Folty, Dansby among 6 Braves to agree to deals
Reliever Greene exchanges arbitration figures with club
ATLANTA -- Mike Foltynewicz and Dansby Swanson were among the six Braves who avoided arbitration by agreeing to their respective 2020 salaries before Friday afternoon’s deadline to exchange figures.
Adam Duvall, Johan Camargo, Luke Jackson and Grant Dayton also reached agreements. But because an agreement was not reached with right-handed reliever Shane Greene, it appears he will have his 2020 salary determined during an arbitration hearing.
Like most other teams, the Braves are a "file and trial" club, meaning they will go to an arbitration hearing with any player that did not reach an agreement before Friday's 1 p.m. ET deadline. The hearings will occur in February.
Greene’s requested $6.75 million and the Braves offered $6.25 million. He posted a 2.30 ERA and converted 23 of 28 save opportunities while pitching for the Tigers and Braves last year. He was traded to Atlanta on July 31 and was immediately made the team’s closer.
Less than a week into his tenure with the Braves, Greene lost his closing duties. But after allowing 13 hits and seven earned runs through his first 4 1/3 innings (six appearances) for Atlanta, he produced a 1.77 ERA and a 4.14 Expected Fielding Independent Pitching (xFIP) mark the rest of the way. There was also some indication of good fortune, as he produced a 1.18 ERA with a 3.81 xFIP over his 38 appearances for Detroit.
Foltynewicz’s salary will rise from $5.475 million to $6.425 million for the upcoming season. This was a decent raise considering the right-hander spent six weeks at Triple-A Gwinnett after being optioned in June. The former All-Star posted a 1.73 ERA over his final seven regular-season starts and made two starts during the National League Division Series.
Unfortunately, Foltynewicz’s 2019 season ended in ugly fashion. After limiting the Cardinals to three hits over seven scoreless innings in a Game 2 win, he was charged with seven of the 10 runs St. Louis tallied in the first inning of Atlanta's decisive Game 5 loss.
Swanson’s salary rises from $585,000 to $3.15 million as he prepares for the first of his three arbitration-eligible seasons. The shortstop missed nearly five weeks because of a right heel bone bruise that forced him to go on the injured list in late July. Still, he finished with 17 home runs and a .748 OPS, which both stand as the highest marks produced during any of his first three full seasons.
Duvall’s salary will rise from $2.875 million to $3.25 million as he attempts to extend the promise he created after spending nearly all of last season’s first four months at the Minor League level. The former All-Star hit 32 homers in 101 games for Triple-A Gwinnett and added 10 more over 120 regular-season at-bats with Atlanta.
If the Braves do not add another outfielder, Duvall will platoon in left field with Nick Markakis during the 2020 season. The 31-year-old outfielder produced 30-homer seasons for the Reds in 2016 and ’17.
Camargo agreed to a $1.7 million deal for what will be his first arbitration-eligible season. The versatile infielder struggled when pushed to a backup role last year, but he could find himself back as the primary third baseman if the Braves don’t re-sign Josh Donaldson.
Another first-time arbitration-eligible player, Jackson will make $1.825 million this year. The right-handed reliever was successful with 18 of 25 save opportunities after being pushed into the closer’s role early last season. He is now projected to serve as a middle reliever within what should be a much more stable Atlanta bullpen.
Dayton made 14 appearances for the Braves in 2019, his first action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in '17. The left-handed reliever agreed to a $655,000 salary.