Settled with the Braves
Dansby Swanson – $3.15 million
Swanson will be back at a very affordable cost in 2020. He is arbitration-eligible until 2023, and it will be interesting to see if the Braves try to come to terms on an extension to add some extra years of control and start paying him a bit more earlier.
Mike Foltynewicz – $6.425 million
Always great to see guys come to terms and not go through the arbitration process, which can emotionally drain a player and potentially develop hard feelings between them and the team. Last year, Mike Foltynewicz lost his battle in arbitration. This year, he avoided it altogether. This could be due to having a down 2019, but nevertheless, it’s good to see. The Braves saved a little cash here based on what MLBTradeRumors.com had him predicted to earn. Folty will be arbitration-eligible until 2022.
Johan Camargo – $1.7 million
Camargo had a hard time downgrading roles in 2019, and the second he showed promise, he landed on the IL. At this cost, having him as a versatile bench piece is a no-brainer, and in a way, Camargo can serve as Josh Donaldson insurance, though it seems likely the Braves will bring him back or make a countermove. This was his first year of arbitration, and he is under team control through 2024.
Adam Duvall – $3.25 million
After being the source of many Braves-related jokes following his forgetful 2018, Duvall caught fire in AAA and ended up making an impact for the major league team. He has multiple 30 homer seasons under his belt, and though he had the luxury of playing in the Great American Smallpark, there is no denying his power as an asset, and the Braves will try to maximize that out of a platoon role if needed in 2020. It seems like Duvall has been around forever, but this is actually the first year he is eligible for arbitration, and the Braves control him through 2023.
Grant Dayton – $655k
With Will Smith being the only other lefty reliever projected for the bullpen in 2020, and him likely assuming the closer’s role, Grant Dayton could be a much bigger piece for the Braves than many may expect. You cannot find much more upside from a southpaw reliever at this price, and he has a career 3.34 ERA and 10.6 K/9 rate. His FIP suggests that he has had some luck, but he also has some ridiculous swing and miss stuff that can make him a very good MLB reliever. This is his first year of arbitration, and he is controlled through 2023.
Luke Jackson- $1.825 million
Jackson will be back this year in a role with much less pressure, which should be fantastic for him. He does have nice stuff and has been a rather unlucky reliever the last two seasons, but he was vital to the Braves bullpen last year when they had nobody else to turn to. It’s good to see him back at a reasonable rate in his first year of arbitration, and the Braves control him through 2023.
Did not settle
Shane Greene
Greene did not come to terms with the Braves, and his contract will be dictated by the results of his arbitration hearing, which will take place in February. This is similar to Mike Foltynewicz’s case last year, a guy with a volatile track record coming off a career year. He is assured a pay-bump in his third year of arbitration, but we will have to wait and see what the dollar amount turns out to be.