Atlanta Braves continued to have a busy offseason over the weekend when they signed catcher Travis d’Arnaud. Braves bring in d’Arnaud to replace All-Star Brian McCann, who retired following the end of 2019 MLB season.
According to the team’s official statement, d’Arnaud inked a two-year deal which will pay him $8 million annually and $16 million in total. The 30-year-old also agreed to give a portion of his earnings to charity.
d’Arnaud split the start of 2019 between New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, before being transferred to Tampa Bay Rays. He ended up playing 92 games with the Rays, batting .263 with 16 home runs and 67 RBIs.
“We’ve been pretty clear about needing someone to add to the roster, and we had Travis right up at the top,” said Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos in a statement. “He’s been a highly touted prospect for a long time. Injuries have derailed his career and his upside, but he finally got to settle in with the Rays and show what he’s capable of doing, and we think he’s going to continue to move forward in that direction.”
Besides Travis d’Arnaud, Atlanta Braves made a number of other significant roster additions in the past several days, including All-Star closer Will Smith, which might set them up for a successful 2020. They also re-signed several of their own free agents like outfielder Nick Markakis and catcher Tyler Flowers.
