Kelly Johnson

[50PoundHead]

We should sign KJ and trade for Prado. Would be like old times.

The debates over those two would rival the Republican debates for sheer exuberance.

I'm all for bringing KJ back, but if they DFA Swisher as a result, it only makes the whole Chris Johnson deal even more puzzling. They should have just traded Johnson for a bag of doughnuts and paid half his salary.

[clvclv]

sure does make the Bono and Beckham signings seem odd?!?

Have been saying this since before the ink was dry.

[clvclv]

The debates over those two would rival the Republican debates for sheer exuberance.

I'm all for bringing KJ back, but if they DFA Swisher as a result, it only makes the whole Chris Johnson deal even more puzzling. They should have just traded Johnson for a bag of doughnuts and paid half his salary.

Isn't that roughly what this would work out to be? The difference is that they got Bourn in the deal, enabling them to put the brakes on rushing Mallex if they need to.

[dak]

[bravesfanforlife88]

its a good move to bring him back.....

[bravesfanMatt]

its a good move to bring him back.....

Let the debate begin on who gets released/traded..

you have to think it is one of Bourn/Swisher/Andrew McCrappy.. most likely Swisher...

[50PoundHead]

Isn't that roughly what this would work out to be? The difference is that they got Bourn in the deal, enabling them to put the brakes on rushing Mallex if they need to.

I suppose one could make it out like that, but it just seems like mating mules to me. They should have just done Bourn for Johnson and not even bothered with Swisher. My point is that you can only spend a dollar once whether it's the present or a future obligation and it appears they will be paying Swisher not to play, which to me, is never a good thing, especially for a mid-payroll team.

[The Chosen One]

I suppose one could make it out like that, but it just seems like mating mules to me. They should have just done Bourn for Johnson and not even bothered with Swisher. My point is that you can only spend a dollar once whether it's the present or a future obligation and it appears they will be paying Swisher not to play, which to me, is never a good thing, especially for a mid-payroll team.

We're not just a mid-payroll team we're a mid-payroll team that values Lairdership. You can't buy the leadership experience Swisher has gained. He's won a ring with the Yankees.

We've seen the price the Braves are willing to pay to acquire leadership. Bourn, Swisher, Arroyo, Jim Johnson, Jason Grilli, AJ, Markakis, Borris.

[50PoundHead]

We're not just a mid-payroll team we're a mid-payroll team that values Lairdership. You can't buy the leadership experience Swisher has gained. He's won a ring with the Yankees.

We've seen the price the Braves are willing to pay to acquire leadership. Bourn, Swisher, Arroyo, Jim Johnson, Jason Grilli, AJ, Markakis, Borris.

This Boris?

[bravesfanMatt]

This Boris?

[dak]

I suppose one could make it out like that, but it just seems like mating mules to me. They should have just done Bourn for Johnson and not even bothered with Swisher. My point is that you can only spend a dollar once whether it's the present or a future obligation and it appears they will be paying Swisher not to play, which to me, is never a good thing, especially for a mid-payroll team.

By my accounting, here are the outlays from each team in the CJ / Bourn / Swisher trade . . .

- CLE pays $19.4m for Johnson and $15m for Bourn / Swisher for a total of $34.4m.
- ATL pays $9.2 for Bourn / Swisher in 2015 and $14m for Bourn / Swisher in 2016 for a total of $23.2m.

[dak]

[bravesfanMatt]

By my accounting, here are the outlays from each team in the CJ / Bourn / Swisher trade . . .

- CLE pays $19.4m for Johnson and $15m for Bourn / Swisher for a total of $34.4m.
- ATL pays $38.2 for Bourn / Swisher.

So about $3.8m money cleared for CLE, but ATL is released from their burden after 2016. Let's see if ATL can close the gap even further by getting someone to pay a little for Bourn / Swisher.

curious how you got to 38.2 million for Bourn/Swisher?

