.
We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Adrianza on a fine career, and we wish him all the best in the next phase of his life.
Braves Sign Enyel De Los Santos To Minor League Deal
Earlier this month, the Braves signed reliever Enyel De Los Santos to a minor league deal, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. The right-hander was non-tendered by the White Sox earlier this offseason.
De Los Santos struggled through his first three MLB seasons with the Phillies and Pirates before breaking out with the Guardians in 2022. He went 5-0 over 50 games, pitching to a 3.04 ERA and a 2.98 SIERA. He earned his first career save that summer and made his postseason debut that fall. The righty took on a bigger role in Cleveland’s bullpen the following season, pitching in 70 games (65 2/3 innings) and often entering in higher-leverage spots than he had the year before. His strikeout rate dropped, his walk rate climbed, and his overall numbers weren’t quite as impressive (3.29 ERA, 4.06 SIERA). Still, it was a solid season and another step for De Los Santos toward establishing himself as a reliable reliever.
During the 2023-24 offseason, the Guardians dealt De Los Santos to the Padres in exchange for Scott Barlow. It was a slightly surprising move for the Guardians, who are typically the ones trading veteran pitchers on expiring contracts for younger, cheaper arms, not the other way around. Ultimately, the trade didn’t work out on either side. Cleveland released Barlow in September amid a rough second half. Meanwhile, De Los Santos ended up pitching for three different teams and struggled in various ways with all of them. After a disappointing start with the Padres, he found himself headed to the Yankees ahead of the trade deadline. New York designated him for assignment a few weeks later, and he finished the season with the White Sox. Overall, he put up a 5.20 ERA in 64 innings of work, although his 3.86 SIERA looks much more promising.
There is no doubt the 2024 campaign was rough for De Los Santos. However, there is still plenty to like about his arm. For one thing, he’s got youth on his side; he’ll turn 29 tomorrow on Christmas Day. Moreover, he has never gone on the injured list. As for his production, from 2022-23, he pitched 119 innings with a 3.18 ERA and 3.57 SIERA. That kind of performance in the middle innings would improve every contending team’s bullpen. What’s more, De Los Santos had strong underlying numbers over his first 44 games with San Diego before he was traded. His strikeout and walk rates were up at their 2022 levels, and his mediocre 4.46 ERA was more than a full run higher than his sterling 3.21 SIERA. His numbers took a turn for the ugly after the trade deadline, but that’s a relatively small sample size to work with. There is little reason to worry that the version of De Los Santos who can be a durable, high-strikeout pitcher has disappeared for good.
So, the Braves are betting on that upside by signing De Los Santos to a minor league deal and presumably inviting the righty to big league camp. Atlanta had one of the best bullpens in the league in 2024, but there are still a few spots at the back end that should be up for grabs this spring.
Nine Teams Exceeded Luxury Tax Threshold In 2024
Major League Baseball finalized its luxury tax calculations for 2024. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers was first to report the list of payors, while Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reports the details. A record nine teams surpassed the $237MM competitive balance tax threshold. In a separate post, The Associated Press lists the finalized CBT numbers for all 30 teams.
The payments are as follows:
- Dodgers: $103MM
- Mets: $97.1MM
- Yankees: $62.5MM
- Phillies: $14.4MM
- Braves: $14MM
- Rangers: $10.8MM
- Astros: $6.5MM
- Giants: $2.4MM
- Cubs: $570K
Teams pay escalating penalties for exceeding the threshold in consecutive seasons. The Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, and Phillies have all paid the tax in at least three straight years — subjecting them to the highest escalator fees. Texas and Atlanta are second-time payors. Houston, San Francisco, and the Cubs did not exceed the threshold in 2023 and are marked as first-time payors.
The Dodgers ($353MM), Mets ($348MM), and Yankees ($316MM) all had CBT numbers above $277MM, which marked the third tax bracket. All three teams will see their first-round pick in the 2025 draft dropped by 10 spots. Considering they each advanced at least as far as the LCS and the Dodgers won the World Series, those clubs won’t have any regrets about that penalty. Atlanta narrowly stayed below the $277MM threshold to avoid any impact on their draft.
Teams that paid the CBT are entitled to the lowest level of compensation for losing free agents who declined a qualifying offer. They receive a draft choice after the fourth round for each qualified free agent who walks. They’re charged the heaviest penalty — their second- and fifth-highest picks in 2025 and $1MM from their ’26 international bonus pool — for signing a qualified free agent from another team.
The Mets (Juan Soto), Yankees (Max Fried), Giants (Willy Adames), and Astros (Christian Walker) have already signed or agreed to terms with qualified free agents. The Mets (Luis Severino), Yankees (Soto), and Braves (Fried) have lost qualified free agents. Houston is likely to see Alex Bregman walk. The Mets (Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea) and Dodgers (Teoscar Hernández) still have unsigned qualified free agents of their own.
The top eight luxury payors were all clearly above the base threshold, while the three biggest spenders blew beyond every surcharge marker. The only source of CBT intrigue late in the season concerned the Cubs and Blue Jays, both of whom were hovering right around the tax line.
