Braves Avoid Arbitration With Four (Updated 4:05 PM)
Oct 4, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Mike Minor (36) prior to game two of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
This post will be updated as more info is received.*
Latest Update
According to a tweet from David O’Brien, Mike Minor is the latest Atlanta Brave to avoid aribration…
#Braves down to 3 unsigned arb eligibles now after LH Mike Minor agrees to $3.85M deal. Stay tuned. JHey, Freeman, Kimbrel still unsigned
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) January 17, 2014
Apparently, the long-term deal on B.J. Upton, that seemed to backfire on Frank Wren (although we’ll allow B.J. could turn things around), scared the Braves away from making any long-term deals, even for pitchers with the talent and long-term possibilities of Mike Minor.
Minor is considered by many to be the Braves best starter, and could well be the Braves’ #1 as the 2014 season begins. He finished the 2013 season 13-9, with a 3.21 ERA over 32 games started, and a 1.090 WHIP. Minor had his ups and down last season, but averaged 8 strikeouts per 9, and just 2 walks per 9. It should be interesting to see how well Minor performs this coming season.
Stay tuned for updates on the three remaining Braves’ players still unsigned – Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, and Craig Kimbrel.
Previous Updates
The Braves have avoided arbitration with OF Jordan Schafer, SP Kris Medlen, and 3B Chris Johnson, according to Braves beat writer Mark Bowman.
Jordan Schafer avoids arbitration w/ a one-year, $1.09M deal. Confirms @Joelsherman1's tweet. One down, six to go. #Braves
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) January 17, 2014
Schafer, a former top prospect with Atlanta, returned to the Braves via waivers in 2013, and did am admirable job, slashing .312/.399/.464 through his first 61 games. After being disabled with a stress fracture in his ankle, the fleet footed outfielder hit just .170/.248/.208 in the 33 games that followed the injury. Schafer is still slated to be the 4th outfielder, but could quickly assume a more prominent role if B.J. Upton‘s struggles continue into 2014.
Kris Medlen avoids arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $5.8M deal with the #Braves
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) January 17, 2014
After a masterful end to the 2012 season, Kris Medlen’s 2013 got off to a bit of an inconsistent start before coming full circle. The flat billed righty tossed 197 innings of 3.11 ERA ball for the Braves in 2013, and more than doubled his salary because of it.
Chris Johnson's one-year deal is worth $4.75M #Braves
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) January 17, 2014
After being considered a throw in replacement for the departing fan favorite Martin Prado in the Justin Upton deal, Chris Johnson rocked Braves fans and baseball alike, nearly winning the batting title while slashing .321/.358/.457 on top of a dozen home runs. Known by many as the God of BABIP, he receives a raise of nearly $2MM for the 2014 season.
Details on remaining arbitration cases (Jason Heyward, Craig Kimbrel, Freddie Freeman, Mike Minor) have yet to be released, and it seems that the team will be heading into at least one hearing.
For those unfamiliar with the arbitration process, if a team and player are unable to come to an agreement on a salary, both the players representatives and the team then submit dollar figures, and an arbitrator decides which figure the player will earn. The Braves are known as a notorious “file and trial” team; meaning, once the deadline for offers has passed, the team ceases negotiations and prepares for a trial (though this is not a definite; the team settled with then OF Jeff Francoeur just hours before his trial in 2009).