Atlanta Braves trade Matt Kemp in five player deal

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Matt Kemp Headed back to Los Angeles in a five player deal /

The Atlanta Braves made their first significant move under new GM Alex Anthopoulos, a five player deal that solves multiple problems for Atlanta.

On the surface the Atlanta Braves New GM didn’t do much at the winter meetings; Mark Bowman wrote on Thursday that mostly he developed camaraderie. Two days later Anthopoulus completed a five player deal with the Dodgers that fans should love. Here’s how the deal break down.

Atlanta Braves trade facts and figures

By now you probably know the obvious details. The Atlanta Braves pick up pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Scott Kazmir, infielder Charlie Culberson, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and according to John Heyman $4.5M in cash.

According to Bob Nightengale (Twitter link), Gonzalez had to waive his 5/10 rights so this could happen. His agreed to do it in order to become a free agent and have a chance to play every day. Bowman’s tweet indicates the Braves already DFA’d Gonzalez so he can begin his job hunt.

Ken Rosenthal Tweets that the trade is essentially cash neutral, though at first blush it doesn’t appear that way. The deal could in fact be a lot better than that for the Braves.

Noisy money stuff

The contracts are all one year deals; Kazmir makes $17.67M this season, McCarthy $11.5M, Gonzalez earns $23.35M and pre-arb eligible Culberson makes the league minimum ($540K.)

Atlanta Braves

Kemp’s contract called for $21.5M a year, but the Dodgers were already paying $2.5M of that leaving the Braves with a commitment of $39M.

The Braves assumed Gonzalez’ $23.35M for 2018 and the Dodgers sent $4.5M to make this year’s expenditure for Kemp exactly the same as if he had he stayed. They do however clear $19M of payroll space in 2019.

The 2019 savings moved to the 2018 payroll in the form of Kazmir’s contract, Culberson’s contract and about $1M of McCarthy’s deal. That effectively makes McCarthy a one year $10.5M signing

The Braves were looking for veteran pitching and Anthoploulos told Bowman (Twitter link) that McCarthy filled this void. The righty’s contract is certainly an overpay based on recent performance and injury history, but he started 2017 pitching pretty well.

The Players

In 16 starts prior to going on the DL McCarthy posted an 11-5 record throwing 86 2/3 innings at a 3.84 ERA striking out 66, walking 25 and allowing five home runs. That’s pretty good work for a fifth starter in today’s game.

AA’s comment to Bowman indicated that Culberson becomes the utility man for the Braves in 2018 allowing Camargo to play third base full-time. Culberson rode his glove to the majors and that’s still his carrying tool. He has however come up big in critical situations for the Dodgers.

In 2016 his home run helped Los Angeles claim the NL West title. When Cory Seager went down near the end of this season, the Dodgers chose Culberson to play short during the NLCS. He rewarded them by going 5 for 11 and finishing with a .455/.417/.818/1.235 line as the Dodgers sent the Cubs home early.

The GM didn’t say anything about Kazmir. What, if anything, the Braves get from the lefty is a question only time can answer. He’s a perennially broken pitcher who had a short renaissance in 2014 and the first half of 2015, then reverted to his old self in Houston after arriving there at the 2015 trade deadline.

For reasons known only to them, the Dodgers gave him a big contract before 2016 and saw him fail to live up to it that season. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since September 23, 2016 and made only four minor league appearances in 2017; three starts throwing three innings each time in a two-week period and one three inning relief stint in September.

If he can pitch well the Braves may have caught lightning in a bottle. If not his $17.6M is the cost of giving Ronald Acuna a job on opening day.

Atlanta Braves Nick Markakis s could move to left field after Matt Kemp's trade to the Dodgers /

Side effects

The obvious benefits of the transaction are clear but significant side effects are still possible. The Cardinals could sign Gonzalez for the league minimum and put his gold glove to work at first base where Matt Carpenter was a defensive disaster. That would free up money to sign Mike Moustakas to play third and fill that void.

The Braves might end up with more positive news as well. We know that right field now (I hope) belongs to Acuna and his strong right arm. That would send Markakis to left field, a place he should handle defensively.

Kakes, bat will likely decline again this year and a better option is preferable. We still need a starting third baseman too. I love what Camargo brings to the team as a utility man, but his bat simply isn’t good enough to hold down that spot every day.

It’s now possible to connect some dots and see a trade between the Braves and a team needing a starter – and potentially a utility man – whose roster currently holds both excess outfielders and potentially an excess third baseman who hit 20 homers and posted a .344 wOBA and 112 wRC+.

That’s A Wrap

I don’t see anyway a Braves fan can dislike this move – though I’m sure someone will enlighten me. The Braves needed to accomplish at least two things this offseason:

Traded either Kemp or Nick Markakis or both
Add a veteran starter or two

This trade does both without compromising payroll in 2019.

Next: Matt head's back to LA

It also moves forward Anthopoulos’ stated goal of improving Atlanta Braves defense behind the young rotation and fills the 40 man roster.

For his next magic trick I’d like to see Markakis turn into Randal Grichuk, I wonder if that’s possible?

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