Braves sign non-tender candidate Venters for '19

ATLANTA -- Instead of removing depth from two areas of need, the Braves decided to give Arodys Vizcaino and Adam Duvall a chance to prove they can be assets next season.

After signing Jonny Venters to a one-year, $2.25 million deal Friday, the Braves announced they had tendered a contract to each of their seven other arbitration-eligible players, including Vizcaino and Duvall, who had stood as the club's most likely non-tender candidates.

Now that they have been tendered contracts, Vizcaino, Duvall, Mike Foltynewicz, Kevin Gausman, Charlie Culberson, Dan Winkler and Sam Freeman will have their respective 2019 salaries determined via negotiation or arbitration within the next two months. Venters avoided the arbitration process by agreeing to this deal, which provides him a chance to remain in Atlanta and extend his inspirational career. The veteran left-hander was named the National League's Comeback Player of the Year after returning to the Majors this year for the first time since 2012. He has battled back from 3 1/2 Tommy John surgeries.

While both could be considered health risks, Venters' salary is at least $2 million less than what Vizcaino may end up receiving. The Braves have some protection because arbitration contracts do not become guaranteed until a player is placed on a team's Opening Day roster.

Players on arbitration contracts who are released on or before the 16th day of Spring Training are owed 30 days' termination pay, based on the prorated version of the agreed-upon salary. A player cut between the 16th day and the end of Spring Training is owed 45 days' termination pay.

Vizcaino has completed as many as 40 innings just once during his Major League career. Right shoulder discomfort limited him to 38 1/3 innings, just 8 2/3 of which were completed after June 17. He proved durable enough to handle the moderated schedule afforded by expanded September rosters and the postseason. But it remains to be seen whether he'll be durable enough to handle a normal workload over an entire 162-game season.

Even with Vizcaino set to return, the Braves will continue their search for a potential closer.

Likewise, tendering Duvall will not stop the Braves from extending their search for a outfielder to fill the void created by Nick Markakis' entry into the free-agent market. The likelihood of re-signing Markakis seemingly decreased earlier this week, when Atlanta addressed its need for a power hitter by signing third baseman Josh Donaldson.

Duvall could be a secondary option to begin next season as one of Atlanta's starting outfielders. But he'll have to be much more productive than he was after being acquired from the Reds before last year's non-waiver Trade Deadline. He notched consecutive 30-homer seasons for Cincinnati in 2016 and '17, but hit .132 and tallied just one extra-base hit (a double) over 53 at-bats with Atlanta.

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

Francoeur in as Braves' lead TV analyst

ATLANTA -- Three days after welcoming back Brian McCann to serve as their veteran catcher, the Braves announced that Jeff Francoeur will replace Joe Simpson as their lead television analyst.

The Baby Braves are all grown up, and Atlanta's broadcast team will assume a different look next season.

With Francoeur set to work around 105 games, Simpson will now primarily be heard as part of the Braves' radio broadcast team that will again include Jim Powell, Don Sutton and Ben Ingram. Chip Caray will continue to serve as the play-by-play announcer for all televised games on Fox Sports South and Fox Sports Southeast.

"We are excited that Joe is returning to his roots and doing both radio and TV," Braves president and CEO Derek Schiller said. "We think we have the most talented TV and radio broadcast lineups in baseball, and we look forward to watching and listening to the new combinations beginning in the spring."

When Francoeur is not in the television booth, the analyst duties will primarily be handled by either Simpson or Tom Glavine.

Francoeur has been a Braves fan favorite since he and McCann made their respective debuts with many of the other Baby Braves in 2005. The suburban Atlanta native remained with his hometown team until '09 and returned in '16. He has spent the past two seasons introducing himself to the broadcast world while filling multiple roles on Atlanta television broadcasts.

When MLB Network and other national outlets expressed interest, Francoeur knew he wanted to stay home to experience this opportunity.

"I'm excited," Francoeur said. "This is a great opportunity. When you're done playing, you take time to get a feel for what you like and what you want to do. Over the past two years, I came to find I love calling games."

Less than a year after being inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame, Simpson is accepting this re-assignment and genuinely looking forward to once again assuming the less-demanding radio broadcast duties that he previously shared over the years with Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray and Sutton.

