The Atlanta Braves are locking up their stars and heading into the 2014 season there are still trade rumors popping up regarding Brandon Phillips and Homer Bailey along with free agent options in Bronson Arroyo and Ubaldo Jimenez and comes after the team already signed Freddy Garcia to a deal.
The Braves were very quiet this offseason and after rumors came up that the team would try to trade Dan Uggla, they couldn't find anyone willing to take on that contract and now it looks like he will there for the time being. The team was mentioned as a possible destination for Brandon Phillips or Homer Bailey from the Reds, but it looks like either of those deals will be going down either. Phillips was rumored to be going to the Yankees or another team, but the reds did not find a deal they liked, while Bailey is in line for a contract extension and still could be traded.
According to Hardball Talk, these trades will not be going down, but the Braves could be in play for free agents Bronson Arroyo and Ubaldo Jimenez, as their price tags are starting to get lowered due to the fact that pitchers and catchers are reporting in a matter of weeks. This usually happens to pitchers on the market this late and Ervin Santana is having the same thing as well and it comes after Matt Garza and Masahiro Tanaka were signed.
The Braves locked up some of their young players this week and that sets them up well heading into the future. ESPN.com reports that the team signed both Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman and Heyward now is in on a $13.3 million, two-year contract that keeps him with the team before arbitration. Freeman signed a massive deal and he now is in on a $135 million deal over eight years and that was a huge move for the team.
Freeman may have been overpaid now, but the Braves did it to ensure that he would be with the team long term and they bought out his free agent years and now he will be with the team through the age of 32. Freeman is one of the top young players in the league and he now has the biggest contract with the team after Chipper Jones' from years ago. Freeman comes in after hitting .319 with 23 home runs, 109 RBIs and 89 runs scored in 147 games and he was an All-Star as well.
Freeman now is off the market for the foreseeable future and the team also brought back Heyward, but it sets up some future issues, as it's very likely that Craig Kimbrel will be on his way out eventually. The Braves made the playoffs last season and washed out and now they will be looking to get back this season and they now have Freeman for the long haul.