Braves Decline Dickey’s option exercise Flowers

[Oklahomabrave]

Per bowman on Twitter

[Julio3000]

Once again . . . you got it, you got it:

[Enscheff]

That brings the projected 2018 payroll to $96.1M.

I was told by sources who are brilliant baseball minds that the Braves will have a Top 10 payroll ($160M+), and at the VERY LEAST stay flat from last year ($120M-$125M). That is a lot of money available to spend on 1-2 BP arms!

[Jaw]

We're gonna sign ALL THE FREE AGENTS!

[Millwood1Hitter]

I heard rumors that with the new spring training complex we should be able to move into top 5 payroll.

Then and only then should we be able to sign Kemp to that long term contract extension he so deservedly earned.

[Enscheff]

I heard rumors that with the new spring training complex we should be able to move into top 5 payroll.

Well, not right away, but once all the little bars and shops around the complex are full of people....OH MY!! $$$$

[Enscheff]

Next easy cost cutting move will be to deal MAdams. Braves are in no position to be paying a bench bat nearly $5M...as evidenced by them trading SRod.

[nsacpi]

not a good sign re payroll

[Knucksie]

So does this mean that they will still offer a buyout or is it now just a formality with him leaning toward retirement?

[striker42]

not a good sign re payroll

I'm not going to panic over payroll yet. There are a lot of other things at play in regards to Dickey. He's still not sure whether or not he'll hang it up. If we exercise his option, that's a lot of money we have tied up. Dickey could wait and see how he feels in the spring and then decide not to pitch leaving us with money and nothing to spend it on. Conversely, he could announce retirement without filing the papers. If we spend that money and he decides not to retire, we'd still owe him for 2018.

Without a guarantee that he's going to pitch in 2018, I think declining his option is the smart thing to do. We could always sign him to a one year deal if he later on decides to pitch.

[clvclv]

not a good sign re payroll

Constantly amazes me when people draw this conclusion. If there's anything we have plenty of, its MLB-ready starting pitching. Chances are pretty good that Matt Adams is traded - likely for more pitching.

They have consistently said they aren't willing to eat money to move a useful piece like Markakis to create room for Acuna - YET - and they haven't traded Kemp for peanuts or packaged a prospect or two with him to ditch his money. They don't appear to have started trying to unload their most marketable AND most expensive piece in Freeman.

I love to scream "the sky is falling" as much as everyone else, but this is just a blackjack dealer's ridiculous rantings. They have better places to spend $7.5 million than on R. A. Dickey and apparently feel that they'll replace him with another veteran OR will get good enough performance from some combination of the kids that he won't be a devastating loss to the rotation. Even BA is projecting that we may see Soroka and Allard (if not Wright as well) at some point in 2018, so paying him $8 million to release him in July would simply be throwing $4 million away - no one wanted him this past season at the deadline, surely no one will trade for him before he's released in 2018 either.

[nsacpi]

wouldn't an chat with dicke and his agent clear most of that up

I'm not going to panic over payroll yet. There are a lot of other things at play in regards to Dickey. He's still not sure whether or not he'll hang it up. If we exercise his option, that's a lot of money we have tied up. Dickey could wait and see how he feels in the spring and then decide not to pitch leaving us with money and nothing to spend it on. Conversely, he could announce retirement without filing the papers. If we spend that money and he decides not to retire, we'd still owe him for 2018.

Without a guarantee that he's going to pitch in 2018, I think declining his option is the smart thing to do. We could always sign him to a one year deal if he later on decides to pitch.

[Super]

wouldn't an chat with dicke and his agent clear most of that up

not if he's currently unsure.

[nsacpi]

not if he's currently unsure.

I don't think he's the kind of guy who would keep us waiting for a firm answer for long...a simple conversation would allow us to let him know we need an answer by a certain date

[Chico]

I think the next move is releasing Santana. I'd release Jace and Santana, but we definitely don't need both of them.

[bravesfanMatt]

I don't think he's the kind of guy who would keep us waiting for a firm answer for long...a simple conversation would allow us to let him know we need an answer by a certain date

I think this is just the Braves telling Dickey that they want to go another direction, and that even if he retires, he deserved the 500K for a good season. This really isn't much news worthy. There are several internal folks that can take his spot or younger FA that might get a look.

[Millwood1Hitter]

With JS back in charge we no longer will have dialogue with agents

[nsacpi]

I think this is just the Braves telling Dickey that they want to go another direction, and that even if he retires, he deserved the 500K for a good season. This really isn't much news worthy. There are several internal folks that can take his spot or younger FA that might get a look.

ok...i guess 500k is small change for this team

[Tapate50]

See, I knew you guys would come up with pozzy-spin for a decreased payroll haha!

You covered the "save the money for 2019" angle.

The other angles pozzies will lean on are "don't spend money just to spend it", and "they aren't REALLY trying to win in 2018".

Actually, I think you also worked in the "they aren't really trying to win" narrative. Well done!!

Stop trying SO hard.

[TheBravos]

Dickey isn’t worth the money when you have guys young guys that can on pitch cheap with around the same production. They could also take that money and add some to it towards getting a better pitcher. Either way Dickey wasn’t going to make us any better. He will only get worse each year most likely. I’m fine with the move.