Padres outfielder Matt Kemp and Braves infielder Hector Olivera have not quite worked out when it comes to their contract situations.
So, on Saturday, the two sides have swapped the players, as first reported by Keith Law of ESPN.com. The New York Post's Joel Sherman reports that the Padres will be sending the Braves cash considerations as well. The deal is pending medical review. The 31-year-old Kemp is signed to an eight-year, $160 million contract through the 2019 season. After this season, he is still owed $65.25 million over the next three years, $10.5 million of which will be paid by the Dodgers. Kemp has struggled to hit and stay healthy since signing that deal. This season, he is hitting for a .262/.285/.489 slash line with 23 home runs and 69 RBI. Though he looks fairly productive at first, Kemp's defense has been so bad he's been worth just 0.4 Wins Above Replacement (FanGraphs). As for Olivera, the one-time highly regarded Cuban prospect is signed through 2020 with an option for 2021 on a six-year, $62.5 million contract. He's still owed $47,166,668 after this year, $18.68 million of which also will be paid by the Dodgers. Olivera has played in just 30 big league games and was suspended 82 this season for domestic assault. While an extremely small sample, the 31-year-old has hit just .245/.296/.378 with two home runs and 13 RBI over 108 plate appearances. The Padres will consider designating Olivera for assignment, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The trade is definitely an interesting one. It appears as if the Braves wanted to move Olivera due to his domestic violence history, with the only way them being able to is by taking on a bad contract such as Kemp's. For the Padres, they can open up a roster spot in the outfield for a younger prospect such as Manuel Margot. It's possible that Olivera does not fit into their future plans regardless. --Devan Fink
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The Atlanta Braves are expected to sign No. 1 international prospect Kevin Maitan when the 2016-2017 international signing period opens tomorrow, a source told Cover Those Bases.
Maitan is expected to make a signing bonus in the $4.7 million range, the source said, making it the largest deal for a Venezuelan prospect ever. The deal will likely become official tomorrow. The 16-year-old Maitan is a Venezuelan shortstop. He has been connected to the Braves for some time now, but the possibility of other teams trying to jump in on him arose as time went on. Just mere hours before "International Signing Day," Maitan appears to be set. The scouting report on Maitan is excellent. He has been on the Major League radar since he was 13 and has drawn comparisons to Miguel Cabrera. "The physicality, the athleticism, the tools across the board with a plus bat and plus power" makes Maitan so special, one scout told Ben Badler of Baseball America. "I thought he was far and away the best player in the class. We saw him a lot, we saw him early and we saw him hit in games. He made a lot of contact and a lot of hard contact. We saw a power display in games, hitting balls over the fence. It was impressive." When the deal becomes official, Maitan will add to a Braves' farm system that is already regarded as one of the best in professional baseball. --Devan Fink
The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired right-handed pitcher Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported on Thursday.
Per the teams’ announcements, the Dodgers also received Double-A outfielder Dian Toscano and a player to be named later in the deal. In return, the Braves got two minor league pitchers: Double-A righty Caleb Dirks and High-A lefty Phil Pfeifer. The addition of Norris makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers. Their starting pitching staff has taken a beating this season, with Clayton Kershaw becoming the most recent injury victim, being placed on the 15-day disabled list today due to a back issue. The 31-year-old Norris signed with the Braves on a one-year, $2.5 million deal this offseason, providing them with some rotation depth. Now, as he’s shipped to Los Angeles, he will do the same, helping to stabilize a Dodgers’ rotation that is currently falling apart. As the moment, along with Norris, the Dodgers’ rotation consists of Kenta Maeda, Scott Kazmir, Julio Urias and Brock Stewart. Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-jin Ryu and Alex Wood are all starting pitchers on the disabled list. Norris has been a decent member of the Braves’ staff thus far this season. He’s 3-7 with a 4.22 ERA and a 60 to 28 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 70 ⅓ innings pitched this season. He’s made 22 appearances, 10 of which came as starts. Norris has a 3.84 FIP and a 4.08 xFIP this year. He has been worth 0.8 fWAR. Norris’ last five starts have been excellent, however. The eight-year MLB vet has a 2.15 ERA and a 29 to 8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 29 ⅓ innings pitched, leading the Braves to four victories. --Devan Fink
The Toronto Blue Jays acquired right-hander Jason Grilli from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for minor league right-hander Sean Ratcliffe, the teams announced on Tuesday.
The deal was first reported by Robert Murray of BaseballEssential.com. The 39-year-old Grilli will be joining his ninth organization. In 17 innings pitched this year, he has a 5.29 ERA and a 4.41 FIP, striking out 23 batters and walking 13. Grilli added two saves and two holds in six total save opportunities. In Toronto, Grilli joined a bullpen that needed help at the end of games. Drew Storen, who was expected to take the role of setup man at the beginning of the year, currently has pitched to a career-worst 6.75 ERA in 17 1/3 innings. His 19 to 13 strikeout-to-walk ratio suggests that he might be a bit better than his results show, but nonetheless, Storen has a 4.79 FIP. As a whole, the Blue Jays' bullpen ranks 13th in the Majors with a 3.80 ERA, but they rank 19th in fWAR, with 0.5. An early upgrade in Grilli definitely will not hurt as Toronto looks to contend in a tough American League East. As for Ratcliffe, the 21-year-old that is headed to the Braves was drafted in the 18th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. Pitching in Low-A Vancouver, Ratcliffe has a 3.60 ERA and a 30 to 16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 40 innings (22 games; 1 start). --Devan Fink
Atlanta Braves' third baseman and outfielder Hector Olivera has been suspended through Aug. 1 for violations of MLB's domestic violence policy, it was announced on Thursday.
Olivera was arrested on Apr. 13 after allegedly assaulting a woman in suburban Washington D.C. at the Braves' team hotel. The woman, who had visible bruising, called 911 at 6:51 am with the report. Olivera's suspension, which is retroactive to Apr. 30, will last 82 games. The 31-year-old signed a six-year, $62.5 million deal with the Dodgers in March 2015 after defecting from Cuba. He was traded to the Braves in a three-team deal that sent Mat Latos to the Dodgers in late July last year. He received a cup of coffee in the Majors, playing in the first 21 games of his career. Olivera has a career 108 plate appearances over two seasons, and he has hit .245/.296/.378 with two home runs and 13 RBIs in 30 games. According to FanGraphs, he has been worth -0.2 Wins Above Replacement for his short career. Olivera becomes the third player to have been disciplined under Major League Baseball's new domestic violence policy. Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes were each handed suspensions earlier in the year. --Devan Fink |
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