Kelly Johnson

[buck75]

If Kelly keeps signing these one year contracts w ATL, maybe he'll stay around as our 3B coach some day.

[nsacpi]

I can see one but not both of the Bonifacio/Beckham tandem.

Beckham is a righty and Bonifacio is a switch hitter who hits better from the right side. My guess is the two will platoon with KJ and Peterson.

[dak]

Doesn't Swisher's money count if we DFA him or not? We still have to pay him.

Yes. We'd either have to pay him $15m or $14.5m (if another team signs him). That is factored into my $87m figure. I'll be impressed if the Braves can find someone to pay $2m or so of his deal. Another option they could pursue to buy time would be to designate Terdo (he may pass through waivers) and see if Swisher can increase his value in Spring Training.

[Chico]

I wonder how many players have had 3 different tenures with the same team as well as how many players have been traded one year only to resign with the same team the next year.

[nsacpi]

I think we'll keep both Swisher and Bourn in hopes they establish some value before the trade deadline. This would imply Adonis Garcia starts the year in AAA if everyone is healthy. He'll probably be the first guy up if there is an injury to a position player. Unless the injury is to Aybar, in which case Castro would be called up.

[bravesfanMatt]

I think we'll keep both Swisher and Bourn in hopes they establish some value before the trade deadline. This would imply Adonis Garcia starts the year in AAA if everyone is healthy. He'll probably be the first guy up if there is an injury to a position player. Unless the injury is to Aybar, in which case Castro would be called up.

Spring training will wash someone out.. Adonis might surprise some folks this next year. Defensively, he won't be great.. but I think he will be better than last year offensively.

but yes, I hope they keep both Bourn and Swisher.. Andrew McCrappy would be my DFA..

[nsacpi]

Spring training will wash someone out.. Adonis might surprise some folks this next year. Defensively, he won't be great.. but I think he will be better than last year offensively.

but yes, I hope they keep both Bourn and Swisher.. Andrew McCrappy would be my DFA..

Don't get me wrong. I would rather have Adonis on the roster than both Bonifacio and Beckham. But every spring training, the last decision or two sometimes turns on who has a major league contract and who has minor league options left. At any rate starting the season in the minors is not a bar to his having significant PT in the majors. Injuries and other stuff will happen. Given the current configuration of the team, I think we'd be best off if third was a platoon of KJ and Adonis. But if everyone is healthy, we might start out with KJ and Bonifacio at third.

The other guy we'll have ready to call up from AAA is Terdoslavich. Again injuries and stuff will happen. Especially after the trading deadline, I think he will spend significant time in the majors. There is nothing wrong with having some guys in AAA like Garcia and Terdoslavich. In fact, it is a good thing.

[dak]

Sounds like Bowman thinks Terdo will be the odd man out on the 40 man. I'd be on board with this . . . greater than 50% chance he'll pass through waivers.

[nsacpi]

I'd keep Turdo on the 40-man and DFA Burawa.

[bravesfanMatt]

I'd keep Turdo on the 40-man and DFA Burawa.

Burawa has way more upside than Terdo.. But I would keep Terdo and drop Andrew personally. why do we need a lefty reliever who struggles to get lefties out.. we had Luis A.. we don't need another.

[Braves1976]

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.

MLBTR: "The opportunity to trade both Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher in a single trade was a one-time opportunity that the Indians had to seize, the Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes writes. Even though the Indians only acquired infielder Chris Johnson, who was later released, they saved a bit of money and cleared the roster spots of two players who merely would have been very expensive bench options."

The article states that Cleveland "came out 4 million ahead in the deal", so it looks like your original 3.8 million difference in Cleveland's favor was correct.

[bravesfanMatt]

MLBTR: "The opportunity to trade both Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher in a single trade was a one-time opportunity that the Indians had to seize, the Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes writes. Even though the Indians only acquired infielder Chris Johnson, who was later released, they saved a bit of money and cleared the roster spots of two players who merely would have been very expensive bench options."

The article states that Cleveland "came out 4 million ahead in the deal", so it looks like your original 3.8 million difference in Cleveland's favor was correct.

If you read a little further. You will see where I broke the math down. Seems if you factor in remainder of 2015 the tribe saved a little along the way.

[nsacpi]

MLBTR: "The opportunity to trade both Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher in a single trade was a one-time opportunity that the Indians had to seize, the Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes writes. Even though the Indians only acquired infielder Chris Johnson, who was later released, they saved a bit of money and cleared the roster spots of two players who merely would have been very expensive bench options."

The article states that Cleveland "came out 4 million ahead in the deal", so it looks like your original 3.8 million difference in Cleveland's favor was correct.

The basic takeaway from that deal remains pretty much the same. It was a clear signal that we were sacrificing competitiveness in 2016 to have a bit more financial flexibility in 2017. Even if it meant that net we were coming out 4M or so short. We also took a hit in the Kimbrel trade (absorbing Quentin's salary) so we could move BJ and have more flexibility in 2017.

[GovClintonTyree]

The basic takeaway from that deal remains pretty much the same. It was a clear signal that we were sacrificing competitiveness in 2016 to have a bit more financial flexibility in 2017. Even if it meant that net we were coming out 4M or so short. We also took a hit in the Kimbrel trade (absorbing Quentin's salary) so we could move BJ and have more flexibility in 2017.

I don't mean to be dense, but couldn't we have accomplished the same thing with an accounting journal entry? Just account for Johnson's 2017 salary in 2016? Then still have:

Financial Flexibility in 2017!