Simpson chose to limit his response to, "I can't wait to get back to radio. I've missed it."

Francoeur grew up listening to Simpson and the two have developed a strong friendship, so the primary drawback to this opportunity is that it came at Simpson's expense.

"It is bittersweet, because it affects Joe," Francoeur said. "[Simpson] has talked to me the last two years about scaling back. He called me, and he was great about it. That makes you feel good. Plus, he will still be doing radio, so he's not just out."

Powell will continue to be the primary play-by-play announcer for radio broadcasts as he returns for his 11th season with the Braves on a multi-year contract and with a reduced schedule. Specifics of the reduction were not revealed, but a source indicated Ingram could fill the play-by-play role for 60 games in 2019.

Behind the microphone, Powell and Ingram will partner with either Simpson or Sutton, the 73-year-old Hall of Famer who limited his 2018 schedule to home games.

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

10 biggest trades in Braves history

ATLANTA -- Whether it be a child dealing a glossy card from a newly unsealed pack or a general manager trying to make the most of his assets, trades have always had a place in baseball culture.

Everyone wants to win the trade, and there are many instances when one side can declare itself the undisputed victor. But the initial exhilaration or dismay a fan base initially feels with the completion of a trade is often tempered over time

Three decades later, there's no doubt the Braves got the better end of the John Smoltz deal. Atlanta fans are also still understandably concerned about what was sacrificed for the one-year stints J.D. Drew and Mark Teixeira experienced with their team.

Nearly every trade has been surrounded by some level of uncertainty. The only constant centers around the fact they elicit emotions from both sides.

Here is a look at 10 of the biggest trades in Braves history.

1. John who?
Braves got from Tigers: RHP John Smoltz
Braves gave up: RHP Doyle Alexander
Date: Aug. 12, 1987
When the Braves acquired a Double-A pitcher named John Smoltz, nobody realized it would prove to be arguably the most influential trade in franchise history. Alexander posted a 1.53 ERA and the Tigers won each of the 11 games he started over the remainder of the season. But while Detroit gained an American League East title from the deal, Atlanta gained a Hall of Fame pitcher, who produced the seventh-highest Baseball Refernece WAR (69.6) in franchise history.

Smoltz won the 1996 National League Cy Young Award, earned eight All-Star selections and has the distinction of being the only player who was on the 40-man roster throughout Atlanta's run of 14 consecutive division titles.

2. McGriff provides a spark
Braves got from Padres: 1B Fred McGriff
Braves gave up: OF Vince Moore, RHP Donnie Elliott, OF Melvin Nieves
Date: July 18, 1993
Sitting nine games back in the NL West race, the Braves got the spark they needed from McGriff, who witnessed a press box fire a few hours before homering in his Atlanta debut. The Braves went 52-18 the rest of the way to capture the third of their 14 consecutive division titles. McGriff helped Atlanta win the 1995 World Series and earned an All-Star selection in three of his four full seasons there.

While Moore never advanced past the Double-A level, Elliott totaled 31 appearances for San Diego and spent the rest of his career in the Minors. Nieves' two most productive Major League seasons occurred immediately after the Padres traded him to the Tigers before the 1996 campaign.

3. Hello Huddy
Braves got from A's: RHP Tim Hudson
Braves gave up: LHP Dan Meyer, RHP Juan Cruz, OF Charles Thomas
Date: Dec. 16, 2004
This was a swing-and-miss for A's general manager Billy Beane, who unsuccessfully gambled on Meyer's high prospect ranking and the out-of-nowhere second half Thomas produced in 2004. Hudson produced the fifth-most wins (113) in Atlanta history, and his nine seasons worth of contributions are immortalized in the Braves' Hall of Fame.

Meyer posted a 7.98 ERA over 17 appearances for Oakland. Cruz had a 7.44 ERA in 28 relief appearances during his only season with the A's. Thomas hit .109 over 30 games for Oakland in 2005 and spent the remainder of his career in the Minors.

