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Jake Walsh Jake Walsh Invited to big-league camp
Fri, Feb 2, 2024, 9:15 AM
Walsh signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: The Cardinals cut Walsh loose last July after he developed a nerve issue in his pitching arm, but the right-hander is evidently healthy now. Arm problems are nothing new for the 28-year-old, but he's collected a 2.69 ERA and 25.7 percent strikeout rate in the minors when healthy. |
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Ken Giles Ken Giles Signs with Atlanta as NRI
Fri, Feb 2, 2024, 9:08 AM
Giles signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Analysis: Giles held a showcase for teams last month and came out of it with a deal from Atlanta. The veteran reliever allowed 19 earned runs in 18 innings last season at Triple-A Oklahoma City and made just nine total appearances in the majors from 2020-22 due to injury. Still, the 33-year-old righty has 115 career saves and a 12.3 K/9 over 362 big-league relief appearances, and he carries little risk as a non-roster invitee. |
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J.P. Martinez J.P. Martinez Traded to Atlanta
Fri, Jan 26, 2024, 9:36 AM
Atlanta acquired Martinez from the Rangers on Friday in exchange for Tyler Owens.
Analysis: Martinez, 27, got his feet wet in the majors last season, going 9-for-40 at the plate over 17 games. The outfielder sported an impressive .298/.418/.543 batting line with 14 home runs and 38 stolen bases in 2023 at Triple-A Round Rock. The left-handed hitting Martinez is capable of handling all three outfield spots and will compete for a reserve role in Atlanta. |
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Jordan Luplow Jordan Luplow Signs with Atlanta
Wed, Jan 17, 2024, 6:59 PM
Luplow signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Jan. 10 and received an invitation to major-league spring training.
Analysis: Luplow slashed .208/.322/.325 across 90 plate appearances between the Twins and Blue Jays last season. He'll have a chance to make Atlanta's Opening Day roster, but the 30-year-old won't achieve more than a spot on Atlanta's bench. |
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Charlie Culberson Charlie Culberson Converting to pitching
Fri, Jan 12, 2024, 8:18 AM
Culberson signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Analysis: The big news here is that Culberson has been signed as a reliever, as the 34-year-old will attempt to make a late-career switch to the mound. For what it's worth, Culberson has allowed one run over 7.1 innings covering eight mop-up appearances in his career. He'll report to minor-league camp to begin the conversion. |
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A.J. Minter A.J. Minter Receives $6.22 million from Atlanta
Thu, Jan 11, 2024, 12:21 PM
Atlanta and Minter avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $6.22 million contract, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: It's a well-earned raise for Minter in his final year of arbitration eligibility. The left-hander's 3.76 ERA in 2023 was a tad elevated, but he boasted an 82:21 K:BB over 64.2 innings while notching 10 saves. Minter will be counted on in high-leverage spots again in 2024. |
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Max Fried Max Fried Settles with Atlanta at $15 million
Thu, Jan 11, 2024, 12:03 PM
Atlanta and Fried avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $15 million contract Thursday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Analysis: The was Fried's final year of arbitration eligibility, as he's currently slated for free agency next offseason. He was limited to 14 starts in 2023 because of injury but was terrific when healthy, holding a 2.55 ERA and 80:18 K:BB over 77.2 innings of work. Fried will enter spring training with no restrictions. |
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Huascar Ynoa Huascar Ynoa Avoids arbitration
Fri, Jan 5, 2024, 6:09 PM
Ynoa (elbow) signed a one-year, $825,000 contract with Atlanta on Friday to avoid arbitration.
Analysis: Ynoa missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2022. There have been no updates regarding his status for spring training, but a return at some point this season is likely. The 25-year-old holds a 5.22 ERA and 1.32 WHIP through 122.1 career innings. |
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Luis Guillorme Luis Guillorme Signs with Atlanta
Fri, Jan 5, 2024, 5:59 PM
Guillorme signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with Atlanta on Friday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Guillorme was non-tendered by New York earlier in the offseason, and he'll stay put in the NL East as he signs with Atlanta. The 29-year-old slashed .224/.288/.327 across 120 plate appearances last season, and he'll add depth behind Atlanta's star-studded infield unit |
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Chris Sale Chris Sale Agrees to two-year contract
Thu, Jan 4, 2024, 9:22 AM
Sale signed a two-year, $38 million contract with Atlanta on Thursday.
