After a slow start to the offseason, the Braves made a huge move on Saturday afternoon, agreeing to send OF Matt Kemp to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for 1B Adrian Gonzalez, IF Charlie Culberson, RHP Brandon McCarthy, and LHP Scott Kazmir.
From the Atlanta perspective, at first glance this trade looks like an overreaction to the impending financial burden of having Kemp around thru 2019, much like the overreaction that brought him to Atlanta in the first place. However, with the knowledge that Gonzalez, McCarthy, and Kazmir are all entering the final season of their large contracts, this move paints a clear picture of how the Braves intend to operate this offseason and next.
Matt Kemp was exactly as advertised during his tenure with the Braves: powerful, injury-plagued, and problematic in the outfield. His performance at the plate was somewhat of a revelation at times, given the Braves’ inability to surround Freddie Freeman with any sort of power prior to Kemp’s arrival, but the financial commitment attached to the 33-year-old made his presence an issue going forward.
The cost of shedding a contract like Kemp’s often requires one of two things: willingness to sacrifice prospects or willingness to absorb bad contracts in return. The Braves opted for the latter in this case, but with the unique luxury of only tying up payroll for one season. In Gonzalez ($22 million), McCarthy ($11 million), and Kazmir ($17 million), Atlanta added a significant amount to their 2018 payroll, but cleared any future obligations that may impede their ability to compete in 2019.
By absorbing the ~$30 million of additional payroll in 2018, the Braves are in essence signaling a continuation of their rebuilding efforts, especially considering they chose to release Gonzalez immediately. Though by adding two veteran starting pitchers and a valuable utility infielder, the club actually fills two significant holes in the roster for next season. McCarthy and Kazmir should help to further bridge the starting rotation to the upcoming wave of pitching prospects on the horizon, and Culberson gives the bench a much-needed upgrade with four years of team control.
Regardless of the hopes that exist for 2018, the major coup here for the Braves is the ability to make significant strides toward competing in 2019 while also creating space for top prospect Ronald Acuna in the upcoming season. With the incredible free agent class set to the hit the market next offseason, Atlanta is now set to become major players for any of the potential franchise-altering stars that will be available. Could the club fill its hole at third base with the likes of Manny Machado or Josh Donaldson? Could it bolster the outfield with Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen, or Charlie Blackmon? Before today, the chances of Atlanta having the funds to make such a move were slim, but with an additional $20 million available the Braves should be able to compete for any player on the market next winter.
This trade certainly hamstrings the Braves in the short-term, but if the team hopes to return to contention by 2019, then moving Kemp should aid those efforts tremendously. Clearing Kemp’s contract was set to be a major hurdle for new GM Alex Anthopoulos in his first offseason with Atlanta, and it appears that he has, quite creatively, cleared it by teaming up with his most recent employer. How the Braves choose to spend their money in the future will be the greatest testament to the success of this deal, but for now it appears that Anthopoulos is more than willing to examine all avenues to prepare the Braves for success in 2019 and beyond.