Fansided
House That Hank Built

Atlanta Braves: My week as Braves GM

By Benjamin Chase

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 18: Atlanta Braves mascot Blooper flies a flag after the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at SunTrust Park on April 18, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 18: Atlanta Braves mascot Blooper flies a flag after the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at SunTrust Park on April 18, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Atlanta Braves
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – AUGUST 12: Catcher Wilson Ramos #40 of the Tampa Bay Rays makes his way to the dugout following the top of the first inning of a game against the Cleveland Indians on August 12, 2017 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

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.

Home/Braves News