4. J-Hey no more
Braves got from Cardinals: RHP Shelby Miller, RHP Tyrell Jenkins
Braves gave up: OF Jason Heyward, RHP Jordan Walden
Date: Nov. 17, 2014
The Braves began a massive rebuilding process by dealing Heyward before he entered his last controllable season. The outfielder produced a .797 OPS during his lone season with the Cardinals, and then he signed an eight-year, $184 million deal with the Cubs. While Walden made just 12 more career relief appearances after the trade, Miller realized his potential as he posted a 3.02 ERA over the 33 starts made in his only season with Atlanta.

5. The Dansby Deal
Braves got from D-backs: OF Ender Inciarte, SS Dansby Swanson, RHP Aaron Blair
Braves gave up: RHP Shelby Miller, LHP Gabe Speier
Date: Dec. 9, 2015
Six months after taking Swanson with the first overall pick in the MLB Draft, the D-backs included the shortstop in this mega deal. Miller posted a 6.15 ERA over 20 starts in 2016 and then underwent Tommy John surgery in '17. Swanson established himself as Atlanta's everyday shortstop by the end of '16, and Inciarte won an NL Gold Glove Award in each of his first three seasons with the Braves.

6. Waino for Drew
Braves got from Cardinals: OF J.D. Drew, Utlity Eli Marrero
Braves gave up: RHP Adam Wainwright, LHP Ray King, RHP Jason Marquis
Date: Dec. 13, 2003
Without Drew belting 31 homers and producing a 1.006 OPS during his only season with Atlanta, the Braves' streak of 14 straight division titles might have ended at 12. But because the Georgia native didn't re-sign with Atlanta, this trade has remained a sore spot for Braves fans who have seen Wainwright spend more than a decade providing significant value to St. Louis' pitching staff.

Marquis was effective in just one of his three seasons with St. Louis. Marrero produced an .894 OPS during his lone season with Atlanta, but his big league career ended two years later.

7. Big bet on Tex
Braves got from Rangers: 1B Mark Teixeira, LHP Ron Mahay
Braves gave up: SS Elvis Andrus, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, LHP Matt Harrison, RHP Neftali Feliz LHP Beau Jones
Date: July 31, 2007
Two months before ending his successful career as a general manager, John Schuerholz took one last mighty swing with the acquisition of Teixeira, whose attempt to help the Braves reach the postseason was blemished by the ankle injury that sidelined Edgar Renteria for most of August. When an attempt to extend Teixeira's stay proved unsuccessful, the first baseman was traded for a minimal return before the 2008 Trade Deadline.

So for essentially one calendar year of Teixeira, the Braves traded a few of the key pieces Texas used to reach the World Series in 2010 and '11. Saltalamacchia never lived up to expections, but Andrus became a mainstay in the Rangers' lineup by '09 and Harrison had at least a couple effective seasons before his left shoulder deteriorated. Feliz was one of the game's top closers in '10-11, but like Saltalamacchia and Harrison, his star quickly faded.

8. Simba's exit
Braves got from Angels: LHP Sean Newcomb, SS Erick Aybar, RHP Chris Ellis
Braves gave up: SS Andrelton Simmons, C Jose Briceno
Date: Nov. 12, 2015
Concerned about Simmons' offensive potential and the possibility his defense would decline once he started drawing an eight-figure salary, the Braves used the heralded Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop to add to the surplus of pitching prospects compiled during their rebuilding process.

Newcomb showed some flashes of potential in his first full season in 2018. But as soon as Aybar proved to be a bust during the early weeks of the '16 season, Braves fans became more enraged about losing Simmons, who captured his fourth Gold Glove Award and second straight in '18.

9. Goodbye DJ and Grissom
Braves got from Indians: OF Kenny Lofton, LHP Alan Embree
Braves gave up: OF Marquis Grissom, OF David Justice
Date: March 25, 1997
This stands as possibly the most initially shocking trade in franchise history. Less than two calendar years after Justice hit the decisive homer and Grissom caught the final out of the 1995 World Series, both Atlanta fan favorites were gone. Lofton played just 122 games during his injury-marred lone season with the Braves. Meanwhile, Justice continued to be one of baseball's top offensive threats through 2000. He produced a 1.013 OPS while helping the Indians reach the '97 World Series. Grissom notched a .713 OPS during his lone season in Cleveland.

