Should the Braves push to trade for Realmuto?

ATLANTA -- Though the Braves were unsuccessful with their attempt to land J.T. Realmuto last offseason and again at this year's July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, the time might now be right for them to acquire the highly regarded Marlins catcher.

While the Marlins have not ruled out the possibility of a contract extension, Realmuto's agent Jeff Berry told MLB Network Radio on Tuesday that his client is not interested in discussing remaining with Miami beyond his two arbitration-eligible seasons.

"I think he will definitely be wearing a different uniform by the start of Spring Training," Berry said during the interview.

Over the past few months, the Braves, Phillies and Nationals have been rumored to be among the many teams vying to acquire Realmuto this offseason. Now that former agent Brodie Van Wagenen is the Mets' general manager, there's a good chance the Marlins will be fielding calls from all of their National League East rivals. Van Wagenen just left CAA, the agency that employs Berry.

But Van Wagenen certainly didn't need a previous working relationship with Berry to understand the significant value of Realmuto, who led all Major League catchers this season with 4.8 fWAR (Fangraphs' WAR formula). His 12.3 fWAR since the start of 2016 is 2.3 wins better than Buster Posey and 3.3 better than Yasmani Grandal, who ranks third within that span.

Here are some of the primary reasons it makes sense for the Braves to make another aggressive run at Realmuto:

1. Financial benefits
The Braves enter this offseason with at least $60 million to spend. Their primary needs are adding a catcher, an outfielder and at least one high-leverage reliever. There's also a willingness to upgrade the rotation with a front-line starter. Trading for Realmuto would leave Atlanta with more financial flexibility than signing Grandal, who will likely command an average annual salary of around $13 million in this year's free-agent market.

MLB Trade Rumors projects Realmuto will receive $6.1 million via arbitration this year. Using this figure as the baseline, we can project he might cost $16 million over the next two seasons. That could certainly prove to be a bargain for a strong-armed backstop, who led all qualified catchers with a .825 OPS this past season.

If the Braves do not land Realmuto, they could pursue Wilson Ramos or Jonathan Lucroy, a pair of free agents who would be cheaper than Grandal. Or they could opt to re-sign Kurt Suzuki and pair him with Tyler Flowers for a third straight season. But while Suzuki, Lucroy and Ramos are on the wrong side of 30, the 27-year-old Realmuto is still in his prime.

2. Means to deal
When the Braves discussed Realmuto before the non-waiver Trade Deadline, right-handed pitcher Mike Soroka and third baseman Austin Riley were among the prospects discussed. Now Miami would be offering two fewer months and one fewer playoff run with the catcher. But the demand for Realmuto's services on the trade market will likely keep the cost similar to where it was in July.

This won't necessarily be a problem for the Braves, who have 10 players (eight of whom are pitchers) on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. Atlanta's surplus of MLB-ready arms creates the opportunity to deal from a position of strength. There's a chance the Braves could end up trading the next Jason Schmidt or Adam Wainwright. Or they could prove fortunate by dealing the next Dan Meyer.

Regardless, Atlanta is in a position where the presence of Kyle Wright, Ian Anderson or Joey Wentz could easily compensate for the loss of Touki Toussaint, Kolby Allard or Soroka. Already having Mike Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb and Kevin Gausman within the rotation also serves as an influential variable.

Despite trading Giancarlo Stanton (a financially motivated deal), Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna last offseason, the Marlins do not have a single player on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list. Magneuris Sierra and Lewis Brinson graduated from prospect status during less-than-stellar rookie seasons. So there's seemingly a need for Miami to use its last remaining big trade chip to begin fortifying the pipeline.

3. Defensive benefits
When the Braves extended Flowers through next season, they once again prioritized defense, at least from a framing perspective. Suzuki's bat was much more valuable over the past two seasons, but his arm and framing metrics ranked among the game's worst. Flowers' framing numbers dropped slightly as he made some mechanical adjustments to reduce his number of passed balls, but he still ranked among the game's best in this category.