Analysis: The deal also includes an $18 million club option for 2026. Sale had been slated to earn $27.5 million in 2024, but the reworked deal will drop his salary to $16 million for the upcoming season while adding a $22 million salary for 2025. Boston is covering $17 million, so Atlanta will be responsible for just $21 million over two years. The left-hander recently waived his no-trade clause in order to facilitate a trade from the Red Sox that sent Vaughn Grissom to Boston. The 102.2 innings Sale threw in 2023 more than doubled his total across the previous three seasons, and he will remain a major health question mark in 2024. He still boasted a 29.4 percent strikeout rate, though, and finished with a 2.88 ERA in September. |
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Bryce Elder Bryce Elder Competing for fifth spot
Sat, Dec 30, 2023, 6:31 PM
Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Saturday that Elder will compete with Reynaldo Lopez and AJ Smith-Shawver for the fifth spot in the rotation, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: While he should probably be considered the favorite to land the fifth starter job, Elder no longer appears guaranteed a rotation spot following Atlanta's acquisition of Chris Sale. The 24-year-old collected a 2.97 ERA in 18 first-half starts in 2023 but stumbled to a 5.11 ERA in 13 outings after the All-Star break. A 49.9 percent groundball rate helps, but Elder's 17.5 percent strikeout rate leaves a lot to be desired. |
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Chris Sale Chris Sale Traded to Atlanta
Sat, Dec 30, 2023, 1:28 PM
The Red Sox traded Sale to Atlanta on Saturday in exchange for Vaughn Grissom, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Boston will also send $17 million to Atlanta in order to cover some of the $27.5 million Sale is owed this season, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. Sale put up a 4.30 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 102.2 frames last season with Boston and missed two months with a shoulder injury, but he finished the year strong, allowing eight earned runs over 25 innings across five starts in September. |
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Phillip Evans Phillip Evans Joins Atlanta
Thu, Dec 28, 2023, 10:51 PM
Evans signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Dec. 21.
Analysis: Evans last appeared in a big-league game in 2021 as a member of the Pirates, and he's since played for affiliates of the Yankees and Diamondbacks. He's unlikely to make Atlanta's Opening Day roster, but he could stick around with the club as organizational depth. |
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Taylor Widener Taylor Widener Gets minors contract from ATL
Wed, Dec 20, 2023, 2:27 PM
Widener signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Dec. 11.
Analysis: Widener is headed back stateside after a one-season stint in the Korea Baseball Organization. The 29-year-old right-hander will likely open the 2024 campaign at Triple-A Gwinnett. |
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Ray Kerr Ray Kerr Sent to ATL in trade
Fri, Dec 15, 2023, 5:57 PM
Atlanta acquired Kerr, Matt Carpenter (elbow) and cash considerations from the Padres on Friday in exchange for Drew Campbell.
Analysis: Kerr carries an ugly 5.06 ERA in 29 career major-league appearances, but he delivered a promising 2.25 ERA with 42 strikeouts across 36 innings with Triple-A El Paso in 2023. The hard-throwing 29-year-old lefty reliever could maybe blossom in Atlanta's vaunted pitching system. |
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Matt Carpenter Matt Carpenter Traded to Atlanta
Fri, Dec 15, 2023, 5:53 PM
Atlanta acquired Carpenter (elbow), Ray Kerr and cash considerations from the Padres on Friday in exchange for Drew Campbell.
Analysis: Carpenter, 38, posted a dreadful .176/.322/.319 batting line with five home runs over 76 games (237 plate appearances) for San Diego in 2023 and finished the year on the injured list because of right elbow inflammation. With no need at first base or designated hitter, Atlanta could quickly flip him to another team. He's owed $5.5 million in 2024 after exercising his final-year player option earlier this offseason, but the Padres will cover $1.5 million of that. |
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David Fletcher David Fletcher Outrighted off roster
Wed, Dec 13, 2023, 1:13 PM
Fletcher was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett by Atlanta on Wednesday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Given the $15.5 million left on his contract, Fletcher was easily going to pass through waivers. It's still possible that he claims a utility infielder job with Atlanta, but now the club will have a bit more 40-man roster flexibility. Fletcher has slashed just .259/.296/.327 in 251 major-league games since the beginning of the 2021 season. |
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Max Stassi Max Stassi Dealt to Atlanta
Fri, Dec 8, 2023, 6:22 PM
Atlanta acquired Stassi (hip/personal) and David Fletcher from the Angels on Friday in exchange for Evan White (hip) and Tyler Thomas, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: The reigning NL East champs are already set at catcher with Sean Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud, so Stassi could quickly be flipped to another team -- assuming he's ready to resume his playing career. The 32-year-old did not appear in a game at any level in 2023 after suffering a hip injury late in spring training and then having to deal with a serious family medical issue. |
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David Fletcher David Fletcher Heads to ATL in trade
Fri, Dec 8, 2023, 6:07 PM
Atlanta acquired Fletcher and Max Stassi (hip/personal) from the Angels on Friday in exchange for Evan White (hip) and Tyler Thomas, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Fletcher enjoyed a mini breakout during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and landed a five-year, $26 million contract extension from the Angels the following spring, but he has slashed just .259/.296/.327 in 251 major-league games since the beginning of the 2021 campaign. The 29-year-old infielder still has $15.5 million left on his deal, which runs (guaranteed) through 2025 with an $8 million club option for 2026 and an $8.5 million club option for 2027. |
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Zach Logue Zach Logue Gets minors deal from Atlanta
Fri, Dec 8, 2023, 12:52 PM
Logue signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Analysis: The past two seasons have been rough for Logue. He holds a 6.88 ERA and 1.51 WHIP through 68 innings since 2022, and numbers got even worse in Triple-A (7.30 ERA, 1.86 WHIP). Barring a major turnaround in the minors, it's unlikely Logue makes any significant contribution to the major-league club. |
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