The Braves have announced that they have avoided arbitration with Jason Heyward by agreeing to a two-year deal. Jon Heyman reports that the deal is for $13.3 million.
In addition to being a smart move -- Heyward is a key player and the sides were only $300K apart based on submitted arbitration numbers -- it’s a somewhat surprising one. The Braves are one of the most notable “file and trial” teams in baseball, with a heretofore strict team policy that they will not negotiate once arbitration figures are submitted. They obviously negotiated here, much to their credit.
The next question is what this means for Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel, who also face arbitration hearings. Freeman and the Braves are not as far apart as are the Braves and Kimbrel, so I’d guess that, at best, Freeman gets locked up before next week’s hearings.
