Atlanta Braves Sign Tyler Flowers
By Fred Owens
Sep 2, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago White sox catcher Tyler Flowers (21) during the fifth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Braves Reunite with Tyler Flowers
Bob Nightengale reports that Tyler Flowers will be a Brave once more.
Tyler Flowers signs a 2-year, $5.3 million contract with $1.5 million of annual incentives with the #Braves.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 9, 2015
Tyler Flowers, who was non-tendered by #WhiteSox a week ago, now can make total of $13.5 million by catching 120 games a year for #Braves.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 9, 2015
John Heyman has more detailed numbers.
Flowers: 2M '16, $3M '17, $4M option '18 300 K buyout '19. $1.5M incentives each year #braves
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 9, 2015
Flowers was drafted by the Braves in 2005 and traded to the White Sox as part if the Javier Vasquez deal after the 2008 season. He made his major league debut with the Pale Hose in 2009 and served as their backup catcher until 2013 when he appeared in 84 games In his 431 major league games he posted a .223/.289/.376/.665 line with 46 homers in 1305 PA.
The Braves want a backup capable of taking over for A.J. Pierzynski in the event of injury and to make sure he doesn’t have to catch a hundred games this year. It will likely start out as a straight platoon but don’t expect huge numbers. While Flowers has been better the last two years against lefties, he’s still around the majors because of his defense.
Alan posted a nice piece about Flowers rumor a couple of days ago so I’ll commend that to you for details.
That”s A Wrap
This signing means the end is at hand for Christian Bethancourt. He is out of options and out of a job so the Braves will try to trade him somewhere or as Jeff Shultz put it:
So Braves sign another catcher Tyler Flowers which pretty much reaffirms that they don't even want Christian Bethancourt mowing their lawn
— Jeff Schultz (@JeffSchultzATL) December 9, 2015
The price seems a little high for Flowers who is essentially Chris Ianetta light but the Braves apparently think he’s worth it.