Why Braves fans should be excited about Will Smith signing

The Atlanta Braves have fired up the Hot Stove by signing Will Smith to a three-year deal worth $39 Million. What does this mean for the roster construction in 2020?

Will Smith has been a dominant closer for the Giants the past two seasons, and now the Atlanta Braves hope he’ll be one for them after making the first big free agent signing of the offseason.

He made the All-Star team last season and saved 34 games. He’s had a sub-3 ERA with an elite strikeout rate. He was widely regarded as the top potential free-agent relief pitcher going into this offseason.

This is a big move by General Manager Alex Anthopoulos. The move should push Mark Melancon down to the setup role (despite what recent reports say) and means the Atlanta Braves will have about $27 million invested in the back end of the bullpen for 2020.

Will Smith is an incredible pitcher and we should all be jumping out of our shoes with excitement. We should be…I guess we just have some questions and concerns to address first.

What does this mean for Shane Greene?

Shane Greene is entering his final year of arbitration. MLBTraderumors.com projects him to bring in around $6-7 million.

There were already rumors that the Braves were leaning toward non-tendering Greene.

They didn’t exactly buy into the idea that his 2019 first half was sustainable. The signing of Will Smith likely indicates the end of Shane Greene’s run as an Atlanta Brave.

Does this make for a slow offseason in Atlanta?

You don’t make a signing like this to sit on your hands the rest of the way. Julio Teheran will most likely be replaced with a much cheaper pitcher, whether it’s an in-house option like Sean Newcomb or a low-end signing like Alex Wood, both are considerably cheaper than the $12 million we would have owed Teheran.

If they opt to part ways with Greene, then — thanks to declining Julio’s option — this should be a wash, financially.

We are really in the same position we were before, to go after a bat at third base or an additional starting pitcher.

Because the Braves are a revenue-sharing team, they sacrificed their second-highest pick. It’s not a horrible penalty for an elite closer.

Should another team sign Josh Donaldson, they will gain a pick. This is the nature of the beast in the world of qualifying offers.

Will Smith Move is an Indication of Big Things to Come

The Braves are in a position to go for it all right now. Having players like Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies for $1MM presents a rare opportunity.

We are still in a position to pursue a frontline pitcher and an impact bat, the real difference now is that we have an elite closer.

So go ahead Atlanta Braves’ fans… jump for joy.