Atlanta Braves post trade deadline payroll: Financial flexibility pays off
By Fred Owens
The Atlanta Braves added Dallas Keuchel at the trade deadline and increased their payroll by $13M for 2019. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
After the 2018 season, the Atlanta Braves talked about the financial flexibility gained through deals the previous winter and how that would improve the team’s ability to build a better roster.
The offseason ended with only one financially significant deal, causing fans to wonder where that money went for the Atlanta Braves.
Aside from a few minor trades, the roster remained mostly unchanged until the Rule 4 draft ended and Dallas Keuchel came on board with a prorated $21.2M contract,
After signing Keuchel, Alex Anthopoulos told fans the team tried to sign Craig Kimbrel as well, but the cost rapidly escalated beyond their valuation.
The Atlanta Braves continued to pull away from the division but lacked a solid ninth inning arm. This caused fans to demand the team use prospect capital and financial flexibility to trade for a closer.
At the deadline, the Atlanta Braves did that, adding the prorated 2019 contracts of Chris Martin, Shane Greene, and Mark Melancon, as well as the final year (2020) of Melancon’s contract. The team also acquired Lane Adams on a minor league deal.
We’ve heard a lot of estimates of the current Braves payroll, and it is a bit of a moving target. However, we can take a snapshot of where it stands now compared to opening day.
Payroll administrivia – adjusted and retained salary
I’ll define a couple of terms now to make reading later easier to understand. Payroll isn’t a static sum. It changes based on movement to on and off both rosters, and through trades and signings.
The total face value of the contracts exists only as a marker of the amount committed. Trading a player doesn’t change the face value of his contract, but it does change the club’s payroll commitment.
Alex Jackson earned $32,824 for his 11 days with Atlanta based on the $2,984/day prorated league minimum of $555,000 contract. Jackson’s pay and the $13 million of Keuchel’s prorated contract shows up as adjusted salary.
Shane Carle entered the season with a contract worth $575,000. He only draws that pay while assigned to Atlanta at a rate of $3,091 a day. When the Atlanta Braves traded him to Texas the only portion of his contract showing on the balance sheet is the amount already paid. In Carle’s case, that’s $52,457.
The Atlanta Braves released Johnny Venters who had a $190,564 contract. They are responsible for all of that except for the prorated portion of the league minimum paid by the Nationals since they purchased his contract on June 25.
If he remains on their books until the end of the year, the Braves save $294,686. SporTrac doesn’t show reductions for moves like Carle’s or for released player’s like Venters, so my numbers vary slightly. Aroldis Vizcaino won’t pitch this year, The Brave pay all of his contract.
Salary paid to Carle, Venters, and Vizcaino shows up as retained salary. Now that everyone is thoroughly confused, let’s talk about money.