[dak]

Yikes, taking another look at this, it seems I've got this a bit mixed up. My numbers have Swisher getting paid double in 2016. Sorry for the confusion. The trade was consummated on the afternoon of 8/7. So the Braves paid Bourn and Swisher for 59 days of the 183 day league year in 2015. That amounts to $9.2m in 2015. The $15m sent by CLE covers Swisher for 2016, so the Braves effectively just pay for Bourn at $14m. So the Braves total outlay is then $23.2m. Will update above . . . thanks.

[bravesfanMatt]

Yikes, taking another look at this, it seems I've got this a bit mixed up. My numbers have Swisher getting paid double in 2016. Sorry for the confusion. The trade was consummated on the afternoon of 8/7. So the Braves paid Bourn and Swisher for 59 days of the 183 day league year in 2015. That amounts to $9.2m in 2015. The $15m sent by CLE covers Swisher for 2016, so the Braves effectively just pay for Bourn at $14m. So the Braves total outlay is then $23.2m. Will update above . . . thanks.

the only questions lies around that 15 million from the Tribe. it was originally 10 mill, then went to 15 mill.. now I keep seeing that 10 million again. is it sloppy reporting.. did the braves apply 5 last year and 10 this year.. is it really 10 mill and the 15 was a mistake. I need to research this.

[dak]

the only questions lies around that 15 million from the Tribe. it was originally 10 mill, then went to 15 mill.. now I keep seeing that 10 million again. is it sloppy reporting.. did the braves apply 5 last year and 10 this year.. is it really 10 mill and the 15 was a mistake. I need to research this.

Yeah, my take is that it's sloppy reporting. Jeff Passan was first out of the gates with the $10m number. The next day, Anthony Castrovince from the CLE side clarified that it was $15m. Since then, Bowman, DOB, and Paul Hoynes (CLE) have corroborated the $15m number. We may never know with absolutely certainty, but the $15m number seems most appropriate.

[bravesfanMatt]

Yeah, my take is that it's sloppy reporting. Jeff Passan was first out of the gates with the $10m number. The next day, Anthony Castrovince from the CLE side clarified that it was $15m. Since then, Bowman, DOB, and Paul Hoynes (CLE) have corroborated the $15m number. We may never know with absolutely certainty, but the $15m number seems most appropriate.

The math can be fuzzy.. but trade happened Aug 7th. So there were roughly 50 games left. I assume each team picked up that players salary at that point. So if a players salary is broken out evenly over 162 games.. Bourn and Swisher made 80K and 90K respectively per game...or the Braves owed 4.3 and 4.8 million respectively for the remainder of the 2015. The Tribe would have owed CJ ~2 million for 2015..

so if that is true the Braves paid 9.1 (2015) + 29 million (2016) - 15 million (tribe sent) for a total of 23.1 million
The Tribe would be on the hook for 2 mill (2015) + 7.5 mill ('16) + 9 mill ('17) + 1 mill (buyout) for a total of 19.5 million

The Braves would be short about 3.5 million by those numbers... however I don't know how baseball pays players.. if it is spread out over season/year/whatever. I have a feeling these two teams made it where the money was pretty equal or the Braves paid a bit more since they don't have obligations in '17...

[smootness]

I have always thought that it made some general sense for some players that are looking to play for contending teams to sign with a team like the Braves that are basically guaranteed to trade them to a contending team at the deadline. As a player, you essentially guarantee yourself that whatever team trades for you will be a contender, as opposed to trying to guess which teams will be a contender in the offseason before.

Honestly, though, how many teams have we seen go with this strategy before? There aren't many teams who have clearly signed guys for the sole purpose of trying to flip them at the deadline, but we've seen the Braves now do it with multiple guys just in the last year.

I agree it's not a bad strategy, but I don't know how many times it's been a real option before.

[JohnAdcox]

Isn't that roughly what this would work out to be? The difference is that they got Bourn in the deal, enabling them to put the brakes on rushing Mallex if they need to.

You missed a key point the original poster made. No doughnuts.

[UNCBlue012]

Yes! I'm so glad he's back!