Pierzynski agrees to re-sign with Braves
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Trying to re-sign A.J. Pieryznski was one of three stated priorities for Braves officials entering this offseason. They can focus on the other two now after agreeing to terms Wednesday on a one-year, $3 million contract with Pierzynski that will be finalized once he passes a physical.
Pierzynski, who’ll turn 39 in December, will enter his 19th major league season needing just 11 hits to reach 2,000. He’s a career .282 hitter with 186 homers, 886 RBIs and a .745 OPS in 1,978 games and more than 7,556 plate appearances.
The contract includes a $1 million signing bonus and $2 million base salary, with a chance to earn up to an additonal $1 million through incentives.
Strengthening the bullpen and determining whether to add a proven starting pitcher are the remaining priorities for Braves general manager John Coppolella and president of baseball operations John Hart.
Pierzynski signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Braves last winter, when teams weren’t exactly lining up to sign an aging catcher coming off a career-worst season, and with a reputation for being prickly and ornery at times.
Some in the Braves organization were a bit apprehensive about signing him, but within the first few weeks of spring training he had already convinced everyone in camp that it was a wise decision. The Braves got leadership and a steadying presence from him behind the plate, and offense that surpassed all expectations.
He hit .300 with nine homers and 49 RBIs in 436 plate appearances and 113 games, including 104 starts at catcher. Among major league catchers with at least 400 plate appearances, Pierzynski had the second-highest batting average (behind Buster Posey’s .318)) and a .769 OPS that ranked fifth, ahead of Yankees (and former Braves) catcher Brian McCann (.756).
Pierzynski threw out 24 percent of opposing base-stealers, right at his career average.
“This guy’s coming off a big year,” Hart said Monday on the first day of the General Managers Meetings. “We’ll see – he’ll see – he probably wants to determine what his market is. I think in his heart, I know he’d love to come back to the Braves. I know we’d like to have him back. I think there’s interest both ways. But you just never know. I mean, somebody may jump out there, and we’re going to have certain limitations to where we can go.”
But two days later, the sides had a deal. Again. Hart and Pierzynski have known each other for more than 20 years, since the catcher worked at a summer camp Hart ran for many years in Orlando, where they both live. Playing for the Braves offers Pierzysnki the opportunity to live at home during spring training and pick up his kids after school, perks that he valued a great deal last year.
He also went an entire spring training without being asked by manager Fredi Gonzalez to make a single road trip.
The Braves signed him a year ago to serve as mentor and backup to rookie Christian Bethancourt. But while Bethancourt struggled some at the plate and behind it during spring training and the first month of the season, Pierzynski excelled offensively and did a good job handling a young pitching staff.
By late April he had unseated Bethancourt as the primary catcher, and Bethancourt eventually was demoted to Triple-A for two months.
The Braves still have Bethancourt and say they aren’t ready to give up on him. They could enter the 2016 season with Pierzynski and Bethancourt lined up to split the catching duties in some arrangement to be determined.
They could also listen to trade offers for Bethancourt and look to add another backup catcher, but that seems less likely given what they’ve invested over the years in Bethancourt and the fact that his trade value is not real high now after the rookie hit .200 with two homers and a .225 on-base percentage and a .515 OPS in 160 plate appearances.
