Beachy/Medlen Non-Tendered
Per Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors, the Braves have made the decision not to offer a 2015 contract to Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy, and Gus Schlosser.
What does this mean?
All three pitchers are now effectively free agents, which means that the Braves can still re-sign any one (or all) three. The difference is now that the Braves face the challenge of competing with every other team in baseball to negotiate with these three. The discussions were reportedly heavy this week with Medlen, so I would expect the Braves to continue to talk with each, but the arbitration number for both Medlen and Beachy would have been way too high for the risk they bring to the table for 2015.
What will the Braves do with the freed up funds?
The Braves did tender offers to Mike Minor, James Russell, and David Carpenter, and each should expect a raise, but the big intrigue here would be a possible free agent signing. This could certainly fan the flames of a possible move for a starting pitcher or outfielder. We’ve heard rumors on Nick Markakis recently, but the starting pitcher market hasn’t even budged this offseason, and it could be a good time for the Braves to strike before the line gets set too high. This also frees up a few 40-man and 25-man slots that could be utilized in a possible trade that could be forthcoming.