10. It led to more
Braves got from Royals: OF Michael Tucker, 2B Keith Lockhart
Braves gave up: OF Jermaine Dye, LHP Jamie Walker
Date: March 27, 1997
Two days after dealing their two veteran outfielders, the Braves dealt the future benefits of Dye, who averaged 28 homers while producing an .863 OPS for the Royals and A's from 1999-2002. Tucker enjoyed two productive seasons with Atlanta before being included in the trade that brought Bret Boone and Mike Remlinger to the Braves ahead of the '99 season, which ended with Atlanta making its fifth World Series trip within a nine-year span. Lockhart proved to be a serviceable infielder with Atlanta through the end of '02.

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

Braves face tough arbitration-eligible decisions

 

 ATLANTA -- The Braves' search for a closer will not be influenced by whether they opt to tender Arodys Vizcaino a contract before Friday night's deadline.

All Major League teams have until Friday at 8 p.m. ET to decide which of their arbitration-eligible players will be tendered a contract. Adam Duvall appears to be the Braves' most likely non-tender candidate, but Vizcaino might be the most intriguing.

The Braves have eight arbitration-eligible players -- Duvall, Vizcaino, Jonny Venters, Kevin Gausman, Mike Foltynewicz, Sam Freeman, Dan Winkler and Charlie Culberson. Players tendered a contract will become eligible to have their 2019 salary determined by the arbitration process. Those not tendered a contract immediately become a free agent.

There could be some movement on the trade front as teams attempt to at least gain some value for fringe-tender candidates like Vizcaino, whose troublesome right shoulder has created understandable doubt about his durability.

Potential non-tenders: Duvall and Vizcaino
When Vizcaino converted 14 of 17 save opportunities and posted a 2.83 ERA over 57 1/3 innings in 2017, it marked the only time he exceeded 40 innings in his career. Right shoulder discomfort limited him to 38 1/3 innings in 2018, just 8 2/3 innings after June 17. September's expanded roster and the postseason schedule allowed the Braves to use him without having to deal with the potential effects of him pitching on consecutive days. MLB Trade Rumors projects the 28-year-old reliever could make $4.8 million via arbitration. That cost might stand as a gamble the Braves aren't willing to take.

Duvall was acquired from the Reds in exchange for two pitchers (Lucas Sims and Matt Wisler) who were no longer fits in Atlanta and an outfielder (Preston Tucker) who ended up back with the Braves in September. In other words, Cincinnati wasn't likely surprised when Duvall hit .132 and tallied just one extra-base hit (a double) in 53 at-bats with Atlanta.

Given Duvall hit .249 when he recorded a second straight 30-homer season in 2017 and Atlanta's system is void of MLB-ready outfield prospects, there might be reason to think about rolling the dice on the 30-year-old outfielder. But the $3.1 million MLBTR projects him to receive might also be spent more wisely to fill other needs or acquire an outfielder capable of providing greater value at a lesser cost.

Locks to be tendered: Gausman, Foltynewicz and Culberson

Not quite a lock: Venters, Winkler and Freeman
Venters was named National League Comeback Player of the Year in 2018, when he returned to the Majors for the first time since 2012 and posted a 3.67 ERA over 34 1/3 innings for the Rays and Braves. The late-July return to the Braves organization enhanced the feel-good story for the 33-year-old southpaw, who has battled back from 3 1/2 Tommy John surgeries. Many Braves fans would be outraged if the reliever doesn't return. But at this point, it doesn't seem he's a lock to be tendered a contract.

Winkler was one of the game's top relievers early in 2018, posting a 0.74 ERA and limiting opponents to a .200 on-base percentage through June 3 (26 appearances and 24 1/3 innings). But the 28-year-old right-hander fatigued as he totaled 69 appearances during his first full Major League season. He posted a 5.25 ERA and allowed opponents to produce a .360 OBP over his final 43 appearances last season. Durability is a concern for this reliever, who has battled back from two major elbow surgeries. But his cost might be minimal enough for the Braves to take a chance on his promising upside.

Freeman overcame his control issues during a strong 2017 season and then encountered them again throughout much of this past summer. He was more effective after returning from a disabled list stint in August, but the Braves still opted to keep him off their postseason roster.

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