Per that model, the Braves have nine arbitration-eligible players, at the following estimated salaries:
Here’s my very preliminary thinking on this. First, all of these salaries are really low, so they likely aren’t a deterrent in and of themselves from tendering any of these guys. Instead, it’s more about roster fit. I don’t think the Braves would’ve claimed Fraley when they did without intending to keep him; the same goes for Manoah, though there’s always a chance that preliminary discussions with the latter cause some kind of rift that leads to a non-tender.
Lee, White, and Wentz seem like slam dunks at their respective prices.
Allen and Brujan are in kind of a weird place. Brujan’s projection is basically league minimum, so there’s no harm in tendering him or not, but I’m just not sure he’s necessary, especially if Nick Allen is the backup. At the same time, it’s unclear whether the team needs a no-bat backup, since a pinch-hitter is probably going to be needed more frequently than a defensive replacement.
Jose Suarez barely pitched in the majors last year, and looked awful early and intriguing late. Like Wentz, I don’t see much harm in shelling out a potentially-wasted sum just to see what kind of useful depth somewhere between $1-$2 million buys you.
That leaves Payamps, another late claim. He was really good two years ago, fine in 2024, and awful in 2025. I’m not sure that’s a good use of $3.4 million; the Braves can probably non-tender and re-sign Payamps for far less if they even care about retaining him.
So I’ve got five tenders, one non-tender, and three that I’m on the fence on, but largely expect the Braves to tender contracts to anyway, because the hit to do so is just so low. What about you?