From a framing perspective, Realmuto ranks closer to Suzuki than Flowers. But his arm sets him apart from the game's other catchers.

Per Statcast, Realmuto's 1.90-second pop time to second base ranked first among MLB catchers (min. 20 attempts). His 87.8 ARM rating ranked second. In comparison, Flowers' 2.14-second pop time to second ranked worst, and Suzuki's 2.08-second pop time ranked third worst.

Having a catcher who can better control the running game should only enhance the value of Foltynewicz, Newcomb and Atlanta's other young pitchers.

Mark Bowman has covered the Braves for MLB.com since 2001.

Braves face decision on All-Star Markakis

ATLANTA -- Now that the World Series has concluded, Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos can accelerate his efforts to upgrade his roster and fortify a lineup that may include a new primary catcher and a different right fielder next year.

Nick Markakis, Kurt Suzuki and Anibal Sanchez were among the nine Braves who officially became free agents Monday morning. Markakis is the only member of this group who might warrant at least slight consideration of a qualifying offer, which must be extended by Friday at 5 p.m. ET. But the potential return does not justify the risk that would accompany this offer, which this year amounts to a one-year, $17.9 million deal.

Markakis earned his first All-Star selection with the .877 OPS produced in the season's first half. But the .701 OPS constructed in the second half created some concerns about the outfielder, who will turn 35 in November. If the Braves were to re-sign him this winter, this offer would likely be closer to a one- or two-year deal with an average annual salary around $10 million.

Look for the Braves to scour the trade and free-agent markets before seriously entertaining bringing Markakis back. So, for now, the Braves are in the market for at least one outfielder. The Braves should have at least $60 million available to address their multiple needs. Just how much financial flexibility they have will be influenced by whether they emerge victorious in their attempt to trade for Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, who has seemingly drawn the interest of numerous organizations.

Armed with a plethora of pitching prospects within their talent-rich pipeline, the Braves have the capability to be strong players for Realmuto, who is much more talented and far less expensive than Yasmani Grandal, the top available free-agent catcher.

To get two years of Realmuto at a cost of approximately $15 million, the Braves would likely have to part ways with at least two of their top 10 prospects. Right-handed pitcher Mike Soroka and third baseman Austin Riley were part of the discussions the Braves had with the Marlins in July. But given Atlanta's impressive prospect depth, it certainly could be worth paying a steep price for a catcher, who would upgrade the defense and provide the lineup some much-needed right-handed power potential.

The landscape is different than the one the Braves encountered last year, when the Marlins were insistent Ronald Acuna Jr. be included in any deal for Christian Yelich. When the Braves extended Tyler Flowers through next season, the immediate assumption was he'd likely fill a more traditional backup role and Suzuki would likely play elsewhere in 2019. The Braves haven't ruled out the possibility of re-signing Suzuki. But it seems unlikely they'll opt to triple down by using these same over-30 veterans to form a catching duo for a third straight season.

While Sanchez, 34, certainly added value to the rotation as he resurrected his career this year, the Braves would also be taking a risk by doubling down on him. Mike Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb and Kevin Gausman are already in place to fill three of the rotation's five spots. There's also a chance the Braves could keep Julio Teheran around if they can't find anybody willing to take responsibility for his $11 million salary in a trade package.

But even if there are two rotation spots available, there's reason to think one of those could be filled by one of the rising prospects, and another might be filled by the front-line starter the Braves will attempt to get via trade or free agency. So for now, Sanchez's return seems to be questionable at best.

The other Braves who are now free agents include right-handed reliever Brad Brach, infielder Lucas Duda, infielder Ryan Flaherty, right-handed starter Brandon McCarthy, catcher Rene Rivera and right-hander Peter Moylan. McCarthy revealed his plan to retire in August.

Mark Bowman has covered the Braves for MLB.com since 2001.

