This informative paragraph is tucked deep into a recent securities filing by Braves owner Liberty Media:
“The Atlanta Braves and certain of their players and coaches have entered into long-term employment contracts whereby such individuals’ compensation is guaranteed. Amounts due under guaranteed contracts as of December 31, 2018, aggregated $165 million, which is payable as follows: $93 million in 2019, $36 million in 2020, $34 million in 2021, $2 million in 2022, less than one million in 2023 and none thereafter.”
Let’s break down those numbers:
> The $165 million, representing how much the Braves owe players (and coaches) in guaranteed future payments, is exactly half of what the Phillies last week guaranteed to Bryce Harper ($330 million over 13 years). In other words, the Braves owe all players, combined, half as much as the Phillies owe one player.
> The $93 million in 2019 guarantees as of Dec. 31 doesn’t mean the Braves will have a $93 million payroll for this season. Their projected major-league payroll is currently around $115 million after factoring in contracts not signed or not guaranteed as of Dec. 31. The payroll remains below last season’s level.
> The $36 million in contractual commitments for 2020 and $34 million for 2021 are low, underscoring the Braves’ recent reluctance to sign free agents to multi-year contracts. The vast majority of the guaranteed money on the books for 2020 and 2021 is in the contracts of two players: Freddie Freeman and Ender Inciarte.
* * *
LEADOFF LINKS
> The Falcons must make Grady Jarrett happy. And they will. Read Mark Bradley’s column here.
> Steve Hummer has the lowdown on side-arming Braves reliever Darren O’Day. See story here.
> ICYMI: You no longer will be able to use cash to buy a hot dog or a beer at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. See story here.
Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.
Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.
Download the new AJC app. More local news, more breaking news and in-depth journalism. AJC.com. Atlanta. News. Now.
Download the new AJC app. More local news, more breaking news and in-depth journalism. AJC.com. Atlanta. News. Now.
With the largest team in the state, the AJC reports what’s really going on with your tax dollars and your elected officials. Subscribe today. Visit the AJC's Georgia Navigator for the latest in Georgia politics.
Your subscription to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism. Visit the AJC's Georgia Navigator for the latest in Georgia politics.