NL East Off-Season Review: Atlanta Braves

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Nov 1, 2015; New York, NY, USA; A professional woman runner makes her way across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge during the start of the New York City Marathon. Mandatory Credit: Eric Sucar-USA TODAY Sports /

Braves are Building Bridges, Biding Time Until Youngsters Arrive

Over the past week, we’ve been looking at our division – the National League East – in an attempt to see how each team has fared over the off-season. We have already looked at the Phillies, Nationals, Mets, and Marlins – though with the Fish, there is a significant update that I’ll get to in a bit.

But today is a look at our Atlanta Braves – so let’s get started.

2015 RESULT: 67-95 (.414), 4th PLACE (but 3rd worst in MLB)
Opening Day Payroll: $97.0 million
Final 40-man Payroll: $107.5 million (MLB Rank: 22)
Owner: Liberty Media Group (Terry McGuirk)
Manager: Fredi Gonzalez
President, Baseball Operations: John Hart
General Managers: John Coppolella

This off-season, we have primarily dealt with the prospects that have been acquired – and well, we should: the Braves bettered their farm system more than any other team this Fall. It’s not even close. But this is about trying to assess where the major league club is for 2016, and how the off-season impacted the 25 players that will fill the Atlanta dugout this Spring.

That’s a whole different discussion.

The transactions list is enormous, but when taken together, reveals a pattern of this off-season’s intents and purpose:

JAN:
– SIGNED LHP Alex Torres (minor lg. deal; invite to Spring)
– SIGNED RHP Jhoulys Chacin (same)
– SIGNED RHP Kyle Kendrick (same)
– SIGNED RHP Alexi Ogando (same)
– SIGNED 2B/UTIL Kelly Johnson

DEC:
– SIGNED LHP David Holmberg (minor lg. deal; invite to Spring)
– TRADED RHP Ryne Harper+cash to Seattle for RHP Jose Ramirez
– SIGNED 2B/3B Gordon Beckham
– SIGNED UTIL Emilio Bonifacio
– TRADED RHP Shelby Miller and LHP Gabe Speier to Arizona for CF/RF Ender Inciarte, RHP Aaron Blair, SS Dansby Swanson
– TRADED C Christian Bethancourt to San Diego for RHP Casey Kelly and C Ricardo Rodriguez
– SIGNED 1B Nate Freiman (minor lg deal)
– SIGNED C Tyler Flowers

NOV:
– RE-SIGNED C A.J. Pierzynski
– SIGNED 2B Chase d’Arnaud (minor lg. deal; invite to Spring)
– SIGNED RHP Madison Youniner (same)
– SIGNED LF Matt Tuiasosopo (same)
– SIGNED C? Willians Astudillo (same)
– SIGNED RHP David Carpenter (same)
– TRADED SS Andrelton Simmons and C Jose Briceno to LA Angels for SS Erick Aybar, LHP Sean Newcomb, RHP Chris Ellis, and cash.
– TRADED CF Cameron Maybin to Detroit for LHP Ian Krol and LHP Gabe Speier
– SIGNED RHP Bud Norris
– SIGNED RHP Jim Johnson

OCT:
– SIGNED RHP Chris Volstad (minor lg. deal; invite to Spring)
– SIGNED 3B Reid Brignac (same)

Free Agents Lost:
– LHP Mike Minor
– LF Eury Perez
– 3B Pedro Ciriaco
– RHP Peter Moylan
– RHP Edwin Jackson
– LHP Ross Detwiler
– C John Buck (technically; he retired last March)

Claimed on Waivers:
– Evan Rutckyj (Yankees; Rule 5 draft)

Lost on Waivers:
– OF Joey Terdoslavich (Orioles)
– OF Todd Cunningham

Given the contracts handed out, there will not be a lot of positional battle drama this Spring. The biggest questions will be these:

How will the Left Field, Second and Third Base duties be divvied up?
Who ends up in the rotation and bullpen?

Let’s take a look…

Next: Interchangeable Parts

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