1995 World Series

On this date in 1995, Tom Glavine allows one hit over eight shutout innings to lead the Braves past the Indians 1-0 in Game 6 of the World Series, lifting the Atlanta to its first title.

1991 World Series

On this date in 1991, Jack Morris out dueled John Smoltz in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.  Morris pitched 10 shutout innings as the Twins defeated the Braves 1-0 to win the World Series.

1991 World Series

On this date in 1991, Kirby Puckett hits the game winning home run off of Braves pitcher Charlie Leibrandt, to force Game 7 of the World Series.  Braves fans will forever be haunted by the now legendary call by Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck: “Into deep left center … for Mitchell … annnnd we'll see ya … tomorrow night!”

1992 World Series

On this date in 1992, Dave Winfield hits a two-run double in the 11th inning in Game 6 of the World Series to help the Toronto Blue Jays clinch their first title.

Here's what to know about Braves' 2019 payroll

ATLANTA -- Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos knows we're going to do the math, or what he refers to as reverse engineering, to get an idea of how much money the Braves have to spend this offseason. He's just not going to confirm any calculations or weaken his negotiating power by providing a ballpark estimate.

But earlier this week, when Anthopoulos said the payroll will increase for the 2019 season, he indirectly confirmed the Braves will have more financial flexibility than they've had since they exited the 2008 season.

Anthopoulos' task is to use this flexibility to make impact gains.

"We will have a good amount of money to work with," Anthopoulos said. "As you guys can understand, for the world to know exactly what we have to work with would make it a very difficult world to negotiate trades and free-agent contracts."

Well, depending on your accounting method, we know the Braves' payroll rested somewhere between $130 million to $140 million this past season. How significantly this figure increases remains to be seen. But without any increase, Anthopoulos still has the flexibility to shop Machado Boulevard, Harper Avenue or whichever free-agent neighborhood draws his interest.

The Braves are committed to paying $51.2 million to five players -- Freddie Freeman ($21.5 million), Julio Teheran ($11 million), Darren O'Day ($9 million), Ender Inciarte ($5.7 million) and Tyler Flowers ($4 million). When accounting for arbitration-eligible players, you must consider the likelihood all of them won't return. So Adam Duvall can be projected to be a non-tender much more confidently than Dan Winkler.

But by using MLB Trade Rumors' projected arbitration costs, we can estimate the Braves will spend approximately $22.4 million on these five arbitration-eligible players -- Kevin Gausman ($9.2 million), Mike Foltynewicz ($5.5 million), Arodys Vizcaino ($4.8 million), Jonny Venters ($1.5 million) and Charlie Culberson ($1.4 million).

If the Braves opt to tender Winkler and Sam Freeman, neither is projected (per MLBTR) to gain a salary greater than $1.6 million through arbitration.

While there's a chance at least one of these relievers is non-tendered, to account for the greatest estimated figure, let's place the arbitration cost at $25.4 million. Add this to the $51.2 million of contractual commitments and the Braves are still approximately $59 million shy of $135 million, which would represent a 4 percent increase if using $130 million as the figure for the 2018 payroll.

So it appears the Braves will have at least $60 million to address their multiple needs -- a catcher, a corner outfielder, bullpen depth and a frontline starting pitcher.

"We're not going to just walk in the store and buy because we have money in our pockets," Anthopoulos said. "If we don't find the right deal with something we like, there's still other opportunities to shop. There could be opportunities next season. If you start signing guys to big, long deals, if you feel good about the deal, you do it now. I wouldn't force a deal right now that would limit you in years from now."

In other words, the Braves won't be among the teams offering Bryce Harper or Manny Machado an eight- or 10-year deal.

"I don't think with our club, with what we have, that the value is going to be there in the free-agent market," Anthopoulos said. "It doesn't mean it won't. We'll certainly explore it. But if I could sit here in the middle of October, I'd say it's more likely we go the trade route. It's not ideal to give up young assets, but it's also not ideal to do a deal you don't believe in -- that may look good for a year or two, and then in years three, four and five, it does not."

