The Atlanta Braves signed Travis d'Arnaud to a contract extension on Tuesday, making the catcher the latest Alex Anthopoulos signee. Who has next?
Atlanta catcher Travis d'Arnaud's name surfaced in some early-season trade conversation. It's only natural, considering d'Arnaud plays for a contending team and is one of the better catchers in the national league. Add in that he had his starting spot stolen by Sean Murphy, and it's easy to see why some pundits might assume the Braves would deal him for pitching help.
But that never occurred. Brian Snitker values d'Arnaud, and still has him catch every now and then. d'Arnaud can also play the DH spot, where his potent bat is valued. Signing d'Arnaud to an extension makes a lot of sense, even if it be for his eventual trade value. The contract has a team option beyond next season, so d'Arnaud could stay in Atlanta (or another destination) through 2025.
"He's really the glue for us, in my mind," Anthopoulos said. "He's just so key. Obviously on the field, he's fantastic. What he does behind the plate is fantastic. But it's everything he brings. I just can't say enough about him as a person. It was a no-brainer to keep him here."
d'Arnaud also expressed his excitement to stay in the ATL, saying "I definitely didn't want to leave. This is something I've been thinking about all year. I'm just thankful they were thinking the same about me and wanted me to stay."
What was once an uncertain future after the acquisition of Murphy is now one of the best catcher pairings in all of baseball, and it's here to stay. With d'Arnaud's extension done, the majority of the Braves roster won't reach free agency for quite some time. However, Anthopoulos' job isn't done just yet.
Braves should extend Charlie Morton next
Charlie Morton has a club option for next season, which Atlanta could very well activate in hopes of keeping the veteran hurler around for another season. Instead, though, Anthopoulos could try to extend Morton on a cheaper price tag for 2024.
This depends on a couple of factors. First, just how long does Morton intend to play? He's 39 years old as of this writing, but we've seen pitchers like Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer compete into their 40's. Morton could be next. Second, if Morton plans on testing the market again after 2024, then he's unlikely to sign a team-friendly extension.
The smart money is on Morton being willing to sign a two-year guaranteed deal and spreading that $20 million (plus a little extra) over the span of 2024 and 2025. This would give Atlanta some salary relief to add talent elsewhere on the roster.
Braves: Extend a top prospect
The Atlanta Braves are not strangers to extensions for minor-league players. In fact, they do it quite often.
If Anthopoulos is smart, he will consider an extension for A.J. Smith-Shawver while he's relatively affordable. Smith-Shawver has been used as a starting pitcher and relief pitcher so far in the majors with the Braves. He was promoted at just 20 years old, and has since moved into MLB Pipeline list of the top-100 prospects in baseball, representing a huge jump in just one year. Atlanta took a chance on Smith-Shawver for several reasons. First, he was a high-school arm. Second, he hadn't focused on baseball only at any point in his young athletic career. Clearly, it's going well, per MLB Pipeline.
"The 2022 season marked the first time Smith-Shawver focused on baseball (and pitching) full time, so there will be an obvious learning curve. The Braves are optimistic about his ability to harness his stuff and find the strike zone more consistently than he did in his first full season. Of the young high school arms the Braves have selected over the past couple of Drafts, Smith-Shawver might have the highest ceiling."
Extending Smith-Shawver long term now — let's say to a team-friendly seven or eight year contract that also guarantees the young pitcher plenty of money up front — makes sense for both sides. It's something Anthopoulos has employed previously with Ronald Acuña, Ozzie Albies and Spencer Strider.
Braves: Max Fried has waited his turn
Max Fried picked the wrong time to get hurt. Fried has a year left on his current contract, so he won't be a free agent until after the 2024 season. Nonetheless, he is the most obvious extension candidate on the club, and he entered the season as the team's ace. As a negotiating tactic, Anthopoulos' waiting game may have paid off. Fried's value is lower now than it was last offseason, so perhaps he will take a more affordable contract offer.
Fried was happy for his teammates who received extensions last offseason, and claims he's had positive conversations with the Braves front office over the years. Still, as a starting pitcher soon to be entering his 30's, Atlanta has the depth necessary to play hardball.
"Me and the team have always had good dialogue," Fried said back in February. "We've been able to have some good communication. I really love my time here and I love the team. So if that is something that comes to the table, it's something we'll talk about."
Fried doesn't have the electric stuff and velocity of a Spencer Strider, but he does offer consistency. On the open market, he could demand a lucrative contract, which is what the Braves are afraid of. If Anthopoulos doesn't extend him now, coming off injury, then will he at all?
Fried could go the way of Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson before him — former Braves who are forced to excel elsewhere. AA can change that with one phone call.
