Wren inadvertently hinting at payroll increase?

[anthmilliu]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9512919/atlanta-braves-gm-says-willing-pay-pitching-help

About 3/4 of the way down in this article Wren states that adding payroll wouldn't be an issue if we added a pitcher via trade.

Pure speculation and could be way off base here but imagine the possibilities if Wren could get his hand on some extra dough. If Liberty was set in stone on a maximum payroll number I doubt Wren would publicly state this.

[Dalyn]

Wren keeps talking about how money is not an issue this year. Sounds good. Let's see how it looks in the morning.

[parkvadawg]

Just because payroll goes up doesn't mean we should blow it. If trading for Peavy means no McCann I'm losing it. Call the police.

[nsacpi]

McGuirk (Wren's boss) said at the start of the year payroll was 95M. We entered the season at about 89M. Wren has 5-6M to play with. And since we are talking about covering just the last two months of the season, he can on a prorated basis take on contracts whose annual value is 15-18M.

As Wren noted, the issue with getting Peavy is not money but the caliber of prospects the White Sox want. I would imagine if we are paying for all of his contract, we can probably get him without giving up one of our Top 5 guys (for me Sims, Peraza, Cabrera, Bethancourt and Graham). We'd have a good chance of getting Peavy imo if we offered Salcedo plus a good second-tier pitching prospect (Schlosser, Northcraft, Hale).

[Bj1133]

I thought it was a well known fact that the Braves still had some money left over from the off-season

[PawPawMaxwell]

Wren keeps talking about how money is not an issue this year. Sounds good. Let's see how it looks in the morning.

There have been numerous reports over the years that Liberty does not set the payroll. They do limit spending to income. Never been a report that I know of of any money winding its way to Liberty.

[Metaphysicist]

Wren has said this exact thing a million times. Even in the off-season, he said stuff like "Why sign a $10 million player now? We could use that $10 million for a $25 million guy at the deadline!!!" and other sophistry.

But in reality, we've been at the same payroll level forever. I'll believe in a payroll increase 3 days after I see it.

[weso1]

Reports out today were that the Braves were giving up on Peavy because of money issues. This makes me think Meta is right. I thought they were supposed to be able to afford a guy like Peavy this year.

[The Chosen One]

Or maybe it was a bluff?

[Carp]

I'm sure we could afford Peavy this yr. But I'm also quite sure we don't want to pay him 14 millions next season when he'd likely be our 4th best starter at best. And there is also a decent chance his 2015 becomes a player option.

[weso1]

I'm sure we could afford Peavy this yr. But I'm also quite sure we don't want to pay him 14 millions next season when he'd likely be our 4th best starter at best. And there is also a decent chance his 2015 becomes a player option.

Would be the best #4 in baseball by a huge margin. We should be able to afford it next season.

[BravesBlock]

If you could have Peavy or Lincecum which one would you want? And take out the trade requirement portion - just a simple question of who you would want on the mound during a playoff game?

[The Chosen One]

Well considering Peavy has no real playoff experience... probably Lincecum.

[AUTiger7222]

Would be the best #4 in baseball by a huge margin. We should be able to afford it next season.

Sure if you wouldn't want any chance at keeping McCann. Can't have both next year.

[chopdrew]

I've always wondered if payroll increases came with conditions when it comes to Liberty Media. Like, the Braves could have more money, but then they'd have to achieve more, and that's why Wren won't take on more payroll...

[50PoundHead]

Wren has said this exact thing a million times. Even in the off-season, he said stuff like "Why sign a $10 million player now? We could use that $10 million for a $25 million guy at the deadline!!!" and other sophistry.

But in reality, we've been at the same payroll level forever. I'll believe in a payroll increase 3 days after I see it.

Much depends on if Liberty allows any payroll savings below $95 M to roll-over to next season. If it's "use it or lose it," I could see a few moves for rentals, but if we can use the money to re-sign McCann, I think it would be wise to be judicious. Outside of perhaps one more reliable bullpen arm and a better back-up IF, I don't know what we need.

[jpx7]

Much depends on if Liberty

Good points — and almost a William Carlos Williams invocation.

[nsacpi]

With the Scott Downs acquisition and payments to players on the DL or their replacements (its getting to be a pretty long list and we've been paying guys like DeWitt and Martinez, EOF, Venters or their replacements all year), the payroll now stands at 92-93M. So we have 2-3M left to play. If you convert this to full season salaries we can effectively take on 6-9M more of contracts.

[GovClintonTyree]

Yeah, but here's the thing. Frank Wren is a great GM. But every time you give him a pile of money, he wastes it.

Think about it. All the creative stuff where he has to pinch pennies comes up aces, and every eight figure deal blows up.

Maybe we should set the payroll at $50m and let Frank buy us a WS at the Salvation Army.

[nsacpi]

Yeah, but here's the thing. Frank Wren is a great GM. But every time you give him a pile of money, he wastes it.

Think about it. All the creative stuff where he has to pinch pennies comes up aces, and every eight figure deal blows up.

Maybe we should set the payroll at $50m and let Frank buy us a WS at the Salvation Army.

I think we have to accept that you are going to overpay on the free agent market or in re-signing a veteran. Most of those contracts lead to regrets. But you do it to fill the gaps where you farm system has not generated the talent you need. When Uggla was acquired we need the "big right-handed bat" and had a hole in left field. Melky Cabrera and Garret Anderson had played left the two years before Uggla arrived. We had to do something. So we traded for and signed Uggla to an extension. There was no one on the farm who we could have slotted into the lineup to give us that kind of power.

Similarly there was no plausible internal solution to play center when we signed BJ. So we overpayed a bit. I think ultimately BJ will rebound to the form he has shown in recent years. But still there always risks with these contracts. If we re-sign McCann, we'll be taking a similar risk. As good as our farm system has been, it hasn't been capable of generating players to cover all positions. So on a selective basis we have to overpay and take some risks on bigger contracts. I don't think it can be avoided. But you hope to do as well as possible with those signings.

[GovClintonTyree]

I think we have to accept that you are going to overpay on the free agent market or in re-signing a veteran. Most of those contracts lead to regrets. But you do it to fill the gaps where you farm system has not generated the talent you need. When Uggla was acquired we need the "big right-handed bat" and had a hole in left field. Melky Cabrera and Garret Anderson had played left the two years before Uggla arrived. We had to do something. So we traded for and signed Uggla to an extension. There was no one on the farm who we could have slotted into the lineup to give us that kind of power.

Similarly there was no plausible internal solution to play center when we signed BJ. So we overpayed a bit. I think ultimately BJ will rebound to the form he has shown in recent years. But still there always risks with these contracts. If we re-sign McCann, we'll be taking a similar risk. As good as our farm system has been, it hasn't been capable of generating players to cover all positions. So on a selective basis we have to overpay and take some risks on bigger contracts. I don't think it can be avoided. But you hope to do as well as possible with those signings.

Perhaps I should have hit the sarcasm emoticon.