Braves exercise 2025 option on Ozuna, decline options on d'Arnaud, Jackson
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ATLANTA -- It turned out that Marcell Ozuna was the only Braves player who could assume his contract option would be exercised.
Along with announcing Ozuna¡¯s $16 million option had been picked up on Monday, the Braves made the unexpected revelation that they had declined Travis d'Arnaud¡¯s $8 million option. Luke Jackson¡¯s $7 million option was also declined.
The Braves haven¡¯t closed the door on re-signing d¡¯Arnaud at some point this winter. But they weren¡¯t currently in position to commit to paying him $8 million for next season. So, the veteran now becomes one of the most attractive catchers available in this year¡¯s free-agent market.
One day after the Braves were eliminated by the Padres in the Wild Card Series, president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos indicated each of the team¡¯s four players with an option was in position to return. It was realized he didn¡¯t mean to include Jackson in this group. But the only initial surprise was the team might exercise Aaron Bummer¡¯s $7.25 million option.
Instead of dealing with that option, the Braves gave Bummer a new two-year, $13 million deal on Saturday.
Once Bummer¡¯s contract was finalized, there was at least reason to wonder if d¡¯Arnaud might also be given a multiyear contract that would have included a salary of less than $8 million for next season. Not exercising his option certainly wasn¡¯t expected.
d¡¯Arnaud has been a clubhouse leader since coming to Atlanta before the 2020 season. The 35-year-old catcher hit .238 with 15 home runs and a .738 OPS in 99 games this past season. He had to carry the load while projected primary catcher Sean Murphy missed the season¡¯s first two months with an oblique strain. But d'Arnaud continued to share the catching role while Murphy produced a disappointing .636 OPS over the remainder of the season.
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Coincidently, one of the reasons the Braves need to create some payroll flexibility for 2025 is the fact that Murphy¡¯s salary will rise from $9 million to $15 million. Spencer Strider¡¯s salary rises from $1 million to $4 million. Chris Sale¡¯s $16 million salary for the '24 season was essentially paid for by the Red Sox. But he will cost $22 million in '25.
Murphy could certainly bounce back and be the productive offensive performer he was during the first half of his 2023 All-Star season. But even as he aged, d¡¯Arnaud provided the Braves the insurance they won¡¯t have next year.
Chadwick Tromp has shown he can be a serviceable backup catcher, and Drake Baldwin¡¯s stock certainly rose as the Braves' No. 5 prospect produced a .891 OPS over 334 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this year. But there remains some uncertainty about how Baldwin could compete both offensively and defensively at the big league level.
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Anthopoulos expressed the value of experience when asked about Baldwin the day after his team¡¯s season ended.
¡°There¡¯s so much thrown at these guys with the game planning and the game calling and all that beyond the game offensively,¡± Anthopoulos said. ¡°I don¡¯t think you ever go wrong at that position getting more time to develop.¡±
Regardless of who serves as Murphy¡¯s backup, the Braves' lineup should once again benefit from Ozuna, who has been one of the game¡¯s top offensive performers, while belting 79 homers and constructing a .916 OPS over the past two seasons. The 33-year-old slugger hit .302 with 39 home runs and a .924 OPS this year.
Jackson was acquired from the Giants at the Trade Deadline for his second tour of duty with the Braves. The 33-year-old reliever had a 4.50 ERA in 18 innings with Atlanta.