The Braves are among at least a handful of teams interested in free agent Ben Zobrist, but might have to out-bid several contending teams with higher payrolls in order to land the versatile switch-hitter and one of the few players who legitimately warrants the often-overused “super utility” label.
Zobrist, 34, hit .276 with 13 home runs and a .809 OPS in 535 at-bats during the 2015 season with Oakland and Kansas City, then came up big in the postseason for Royals, batting .313 with two homers and six RBIs in 16 games.
“You could argue that Zobrist helps any team with what he brings on and off (the) field,” Braves general manager John Coppolella.
Coppolella, per team policy, declined to comment on the Braves’ level of interest in Zobrist or any other free agent, but it’s clear the Braves would like to add the 10-year veteran, who has experience at every position except catcher. Zobrist played mostly second base and the outfield corners in recent seasons, though he also played 31 games at shortstop in 2014.
Zobrist, who’ll be 34 in May, reportedly would like to play primarily second base, though it’s not believed he has made that a contract demand. The Braves used rookie Jace Peterson at second base last season and were pleased with his defense, but concerned by his offensive struggles in the second half after an impressive two-month stretch of hitting earlier.
The Braves traded Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Angels on Nov. 13 for two top pitching prospects and veteran infielder Erick Aybar, whom they plan to use as their full-time shortstop in 2016.
Earlier in the offseason, the reliable website Major League Trade Rumors projected Zobrist would get a three-year, $51 million contract this winter. But given the interest he’s received from teams including the Cardinals, Nationals and Giants, there are those in the industry who believe Zobrist could get a four-year contract despite his age.
The Braves have done a lot of salary-cutting but little adding this winter, and it’s believed they have at least $25 million available to add to next year’s payroll, and a good chunk of that could be spent for a proven reliever. The Braves gained about $6.5 million in flexibility with the recent trade of outfielder Cameron Maybin for pitching prospects.
Based on his 2015 performance, Zobrist still has plenty left in the tank. He surpassed 50 extra-base hits for the fourth time in five seasons, totaling 52 including 36 doubles. He had his best OBP (.359) and slugging percentage (.447) since his 2012 All-Star season with Tampa Bay, when Zobrist hit .270 with 20 homers, a .377 OBP and .471 slugging percentage in 157 games for the Rays.
In 10 major league seasons, including nine with the Rays, Zobrist has a .265 career average, .355 OBP, 427 extra-base hits and 127 home runs, including three seasons with at least 20 home runs. He’s had at least 34 doubles in each of the past five seasons.
The Braves have 30-year-old Cuban rookie Hector Olivera working in left field during winter ball in Puerto Rico, though they insist they haven’t given up on Olivera playing at least some third base, where he played exclusively after making his major league debut in September.
As things currently stand, the only other experienced third baseman the Braves have is Adonis Garcia, another 30-year-old Cuban who debuted last season. Peterson also played 10 games (eight starts) at third base for the Padres as a rookie in 2014, but profiles more as a middle-infielder.
Zobrist has played only eight games at third base in his 1,190-game career, with half of those third-base appearances coming last season after he was traded to Kansas City on July 28.
