The Braves introduced they’ve signed catcher Travis d’Arnaud to a one-year, $8MM deal protecting the 2024 season. The contract additionally accommodates an $8MM membership possibility for the ’25 season with no buyout. d’Arnaud is represented by Wasserman.
Atlanta managed d’Arnaud on an $8MM group possibility for 2024. They’ll preemptively set off that provision. In change, the veteran backstop provides the group an identical possibility for the next yr. It’s acquainted territory for an Atlanta group that has been very aggressive about signing gamers to extensions.
It’s also a snug spot for d’Arnaud himself. He’s now signed a trio of contracts with the Braves over the previous half-decade. He first agreed on a two-year, $16MM deal in free company over the 2019-20 offseason. Halfway via the ’21 season, he re-upped on an identical $16MM contract that contained the ’24 possibility. He’s now locked in for a fifth marketing campaign at Truist Park.
Now 34, d’Arnaud has been an efficient backstop all through his time within the group. He hit .266/.324/.462 over his first three seasons as a Courageous. Catching wasn’t a necessity final winter, however the Atlanta entrance workplace seized on the chance so as to add a star catcher on the commerce market. Atlanta acquired and promptly prolonged Sean Murphy, pushing d’Arnaud right into a reserve position.
Whereas he’s overqualified for a #2 catching place, the previous All-Star has taken his new position in stride. d’Arnaud carries a .265/.338/.478 line with eight residence runs via 151 journeys to the plate on the season. He’s strolling at a personal-high 9.3% clip and has maintained his earlier contact and energy manufacturing on a fee foundation. d’Arnaud has gotten 27 begins behind the plate in comparison with Murphy’s 60 nods.
Regardless of the diminished position, he’s clearly blissful in Atlanta. He’ll reprise his position as Murphy’s backup for no less than another season and doubtlessly an extra yr past that. d’Arnaud will quickly surpass the 10-year MLB service threshold. The ’24 marketing campaign shall be his fifth in Atlanta. If the Braves preserve him round for 2025, he’d have automated no-trade rights that season as a 10-and-5 participant (10 years of service, the previous 5 of which have come for a similar group) beneath the collective bargaining settlement.
That’s a potential longer-term consideration. For now, the transfer solidifies the catching place with a high-quality backup for a second yr. Atlanta’s 2024 payroll commitments now sit round $138MM, as estimated by Roster Useful resource. Their projected luxurious tax quantity is a bit beneath $159MM. The Braves opened this season with a franchise-record payroll estimated by Cot’s Baseball Contracts round $203MM.
With d’Arnaud formally off the board, the upcoming free agent catching class takes one other hit. In contrast to final yr, the place Willson Contreras was a transparent candidate for a long-term deal, subsequent winter’s group principally consists of veteran depth varieties. Tom Murphy, Yasmani Grandal, Austin Hedges and Víctor Caratini are among the many high names accessible. The Cubs maintain a $6MM membership possibility on Yan Gomes as nicely.
Picture courtesy of USA At this time Sports activities.
