Dealing Matt Kemp is a win-win-win for the Braves

Generally, addition by subtraction isn’t much of a formula for exciting a fan base. Especially when that fan base has been hoodwinked by management for the last few years.

But in the case of the Atlanta Braves, dumping Matt Kemp back on the Los Angeles Dodgers for a bag of used (albeit expensive) clubs is the first step toward restructuring the payroll and the roster.

The Braves were looking at having to pay Kemp $21.75 million for each of the next two seasons.

Instead, they will pay Adrian Gonzalez $22.30 million for this season, even though he has already been designated for assignment.

They’ll also pay veteran pitchers Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy $29.2 million for 2018. But here’s how the math shakes out. They spend $8 million above what they would have paid Kemp for two seasons to add Kazmir and McCarthy to a staff that needs some experience. Plus they added Charlie Culberson, a serviceable utility man. And, perhaps as important as anything, they cleared an outfield spot for Ronald Acuna.

That’s more than a win-win. That’s a win-win-win-win.

Nicely done by Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves’ new general manager.

Until Saturday, tuning into the MLB Network these days can be a bit depressing.

The Yankees traded for Giancarlo Stanton. The Angels picked up Zack Cozart. The Cardinals landed Marcell Ozuna. There’s a buzz about where the remaining top free agents such as Jake Arrieta, Mike Moustakis, Jay Bruce and J.D. Martinez will wind up. Now there’s talk about the Orioles moving Manny Machado.

And the Braves?

Until Saturday, the best thing they had done was sign some Rule 5 pitcher from the Yankees – Anyelo Gomez, if you insist on trivial details – and made a few other uneventful moves. One of those deals was another addition by subtraction, trading Jim Johnson.

Mostly, though, Anthopoulos had spent most of his time figuring out what he inherited from the departed and disgraced regime of John Hart and John Coppolella. That’s considerable progress from a month ago, when Anthopoulos was still trying to learn the names of his new staff and remember his new computer password. Let’s just hope it’s not WorldSeries-2028.

Mind you, it would be a stretch to think the Braves can piece mill their roster into a playoff team by spring training. Even if Kazmir or McCarthy were to exceed expectations, the starting rotation remains suspect. Right now, it would be Julio Teheran, Mike Foltynewicz, Luis Gohara and Sean Newcomb in the top four. Kazmir, McCarthy, Lucas Sims and Max Fried are the leading candidates for the fifth spot. Mike Soroka and Kolby Allard among others are getting close.

“It’s going to be a fun spring training for us because we’re going to get to see a lot of these guys that we’ve been talking about,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said at the winter meetings. “Now they’re going to come burst on the scene, and we’ll see where they’re at.”

Some of those rookies might get a look in the bullpen, which might ease their transition to the big leagues. Sure, they’re going to go through growing pains. But that’s a necessary byproduct of rebuilding with kids. Jose Altuve hit .276 with just two home runs in 57 games as a rookie in 2011. The next year he hit .290 and made the National League All-Star team.

Fans might be growing weary of hearing “wait till next year,” but at least now there appears to be some substance to the promise of better days.

Gohara, Newcomb, Sims, Fried and A.J. Minter, and infielders Johan Camargo and Ozzie Albies – all considered key players to the rebuild – made their big league debuts last season. Relievers Sam Freeman, Akeel Morris, Dan Winkler and Luke Jackson didn’t have much experience until last season.

“You can’t replicate what those kids went through,” Snitker said. “The young pitchers, the young players. We can put them in Triple-A and say they’re not ready and all this. But you can’t replicate what they got to experience, and that’s playing in major league games.”

Then there’s Acuna, whom Snitker deemed big-league ready last season.

So maybe the Braves don’t have realistic playoff chances for next season. But maybe they’re closer than we have thought.

This story was originally published December 16, 2017 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Dealing Matt Kemp is a win-win-win for the Braves."