DOB: Braves offseason about to get a lot busier. - Gamel released.

[clvclv]

I hear all of this about no money to spend, my question what has happened to the supposed extra 25 million dollars every team is getting from the new television deal. Also the Braves are getting a little extra from their local tv contract and they have McCann's and Hudson's money come off the books, and with arbitration raises they still should have about 10 million dollars to spend. So why are they scraping the bottom of the barrel.

$10 million to spend. OK, so...

Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 3/$21 million
Corey Hart - 1/$5 million (plus incentives)
Juan Uribe - 2/$15 million
A. J. Pierzynski - 1/$8.25 million
Carlos Ruiz - 3/$26 million
Omar Infante - 4/$30.25 million
Dioner Navarro - 2/$8 million
James Loney - 3/$21 million
Marlon Byrd - 2/$16 million
Mike Morse - 1/$6 million
Kelly Johnson - 1/$3 million
Rajai Davis - 2/$10 million
Garrett Jones - 2/$7.75 million
Chris Young - 1/$7.25 million
Paul Konerko - 1/$2.5 million
Brendan Ryan - 2/$5 million
Nick Punto - 1/$2.75 million
Skip Schumaker - 2/$5 million
Geovany Soto - 1/$3.05 million
Rafael Furcal - 1/$3.5 million
Brayan Pena - 1/$2.275 million
Willie Bloomquist - 2/$5.8 million
Will Nieves - 1/1.25 million

Scott Feldman - 3/$30 million
Joe Nathan - 2/$20 million
Brian Wilson - 1/$10 million
Bartolo Colon - 2/$20 million
Josh Johnson - 1/$8 million
Phil Hughes - 3/$24 million
Jason Vargas - 4/$32 million
Edward Mujica - 2/$9.5 million
Joba Chamberlain - 1/$2.5 million
Ryan Vogelsong - 1/$3 million
Boone Logan - 3/$16.5 million
Edinson Volquez - 1/$5 million
Joe Smith - 3/$15.75 million
Javier Lopez - 3/$13 million
Randy Webb - 2/$4.5 million
Ronald Belisario - 1/$3 million
Mike Pelfrey - 2/$11 million
Manny Parra - 2/$5.5 million
LaTroy Hawkins - 1/$2.25 million


That's a list of EVERY player that has signed for $10 million/year or less thus far this offseason. Other than Josh Johnson (who wanted to play on the west coast), LaTroy Hawkins (who I'd have gone to $3.5 million for personally), Kelly Johnson, and MAYBE Phil Hughes, who would you have signed to those contracts if Frank Wren handed you his pen???

The Infante deal is OK dollar-wise, but he's going to be a utility guy no later than halfway through those 4 years - Dayton made a huge mistake there.

[nsacpi]

"Trading players you have for a long time for one year or two years of service [from a player] doesn't work and doesn't make sense," Wren told ESPN.com Thursday from the winter meetings in Florida. "We're in a good spot. We like our five guys. They're all homegrown, and they're all on the ascent. We think we can go into the season with our rotation as it is and have a very solid group."

[nsacpi]

$10 million to spend. OK, so...

Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 3/$21 million
Corey Hart - 1/$5 million (plus incentives)
Juan Uribe - 2/$15 million
A. J. Pierzynski - 1/$8.25 million
Carlos Ruiz - 3/$26 million
Omar Infante - 4/$30.25 million
Dioner Navarro - 2/$8 million
James Loney - 3/$21 million
Marlon Byrd - 2/$16 million
Mike Morse - 1/$6 million
Kelly Johnson - 1/$3 million
Rajai Davis - 2/$10 million
Garrett Jones - 2/$7.75 million
Chris Young - 1/$7.25 million
Paul Konerko - 1/$2.5 million
Brendan Ryan - 2/$5 million
Nick Punto - 1/$2.75 million
Skip Schumaker - 2/$5 million
Geovany Soto - 1/$3.05 million
Rafael Furcal - 1/$3.5 million
Brayan Pena - 1/$2.275 million
Willie Bloomquist - 2/$5.8 million
Will Nieves - 1/1.25 million

Scott Feldman - 3/$30 million
Joe Nathan - 2/$20 million
Brian Wilson - 1/$10 million
Bartolo Colon - 2/$20 million
Josh Johnson - 1/$8 million
Phil Hughes - 3/$24 million
Jason Vargas - 4/$32 million
Edward Mujica - 2/$9.5 million
Joba Chamberlain - 1/$2.5 million
Ryan Vogelsong - 1/$3 million
Boone Logan - 3/$16.5 million
Edinson Volquez - 1/$5 million
Joe Smith - 3/$15.75 million
Javier Lopez - 3/$13 million
Randy Webb - 2/$4.5 million
Ronald Belisario - 1/$3 million
Mike Pelfrey - 2/$11 million
Manny Parra - 2/$5.5 million
LaTroy Hawkins - 1/$2.25 million


That's a list of EVERY player that has signed for $10 million/year or less thus far this offseason. Other than Josh Johnson (who wanted to play on the west coast), LaTroy Hawkins (who I'd have gone to $3.5 million for personally), Kelly Johnson, and MAYBE Phil Hughes, who would you have signed to those contracts if Frank Wren handed you his pen???

The Infante deal is OK dollar-wise, but he's going to be a utility guy no later than halfway through those 4 years - Dayton made a huge mistake there.

Interesting list. The other thing you have to ask is how much you're gaining relative to the in-house options and at what price. Suppose you think the in-house second base options will get you 2 WAR in 2014 and Infante will get you 3 WAR. Is it worth signing Infante at the contract he got for the extra win?

