While the talk of this offseason will surround Max Fried, A.J. Minter is another integral piece of the Braves pitching staff that is set to test the open waters of free agency.
Obviously, A.J. Minter won’t come anywhere close to what Fried will be looking for this offseason, who could sniff around $200 million if enough teams get involved, which is generally the case when it comes to starting pitchers. Spotrac sees Max Fried’s market value at around six years, $136 million, which I find a little on the low side. It might be fair, but the player usually wins when bidding wars ensue, and that appears to be what is going to happen for Fried this winter.
How Minter is viewed this offseason will be intriguing. He’s put together five really good seasons as a high leverage reliever from the left side that has pitched his best on some of the biggest stages. That carries a ton of value, but there have been some hiccups along the way, and he’s coming off a year that was plagued by injuries. After a couple of stints on the IL, it was eventually determined he would need hip surgery, which ended his season.
That will undoubtedly cost A.J. Minter a lot of money this winter. Prior to the season, I thought it was possible he could land a longer-term deal that paid him anywhere from $8-10 million per year. Now, he’s most likely looking at a one or two-year pact, possibly with some more lucrative team options built into the contract.
That’s right up the Braves wheelhouse. A.J. Minter has made it pretty clear over the last year or so that his heart resides in Atlanta. He wants to stay with the organization, and a short-term deal with some options involved makes a lot of sense for both sides. The Braves need him, and Minter will have the chance to rebuild his value and cash in one last time before his career is up if things go according to plan.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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