This mindset might also lessen the likelihood of the Braves taking a chance on reuniting with closer Craig Kimbrel. But before thinking about Kimbrel or any other potential free-agent acquisitions, the Braves will thoroughly scour the trade market with the hope of filling their needs with the addition of someone like Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto.

Armed with one of the game's top farm systems and fortified by the comfort of having an abundance of Major League-ready pitchers who could join Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb and Gausman in the rotation, the Braves have the capability to make multiple significant trades.

Time will tell whether they are willing to include the likes of Austin Riley, Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Touki Toussaint or any other young player not named Ronald Acuna Jr. in a package for Realmuto, who has two arbitration-eligible seasons remaining.

The Braves have not ruled out the possibility of re-signing veteran outfielder Nick Markakis or veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki. But regarding Suzuki, it appears they are looking for somebody like Realmuto, who can serve as the primary catcher, while Flowers can move into a more traditional backup role.

Once the Braves get a feel for the availability Realmuto and other potential trade targets, they'll have a better feel for how and where to spend their remaining funds.

Through the leadership he provided over the past four years, Markakis left an indelible mark on the Braves organization. But as he approaches his 35th birthday, the Braves have to at least explore outfield options before committing to a reunion with the highly respected veteran outfielder.

While Anthopoulos has indicated the trade market as his preferred route, D-backs left-hander Patrick Corbin will likely be among the free-agent starters who draw his interest. Foltynewicz's progress combined with the rise of many prospects strengthened the potential of Atlanta's rotation. But there's room for improvement when Anibal Sanchez is the best option to start Game 2 of a postseason series.

As for the bullpen, there's certainly a need for a closer. Vizcaino's durability will remain a concern and A.J. Minter's late-season back problems prevented him from proving he is ready and capable for that role. But while a Kimbrel reunion would make for a nice story, instead of committing $17 million to $18 million to him, it might be more valuable to allocate those funds to multiple bullpen pieces.

Mark Bowman has covered the Braves for MLB.com since 2001.

1996 NLCS

On this date in 1996, Greg Maddux allows one run in 7.2 innings as the Braves even the NLCS at 3 with a 3-1 win over the Cardinals. The next night, Atlanta will come all the way back from being down 3-games-to-1 to advance to the World Series.

Snitker signs two-year extension with Braves

ATLANTA -- A little more than a year after being introduced to one another, Braves manager Brian Snitker and general manager Alex Anthopoulos have formed a strong bond that they will have a chance to strengthen over the next couple of seasons.

Snitker's long history with the organization was extended on Monday morning when the Braves signed him to a two-year contract that includes an option for the 2021 season. The 62-year-old baseball lifer believes this is just the second multi-year deal he has had since joining Atlanta's organization in 1977.

"It feels good," Snitker said. "It does give you a sense of accomplishment. I feel good really good about having an opportunity to stay around here longer and be a part of it. I really like where we're going. The front office and the organization is really solid again. It has that vibe of what I remember from years ago."

Snitker will return next year to begin his fourth season (third full season) as the Braves' manager. Many of the same players that captured this year's National League East title will be back. The only alteration to the coaching staff was made Friday, when the Braves announced that pitching coach Chuck Hernandez would not return.

Anthopoulos has not yet specifically targeted anyone to potentially fill the pitching coach vacancy. He looks forward to conducting a widespread search. Internal candidates include bullpen coach Marty Reed, director of player development Dom Chiti and director of pitching Dave Wallace.

"We had a good year on the mound," Anthopoulos said, "but we did want to open it up directionally and change some things."

Partly out of respect for Hernandez, who may fill another role within the organization, Anthopoulos chose not to specify what he meant by "directionally." But it's believed the Braves will now be looking for a pitching coach who can more capably digest and properly communicate the potential game plan data provided by the analytics department.

