Braves settle contracts with six players

Braves avoid arbitration with six players to prepare 2020 payroll

The Braves avoided arbitration with six players Friday, agreeing to contracts with Mike Foltynewicz, Luke Jackson, Grant Dayton, Dansby Swanson, Johan Camargo and Adam Duvall.

There was one player they did not agree to a new deal with – reliever Shane Greene. The Braves swapped figures with Green. They will ask an arbitrator to rule in their favor with a $6.25 million offer, while Greene’s representatives countered with a figure of $6.75 million.

Foltynewicz will make $6.425 million in 2020. He was 8-6 last season with a 4.54 ERA in 21 starts. Foltynewicz had a 6.37 ERA in his first 11 starts of 2019 for Atlanta before being demoted to Triple-A Gwinnett. When he returned in August, Foltynewicz posted a 2.65 ERA in his final 10 games of the regular season.

Jackson, who was Atlanta’s main closer for the first four months of the season, agreed to a contract for $1.825 million. Jackson had a 3.84 ERA in 70 games for the Braves in 2019, with 106 strikeouts in 72.2 innings pitched. Jackson had 17 saves and seven blown saves through the first four months of the season, with an ERA of 3.96. After Mark Melancon, Chris Martin and Greene were acquired near the trade deadline, Jackson had a 3.57 ERA as a middle reliever.

Left-handed reliever Dayton will make $655,000 in 2020. He pitched in 14 games last season, posting an ERA of 3.00. Dayton broke his toe playing catch in July and missed two months of the season after coming back from Tommy John surgery.

Swanson will make $3.15 million after hitting .251 with 17 home runs and 65 RBI in his third full season as Atlanta’s shortstop. Swanson missed one month of the season with a foot injury, but he returned in late August and hit only .194 the rest of the regular season.

Camargo will make $1.7 million as a supersub, unless he gets more significant playing time at third base in the event Josh Donaldson signs elsewhere. Camargo hit only .233 last season in 232 at bats, one season after hitting .272 as the primary third baseman in 2018.

And Duvall will bring home $3.25 million after hitting .267 in 120 at bats after being recalled in late July. Duvall hit 10 home runs and drove in 19 runners. He also hit a home run and drove in five in the NLDS against the Cardinals.

The Braves expected rotation of Foltynewicz, Cole Hamels, Mike Soroka, Max Fried and Sean Newcomb will make around $26.225 million combined, with Hamels making $18 million of that amount.

Using the halfway figure in Greene’s arbitration figures, Atlanta’s top seven relievers could make a combined $45.73 million dollars. That includes Melancon ($14 million), Will Smith ($13 million), Martin ($7 million), Greene ($6.5 million), Darren O’Day ($2.75 million), Jackson and Dayton.

Atlanta’s projected payroll sits just below $130 million. Obviously, if Donaldson signs near or over $25 million per season, the payroll will approach $160 million. Last year’s total adjusted payroll, according to Spotrac.com, was just below $144 million dollars.

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