According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and confirmed by the Braves, the Braves have traded Marco Gonzales to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash and a player to be named later.
This appears to be a money deal, as Gonzales is owed $12 million this season. Gonzales can be a useful player, but he is not the impact starter that the Braves would like with their current roster. Why spend $12 million on Marco Gonzales when Bryce Elder is in pre-arbitration?
Gonzales was acquired about 48 hours ago in the Jared Kelenic trade, as Seattle did not want to pay Gonzales $12 million in 2023. In that deal, Seattle sent $4.5 million in cash to Atlanta, but there were several other components. The money sent by Atlanta to Pittsburgh is an important part of the deal, and it will be interesting to learn how much of Gonzales’ salary the Braves are covering. This should at least free up some payroll space in Atlanta, even if the exact number is unknown at this time.
The player to be named later is unlikely to be of much significance, but the Braves haven’t had one in a while, and they’re a little bit fun, with the added bonus of reinforcing the name of one of our own Battery Power podcasts.
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