Though he admits he is not necessarily sure exactly what a simple metric like BABIP (batting average on balls in play) stands for, Snitker did not allow himself to be overwhelmed by the much more aggressive analytical approach to which he was introduced after Anthopoulos was hired in November.

More importantly, Snitker quickly realized the benefits of analytics, especially as it applied to defensive positioning and certain in-game matchups. Catching coach Sal Fasano and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer already had a strong understanding of analytics. Consequently, they proved instrumental in conveying the proper message to the players.

"You never stop learning and you never stop growing," Snitker said. "You're going to experience something every day that you haven't before. I think the longer you're in it -- if you're open and you experience that -- you're going to continue to grow."

Given Snitker became a top National League Manager of the Year candidate after helping the Braves follow three consecutive 90-loss seasons with this year's 90-win campaign, there was little reason to doubt he'd be given this contract extension.

On the way to guiding the Braves to a National League East title, Snitker impressed Anthopoulos with his willingness to occasionally show tough love and convey tough messages, like the one he delivered in May, when he informed Nick Markakis it was in the team's best defensive interest for him to transition to left field during a series at Fenway Park.

Ender Inciarte was removed from a game in Milwaukee because he did not hustle out of the batter's box on a ball that unexpectedly fell fair along the left field foul line. Two weeks later, the Gold Glove center fielder was briefly benched against left-handed starting pitchers.

But Inciarte remained one of the many players within the Braves clubhouse who have praised the leadership Snitker has shown since becoming the team's interim manager six weeks into the 2016 season.

"By the end of the season, Ender Inciarte is in [Snitker's] office telling him how great he is and how much he respects him," Anthopoulos said. "That's a hard thing to do: to be able to manage and to be able to handle those things."

Along with evaluating the team's success and what occurred during games, Anthopoulos kept tabs on how Snitker spent this year interacting with the players, coaches, executives and support staff. A combination of the collected data led him to determine he already had the right man in place to guide the Braves to the next level.

"I don't know of any manager that would go through six months and 162 games without someone complaining about some decision made in a game," Anthopoulos said. "It's just the reality. I think other things like communication and respect are the most important components."

Mark Bowman has covered the Braves for MLB.com since 2001.

Eddie Matthews

His 512 home runs are still the second most of any player whose primary position was third base. Twelve-time All-Star Eddie Mathews was born on this date in 1931 in Texarkana, Texas.

Pipeline names Braves' Prospects of the Year

ATLANTA -- Though the Braves introduced Ronald Acuna Jr. and many of their top pitching prospects to the Major League level this year, they still have an impressive farm system that was enriched this year by the progress made by both third baseman Austin Riley and right-handed pitcher Touki Toussaint.

MLB Pipeline has named Riley the Braves' Player of the Year and Toussaint the club's Pitcher of the Year. To receive consideration, players must have spent at least half the year in the Minors and appeared on the team's Top 30 Prospects list.

Riley ranks as baseball's 43rd-best prospect, the game's No. 3 third-base prospect and the fifth-best prospect within Atlanta's system, per MLB Pipeline. Toussaint ranks as the 40th-best overall prospect and the Braves' fourth-best prospect.

Toussaint began this season with Double-A Mississippi and ended it as part of the bullpen Atlanta used against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series. The 22-year-old right-hander still has some control issues. But the high walk rate he produced (6.5 walks per nine innings) he produced at the Major League level was about double what he constructed as he posted a 2.38 ERA over 136 1/3 innings for Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett this year.

Because he did not begin pitching on a regular basis until he was 15 years old, there's still seemingly plenty of potential growth for Toussaint, who produced a 4.03 ERA over seven appearances (five starts) for Atlanta this year. He allowed one run over six innings when he made his Major League debut against the Marlins on Aug. 13. The Braves brought him back to the Majors a month later and allowed him to serve as their sixth starter throughout September.

Riley also started this season for Mississippi and might have reached the Majors had he not missed nearly all of June with a sprained right knee. The big third baseman combined to hit .294 with 19 homers and an .882 OPS with Mississippi and Gwinnett.

