Atlanta Braves: My week as Braves GM
For any Atlanta Braves fan, the moment would be incredible. The opportunity to take over the reigns of your favorite squad for just one day in the offseason. What if it happened?
First off, this piece is fiction. Sort of. The players and moves mentioned are the moves I would love to see happen for the Atlanta Braves over the winter, but obviously, since this event takes place in the future, it has not yet happened and is written as fiction, so any conversations mentioned are fictional and all in my head (insert joke here).
That introduction all aside, let’s get into my week as the Atlanta Braves GM:
How it all happened
The night was November 10th, a normal Saturday night. I’d just put the kids to bed, and I was settling in for some Netflix and writing. Then my phone rang, with a 404 area code, not one I normally get, but the ID code reading “Atlanta Braves” caused me to pick up.
I’ll save the story, but needless to say, a horrid illness had taken over the Atlanta Braves front office. Through a mutual connection, Alex Anthopolous called me, of all people, to ask me to represent the Braves the next week at the GM meetings.
We ironed out details and team plans for the next two hours, and I took much better notes than I did in any college lecture hall. My wife called in vacation hours, and we sent a note to the kids’ schools to get them out of town for the week for a vacation for them, but a working week for me. We flew out Sunday night for the November 12th meetings.
The first day was quite entertaining to say the least. I spent the day meeting everyone and explaining why I was there, and that, yes, I did have the authority to speak on behalf of the Braves. Perhaps it was due to believing I would be naive, or perhaps it was the chance to hang out with my family by the pool (seriously, no one else brought their family?!), but I had plenty of requests to chat outside of meetings by the end of that first day from GMs present and agents who were hanging out outside of the meeting rooms all week.
By the end of the week, the Atlanta Braves offseason was essentially complete. Here’s what went down…
A deal to bring in an ace
The San Francisco Giants sent Brian Sabean to the meetings, and he was the one doing all of the talking, keeping their new GM at bay. Heck, if you didn’t know who she was, you’d never have caught her name!
He was at the hotel the first night, and at the side of the pool, he described a financial mess in San Francisco and the need to make an unpopular move because of it. I was interested, but I had my notes from Anthopoulos on who to give up for what, and what my budget could be.
The Giants needed to trim at least $15 million from their 2019 budget, and preferably at least $15 million from 2020 as well if possible. The first player mentioned was Buster Posey, but I said no to that.
I mentioned that the Braves would be willing to pursue Madison Bumgarner and include one of the pre-arbitration pitchers in the system as part of the deal. We spent 2 hours discussing his preferred pre-arbitration arm, but that was just $12 million.
I mentioned a reliever, and he quickly brought up Mark Melancon. I then countered with his lefty relievers. This went back and forth for another 2 hours.
Around 1 AM, Sabean and I sat down and drew out the prospects to fill out the deal and the finances involved.
In the end, here’s what we finalized…
Atlanta Braves receive: Madison Bumgarner, Mark Melancon (plus $4M in 2020 for his salary), and Will Smith
San Francisco Giants receive: Sean Newcomb, Alex Jackson, Drew Waters, and Jesse Biddle
A familiar backstop
I’ve been writing about baseball for some time now, and I laid out a pretty good rant when the Minnesota Twins traded Wilson Ramos for Matt Capps years ago on a message board, one that I nearly replicated in my disappointment in moving Victor Caratini to the Cubs in 2014 in an article here at TT.
Back to Ramos, I’ve had to follow him as he developed and then hurt my favorite squad with the Nationals, peaking in his 2016 season, when he hit .307/.354/.496 with 22 home runs. While he hasn’t hit particularly well against the Atlanta Braves over his career (.671 OPS in 272 PA), he has been one of the best offensive catchers in the league the last few seasons, even when not fully healthy.
Ramos is also a gem behind the plate. He’s lost some of his elite skills due to injury, but he’s matured into a very smart backstop who still has an excellent arm.
Running into his agents from SFX during one of the morning breaks on day 2, I mentioned that I’d love to have lunch. Surprisingly, they were free. I had an offer in mind I wanted to present.
It turns out that Ramos was very interested in being part of the Atlanta Braves. Coming with my opening offer was not much too low for their taste, and I didn’t have to go to my “top” number to make the deal.
Signed: Wilson Ramos, 2 years, $18 million guaranteed, 2021 $11 million option with a $4 million buyout and incentives that can make the first two seasons worth $23 million based on games played. Overall guaranteed money – $22 million.
