The Will Smith signing is worth losing a draft pick. He was one of the few elite relief arms on the market, and the Braves needed a real closer. It cost them in the postseason last year. They may be saying Melancon is the closer for now, but I have a feeling that won’t last long.
Since Smith was issued a Qualifying Offer, the Braves will lose their second-highest draft pick in next year’s draft. If they were to lose Josh Donaldson, God forbid, they would receive a Competitive Balance Round B pick as compensation. Losing draft picks is never fun, especially when your international signing rights are limited. However, the Braves are in win-now mode, and the front office seems to be making a push to demonstrate as such. I do not think Braves Country minds.