[NinersSBChamps]

I wish I knew. Liberty media just doesn't want to commit more than 100M to this team regardless of the revenues. its really sad. Hopefully they open up the checkbook to keep the core when we go into the new stadium.

Why waste money on a failed product? If you were the owner would you continue to dump money into something knowing full well it's not going to get better. No playoff series win in over 10 years...

[CyYoung31]

I feel like his career has been one long disappointment after Star Wars.

This isn't entirely true. He is the definitive Joker, after all.

[Hawk]

This isn't entirely true. He is the definitive Joker, after all.

I never knew that, haha, wow.

And then I found this:

[jcc03004]

Gamels out of options

[Bye Week]

Gamels out of options

Doesn't matter, minor league deal.

[50PoundHead]

Can't believe Boone Logan is getting paid $5.5 million per year. Wow!

[skillet]

Can't believe Boone Logan is getting paid $5.5 million per year. Wow!

Yea the contracts handed out this winter have for the most part been way over the top. Probably a good reason why Wren, and understandably so, hasn't participated.

[zitothebrave]

Can't believe Boone Logan is getting paid $5.5 million per year. Wow!

The trend seems to be increasing pay on lower end players. Most seem to have learned overpaying for superstars is a failed strategy.

[nsacpi]

Can't believe Boone Logan is getting paid $5.5 million per year. Wow!

Kimbrel can take heart.

[Hawk]

Beachy agrees to one-year deal.

[tvsportscaster]

GM Kevin Towers having dinner with Eric Chavez tonight to discuss Chavez's possible return to #Dbacks next season. Chavez lives here in AZ.

I think it's a given, he's probably going back to the Snakes, I'd be very surprised if he came to Atlanta.

[skillet]

GM Kevin Towers having dinner with Eric Chavez tonight to discuss Chavez's possible return to #Dbacks next season. Chavez lives here in AZ.

I think it's a given, he's probably going back to the Snakes, I'd be very surprised if he came to Atlanta.

Our Chavez, Mat Gamel, already in the fold, was plan B.

[skidlee]

Our Chavez, Mat Gamel, has already been signed.

Doesn't kill Chavez but yes it very unlikely.

[tvsportscaster]

Well, it was confirmed today, the Braves are still negotiating with Chavez but with as cheap as the Braves are they have no chance. They need another bench bat if they don't sign Chavez, preferably someone with power from the right side. What about another go with Jeff Baker, he had a pretty good year last year.

[Julio3000]

This isn't entirely true. He is the definitive Joker, after all.

In that case, I question his durability. The Vrolik Syndrome . . .

[50PoundHead]

Well, it was confirmed today, the Braves are still negotiating with Chavez but with as cheap as the Braves are they have no chance. They need another bench bat if they don't sign Chavez, preferably someone with power from the right side. What about another go with Jeff Baker, he had a pretty good year last year.

He did have a good year last season. Would provide some corner IF/corner OF protection and would be a good RHH off the bench.

[50PoundHead]

$10 million to spend. OK, so...

Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 3/$21 million
Corey Hart - 1/$5 million (plus incentives)
Juan Uribe - 2/$15 million
A. J. Pierzynski - 1/$8.25 million
Carlos Ruiz - 3/$26 million
Omar Infante - 4/$30.25 million
Dioner Navarro - 2/$8 million
James Loney - 3/$21 million
Marlon Byrd - 2/$16 million
Mike Morse - 1/$6 million
Kelly Johnson - 1/$3 million
Rajai Davis - 2/$10 million
Garrett Jones - 2/$7.75 million
Chris Young - 1/$7.25 million
Paul Konerko - 1/$2.5 million
Brendan Ryan - 2/$5 million
Nick Punto - 1/$2.75 million
Skip Schumaker - 2/$5 million
Geovany Soto - 1/$3.05 million
Rafael Furcal - 1/$3.5 million
Brayan Pena - 1/$2.275 million
Willie Bloomquist - 2/$5.8 million
Will Nieves - 1/1.25 million

Scott Feldman - 3/$30 million
Joe Nathan - 2/$20 million
Brian Wilson - 1/$10 million
Bartolo Colon - 2/$20 million
Josh Johnson - 1/$8 million
Phil Hughes - 3/$24 million
Jason Vargas - 4/$32 million
Edward Mujica - 2/$9.5 million
Joba Chamberlain - 1/$2.5 million
Ryan Vogelsong - 1/$3 million
Boone Logan - 3/$16.5 million
Edinson Volquez - 1/$5 million
Joe Smith - 3/$15.75 million
Javier Lopez - 3/$13 million
Randy Webb - 2/$4.5 million
Ronald Belisario - 1/$3 million
Mike Pelfrey - 2/$11 million
Manny Parra - 2/$5.5 million
LaTroy Hawkins - 1/$2.25 million


That's a list of EVERY player that has signed for $10 million/year or less thus far this offseason. Other than Josh Johnson (who wanted to play on the west coast), LaTroy Hawkins (who I'd have gone to $3.5 million for personally), Kelly Johnson, and MAYBE Phil Hughes, who would you have signed to those contracts if Frank Wren handed you his pen???

The Infante deal is OK dollar-wise, but he's going to be a utility guy no later than halfway through those 4 years - Dayton made a huge mistake there.

Could be a mistake, but I don't know if it will be a huge mistake. Even if Infante falls off a bit, he's still a multi-position guy who is likely to hit better than the average utility guy. My guess is he'll be at least a 400 AB guy through the life of the contract.