Camargo, Jackson, Dayton get 1-year deals
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ATLANTA -- Infielder Johan Camargo, right-handed reliever Luke Jackson and left-handed reliever Grant Dayton have been given a chance to stay with the Braves after the club avoided arbitration by signing each of them to a one-year contract.
Adam Duvall was the Braves’ only arbitration-eligible player who was not tendered a contract before Wednesday night’s deadline. The 32-year-old outfielder is now a free agent.
• Full list of non-tendered free agents
The Braves tendered contracts to each of their other arbitration-eligible players: Mike Soroka, Max Fried, Dansby Swanson and A.J. Minter. They will have their respective 2021 salaries determined by an agreement or the arbitration process, which will begin before the start of Spring Training.
The pre-tender deals signed by Camargo, Jackson and Dayton didn’t include a guaranteed contract. So like other players signed through the arbitration process, the Braves have the option to release any of these players for a fraction of their salary before the end of Spring Training.
Camargo avoided being non-tendered by agreeing to a one-year, $1.36 million deal. The versatile infielder drew a $1.7 million salary in 2020 and was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to receive between $1.9-$2.3 million via arbitration.
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Camargo’s willingness to take a pay cut is a reminder that the uncertainty of this year’s free-agent market will make some players more hesitant to test it. He impressed while serving as Atlanta’s everyday third baseman for a majority of the 2018 season, but he has struggled in a backup role in each of the past two seasons.
After losing his third-base battle against Austin Riley last season, Camargo continued to show his rapid decline. The 26-year-old veteran still possesses one of the game’s top infield arms, but his range has decreased, lowering his value at shortstop. He has also produced a 63 OPS+ over the past two seasons.
Jackson agreed to a one-year, $1.9 million deal, which essentially met MLB Trade Rumors' projection. The former closer drew a $1.825 million salary in 2020, when he posted a 6.84 ERA as his strikeout rate drop from 33.7 to 15.2 percent.
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Dayton will return to the Braves with a one-year, $900,000 contract. The left-handed reliever posted a 2.30 ERA in 18 appearances in 2020.