When it became clear that neither team would make the playoffs, they each attempted to dip below $237MM by shedding money via waivers. The Cubs were unsuccessful and landed around $239.9MM; Toronto dropped just below $234MM. The tax impact for the Cubs is negligible — a $570K bill is less than the cost of one player on a league minimum salary — but it places a higher penalty for signing qualified free agents and could incentivize them to stay under the threshold in 2025 to reset their status. Six of the nine payors made the postseason. Texas, San Francisco, and Chicago were the exceptions.
Last year, a then-record eight teams surpassed the CBT threshold. The Padres are the only team that was above the line in 2023 and got below it this year. San Diego finished with an approximate $228MM mark that ranked 11th in the majors — behind the nine payors and the Blue Jays. The Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Cardinals, and Angels were the other teams above the median in payroll. On the other side of the equation, the five bottom spenders were as follows: Athletics ($84MM), Rays ($107MM), Tigers ($110MM), Marlins ($122MM), and Pirates ($123MM).
The teams that exceeded the threshold have until January 21 to pay MLB. The first $3.5MM will be used to fund player benefits. Half the remaining money goes to players’ retirement accounts, while the other half is used for revenue sharing distribution from MLB to teams. Next year’s base threshold climbs to $241MM.
Braves Acquire Davis Daniel
The Braves have acquired right-hander Davis Daniel from the Angels, per announcements from both clubs. The Halos designated Daniel for assignment earlier this week. Left-hander Mitch Farris heads the other way.
Daniel, 28 in June, has a small amount of major league experience thus far. Between last year and this year, he has tossed 42 2/3 innings for the Angels, allowing 5.06 earned runs per nine. His 8.1% walk rate is right around average but his 19.9% strikeout rate and 39.1% ground ball rate are both a few ticks worse than par.
Atlanta is probably more interested in the Triple-A season that Daniel just had. He made 21 starts and one relief appearance at the Sale Lake Bees, logging 118 innings. His 5.42 ERA in that time is obviously not impressive, but the Bees play in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Daniel struck out 23.3% of batters faced and only gave out walks at a 6.5% clip. His 4.41 FIP was almost exactly a run better than his ERA.
Daniel still has an option remaining, so he can give Atlanta a bit of extra rotation depth without taking up an active roster spot. Atlanta projects to have a rotation fronted by Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach. They will eventually get Spencer Strider back into that mix at some point, once he’s recovered from his April internal brace surgery. Until then, options for the back end include Grant Holmes, Ian Anderson, AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, Bryce Elder and others. Daniel will jump into that group, who will presumably battle each other for positions on the depth chart.
Farris, 24 in February, was selected by Atlanta in the 14th round of the 2023 draft. Since then, he has thrown 124 2/3 innings over 21 starts and nine relief appearances in the minors. In that time, he has a 2.96 ERA, 30% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate. He spent most of 2024 at High-A and will backfill some of the pitching depth that the Angels just lost by cutting Daniel from the roster. Farris isn’t Rule 5 eligible until December of 2026, so he won’t need a roster spot for quite a while.
Braves, Jordan Weems Agree To Minor League Deal
The Braves have agreed to a minor league deal with free agent righty Jordan Weems, per MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes. He’ll be in major league camp as a non-roster invitee in spring training. Weems is represented by O’Connell Sports Management.
Weems, who just turned 32, has spent the past three seasons with the Nationals, for whom he’s totaled 136 innings with a 5.03 ERA, 22.9% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate out of the bullpen. He’s averaged 96.4 mph on his heater during that time, primarily coupling the pitch with a slider that’s averaged 87.7 mph in that same span. Washington passed Weems through waivers back in August, and he became a free agent following the season, as was his right as an outrighted player with three-plus years of big league service time.
Weems’ most effective season came with the Nats in 2023, when he pitched a career-high 54 2/3 big league innings with a 3.62 ERA and 25.9% strikeout rate. That solid showing was bookended by a pair of rough years with ERAs north of 5.00, however. During his three years with the Nationals organization, he’s also pitched to a 3.27 earned run average in 77 Triple-A frames.
The Braves have clearly been operating on a tight budget this winter, looking to stockpile depth in the outfield and bullpen on low-cost deals. Weems joins Enoli Paredes and Ray Kerr as non-roster invitees who’ve signed in the wake of Joe Jimenez‘s knee surgery, which will cost the righty most and possibly all of the 2025 season. (Kerr is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will be out until the summer as well.) Atlanta has also inked outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and righty Connor Gillispie to split (non-guaranteed) major league contracts with low salaries.
At present, RosterResource projects the Braves for a $201MM payroll with just over $217MM of luxury obligations. That places Atlanta about $30MM shy of where it ended the 2024 season in terms of payroll — and nearly $60MM shy of last year’s luxury tax ledger. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said earlier this month that his club is willing to pay the luxury tax for what would be a third consecutive season, but to this point anyhow, most of Atlanta’s transactions have centered around scaling back spending and compiling affordable depth. That doesn’t preclude an eventual free agent strike of note and/or an impactful trade, but there’s been little to no inkling of such talks for Atlanta so far in the offseason.