Vizcaino, Winkler avoid arb; Folty set for hearing

ATLANTA -- Braves relievers Arodys Vizcaíno and Dan Winkler avoided an arbitration hearing, but it appears Mike Foltynewicz will have his 2018 salary determined by an arbitration panel.
Vizcaino agreed to a one-year, $3.4 million deal, and Winkler agreed to a one-year, $610,000 deal on Friday. But because Foltynewicz did not reach an agreement, it appears he will join John Rocker (2001) and Mike Minor ('15) as the only Braves this century to experience an arbitration hearing.
Teams had to exchange arbitration figures with any arb-eligible player who remained unsigned as of Friday at 1 p.m. ET. Sticking with their policy as a file-and-trial club, the Braves will not resume any discussions with Foltynewicz about a one-year deal until the hearing, which will be held around the start of Spring Training.
Standing as the Braves' only unsigned arbitration-eligible player, Foltynewicz submitted a salary request of $2.3 million, while Atlanta offered $2.2 million. An arbiter will hear the case before determining which of the two figures will stand as the pitcher's salary for the upcoming season.
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Foltynewicz has posted a 4.87 ERA over 85 appearances (65 starts) since he broke into the big leagues as an Astros reliever during the latter part of the 2014 season. The 26-year-old right-hander was traded to the Braves a few months later, and he has spent portions of the past three seasons in Atlanta's rotation.
While posting a 4.81 ERA over his 65 starts, Foltynewicz has been frustrated by inconsistent stretches, during which he has shown his great potential and also provided the reminder he is far from a finished product.
Foltynewicz pitched to a 3.30 ERA through his first 11 starts last season, but then he surrendered eight earned runs over 3 1/3 innings during a June 12 game at Nationals Park. He posted a 2.95 ERA over the next seven starts and then allowed at least five runs in four of the five starts that followed.
Vizcaino has served as Atlanta's closer during portions of each of the past three years, and he will likely own that role to open the upcoming season. The 27-year-old right-hander debuted with the 2011 Braves and then spent most of the next three seasons battling back from Tommy John surgery. He has posted a 3.26 ERA over 163 career appearances, and he has successfully converted 33 of 41 save opportunities dating back to the 2015 season.

Winkler has made just 21 career relief appearances, but he gained arbitration-eligible status because he has spent most of the past three seasons on the 60-day disabled list while recovering from Tommy John surgery and the fractured elbow he sustained while pitching for Atlanta during the first week of the 2016 season.

After being promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett near the end of this past season, Winkler flashed his potential to be a key piece in this year's bullpen. The 27-year-old right-hander posted a 2.51 ERA over 16 appearances (14 1/3 innings).