Even though Johan Camargo enjoyed a successful season for Atlanta, there's still a chance Riley proves to be the club's third baseman of the future. The 21-year-old slugger has legitimate power potential, but there are concerns about the .297 strikeout percentage he had this year.

Mark Bowman has covered the Braves for MLB.com since 2001.

Snitker expresses desire to continue with Braves

ATLANTA -- Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos will wait until early next week to announce his coaching staff for the 2019 season. But he and his top aides spent most of Tuesday meeting with manager Brian Snitker and the coaches who helped the team exceed all expectations on the way to winning the National League East.

"I understand you're never guaranteed tomorrow," Snitker said Tuesday afternoon. "I know I'd like to [come back]. I've enjoyed it. I loved [the players] in there and [the coaches]. I loved being around them. It's been awesome. So, I'd like to do it a few more years."

From the time he assumed his role and began learning the organization last offseason, Anthopoulos has routinely taken a methodical approach to every decision. But the fact he wants to spend this week evaluating the staff indicates there may be a tweak or two to the coaching staff.

But there has been no reason to believe Snitker would be removed from his current role. He's a top NL Manager of the Year Award candidate, and more importantly, his ouster would prove counterproductive within a clubhouse that loves his presence as a leader.

"I love playing for Snit," Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said after the Braves were eliminated from the NL Division Series on Monday in a 6-2 loss in Game 4. "He did a remarkable job. He did a remarkable job. It's really hard to handle 25 or 35 personalities. He's one of the best at it."

As Snitker spent this season being introduced to much-improved analytical approach brought to the organization by Anthopoulos, he and his boss seemed to develop a strong mutual respect.

"He's an easy guy to play for as a player, and I mean that as a compliment,' Anthopoulos said last week. "Who is ever going to complain about playing for Snit? He's fair and he's honest. No matter what manager you have, there are going to be times that fans are going to agree and disagree with moves. But that player part starts first. If they're not buying into you, you don't have a shot."

Snitker touched on a few other topics as he took a break from the meetings on Tuesday:

On what was learned from competing against the Dodgers in the NLDS
"I'm looking over [at the Dodgers], and I'm thinking, 'That's what it looks like,'" Snitker said. "They're four wins away from going to the World Series again. Over the course of this season, I kept wondering if we were strong enough to pull this off.

"We've got to get stronger as a team to compete in that situation, because [the Dodgers] are really deep. They're strong. We're not there yet. We'll get there. We've just got to continue to work to get stronger with the bullpen depth, the bench and things like that. We're not a finished product by any means. There's a lot of young players on our team -- position players and pitchers -- that will take steps to get there."

Update on Dansby Swanson, who missed the NLDS because of a torn ligament in his left hand
"Talking to the doctors, he just needs rest and time. He just needs to heal and he should be fine. It's just something that will take a while. He'll continue treatment and rest before he actually starts offseason stuff. But they have never expressed any long-term concerns to me. He should be ready for the start of Spring Training," said Snitker.

On the left-handed-hitting inconsistencies of switch-hitter Ozzie Albies, who produced a .810 OPS vs. right-handed pitchers in the first half and .492 OPS against them in the second half
"He's going to have to make some adjustments," Snitker said. "I think we saw it in spurts. [In terms of age] he's a junior in college. He's got a lot of experience, but he's still a young big leaguer. This was his first full year too. He came out, burst on the scene and still ended up with a pretty solid year. He's going to have to adjust. That's what this is all about. I have all the confidence in him as a player. He's got the skill set. It's sometimes not a bad thing to [struggle] a little bit. It takes a while. You just have to be patient with these guys."

Mark Bowman has covered the Braves for MLB.com since 2001.

John Schuerholz

He built champions with the Royals and Braves, and earned a place in the Hall of Fame in 2017. Happy 78th birthday to John Schuerholz!