The Braves 2020 payroll as it currently stands. This list assumes the options for Teheran and Markakis are picked up, and the only arbitration casualty is Murphy.
1 C Flowers $6.00
2 1B Freeman $22.00
3 2B Albies $1.00
4 3B 3B
5 SS Swanson $3.30
6 LF Acuna $1.00
7 CF Inciarte $7.00
8 RF Markakis $6.00
9 SP1 Teheran $12.00
10 SP2 Folty $7.50
11 SP3 Fried $0.60
12 SP4 Soroka $0.60
13 SP5 SP5
14 BN1 Culberson $1.80
15 BN2 Duvall $3.80
16 BN3 Camargo $1.60
17 BN4 OF
18 BN5 C
19 BP1 Melancon $14.00
20 BP2 Newk $0.60
21 BP3 Greene $6.50
22 BP4 Jackson $1.90
23 BP5 Minter $0.60
24 BP6 Dayton $0.80
25 BP7 Sobotka $0.60
Buy out Hamilton $1.00
Total $100.20
Hoping for an opening day payroll bump up to ~$130M, that leaves ~$30M to fill holes at 3B, C, OF and possibly a SP. Filling the holes at SP and OF should be approached cautiously considering Waters and/or Pache may be ready sometime in 2020, and the bevy of arms already in the system can likely fill the 5th spot in the rotation just fine. The holes at 3B and C are glaring, and must be addressed.
The Braves can save $4M by dumping Markakis, opening up another hole. They can also save another $11M by dropping Julio, which opens up another hole in the rotation. Both guys can likely be let go and resigned later if needed, so I wouldn't be surprised if either option was picked up or declined.
Last year we kept waiting for the huge blockbuster trade that we all thought was inevitable, but never happened. I suspect the Braves will be tied to almost every big name trade target this year as well. If an impact SP like Paxton is available via trade, I expect to see the Braves involved heavily in those rumors. Maybe Haniger is available this year. Maybe Marte. Who knows...
My preferred path based on just FAs is probably Grandal for $20M per year over 1-2 years, Mous for $10M over 1-2 years, and some cheap RHH placeholder like Pence to make an OF mix of Acuna/Ender/Markakis/Duvall/Pence (or Joyce any other generic LHH in place of Markakis). Let the young arms fight over the 5th spot in the rotation, and make it easy to get Pache/Waters into the OF when/if they are ready.
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