Clearing up a rotation spot and some salary
After a night of pizza with Twins representatives discussing their new manager and the interesting analytical ideas they have around their lineup, it became clear they had interest in one particular Brave hurler, one that had just been acquired during the 2018 season.
The Twins had declined options on Ervin Santana and Logan Morrison, which opened salary for 2019, but it also meant that their rotation was Jose Berrios along with Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi, and Michael Pineda (coming off injury and no guarantee). They wanted innings bad, and thought Kevin Gausman could be the guy to do it.
After moving plenty of salary, they also had a hole in the bullpen. With Kevin Gausman likely going to make nearly $10 million, this looked like an opportunity to get an excellent return while also freeing up some salary and give a rotation spot to the young arms ready to launch onto the scene.
It also allowed me to have a long talk about the team’s relationship with a particular Georgia-born outfielder. He became the centerpiece to the return on the deal.
The final deal:
Atlanta Braves receive: Byron Buxton, LaMonte Wade, Jovani Moran, Minnesota Twins collective bargaining agreement selection
Minnesota Twins receive: Kevin Gausman, Mark Melancon, $10M from Braves for salary of Melancon ($7M in 2019, $3M in 2020) and $4M from Giants for Melancon 2020 salary, plus international slot money (the Twins hope to pursue Yusei Kikuchi)
Tremendous depth
After that deal, I had to call Anthopolous, who was beginning to feel better but was also incredibly pleased with the quick progress I’d made. Thinking the agents and other GMs were likely still thinking they could swindle me based on my inexperience, he gave me the green light to pursue one guy that I thought was out of range when things began.
When the Astros put a qualifying offer on Marwin Gonzalez, most figured he was going back to Houston, but with the freedom in salary, I now had the green light to make a “Godfather” offer to Gonzalez.
Having never met Scott Boras, the first sit-down was intimidating, and he certainly saw the value in his client as being very high within the game. He could not get the Astros to come to terms, which led to the decline of the offer, and with the market rank of the Braves now pushing the team into a spot where the 2nd-highest pick is lost on a qualifying offer free agent, Gonzalez had been off the chart previously.
The numbers Boras was asking were crazy – 5 years, $20 million per season. However, Alex had told me where the rumored Astros offer had been. I made my counter, and it took a little completion on the details, but the contract was eventually signed.
Signed: Marwin Gonzalez, 3 years, $39 million base guarantees, no option years, but incentives based on games started each season that could make the deal worth as much as $51 million.
Remaining 2019 Atlanta Braves roster (25-man)
As he was feeling better, Alex reached out to Reynolds Sports Management and ICE to negotiate with Sam Freeman and Jose Ramirez, offering both a minor league deal to sign ahead of their arbitration day. Ramirez signed the deal, which can pay him $800K if he makes the 2019 Braves roster, but Freeman declined, which will mean he is non-tendered by the Atlanta Braves if a trade partner is not found before the tender deadline.
So, here is the final 25-man roster after all of the week’s dealing…
- Catchers: Tyler Flowers, Wilson Ramos
Infielders: Ozzie Albies, Johan Camargo, Charlie Culberson, Freddie Freeman, Marwin Gonzalez, Dansby Swanson
Outfielders: Ronald Acuna, Byron Buxton, Ender Inciarte, Adam Duvall
Front three in rotation: Madison Bumgarner, Mike Foltynewicz, Julio Teheran
Competing for final two spots: Max Fried, Luiz Gohara, Mike Soroka, Touki Toussaint
Closer: Arodys Vizcaino
Righty relievers: Darren O’Day, Chad Sobotka, Dan Winkler
Lefty relievers: Will Smith, A.J. Minter, Johnny Venters
Competing for final bullpen spot: Max Fried, Luke Jackson, Jacob Lindgren, Jose Ramirez
More from Braves News
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- Atlanta Braves 2012 Top Prospects Review: J.R. Graham
- Atlanta Braves Acquire Lewin Diaz from the Orioles
- Atlanta Braves 2023 Preseason Top 30 Prospects List: 6-10
- Braves News: Giving the bullpen some love, Trevor Bauer reinstated, more
That’s a roster to go to battle with, one that’s very deep and that has plenty of talent in its depth.
I did make one final meeting a priority before I left the meetings. On lunch Thursday before everything was over, I sat down with BB Abbott to discuss a client. Right now, the decision hasn’t been made, but the door is open for Brian McCann to sign a one-day deal to retire as a member of the Atlanta Braves, if he chooses to hang them up this winter.
Next. Braves 2018 review: June. dark
So, how did I do? Were the trades too lopsided for the Braves/against the Braves? Should Alex give me a call next winter as well? Let me know in the comments!!